RECOMMENDATION #30

Create and implement a new speaker series addressing issues related to cultural history, inclusion, diversity, and racial equity.

The City started a speaker series in 2019. The ticketed series, called Lewisville Talks, brings nationally known authors and presenters to the Lewisville Grand Theater to speak on current events, trends, and ideas related to building and sustaining a thriving community.

Either as part of the Lewisville Talks series, or as a new companion series, national influencers could be brought to Lewisville to foster public conversation on such topics as cultural history, inclusion, diversity, and racial equity. City staff would pursue a partnership with a local university to identify and recruit speakers.

Lewisville Grand staff will create a proposal for consideration with the FY 21-22 budget that will fund a minimum of two speakers during that fiscal year.

Status: Ongoing

Completed Actions

• The FY 21-22 budget includes funding for a Lewisville Talk Series. The Lewisville Grand Theater and HR Training & Equity staff are collaborating to identify a speaker for this series. The event will be tentatively scheduled for Summer 2022.

Planned Actions:

• On June 16, Lewisville Grand Theater will present a Lewisville Talks - City Speaker Series event featuring Donald Norman-Cox, author of Juneteenth 101: Popular Myths and Forgotten Facts. It will be followed by a screening of Miss Juneteenth, a film directed by Fort Worth-native Channing Godfrey Peoples. Harry Eady, founder of the Denton Black Film Festival, will serve as emcee for this event in the Huffines Performance Hall.