Beyond Black & White: Youngstown 2010 Town Hall Discussion

Thursday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m.

Hosted by Jay Williams

Reasoning that city improvement efforts would be in vain without addressing issues of race relations, the forces behind Youngstown 2010 held two community forums devoted to the subject as part of PBS 45 & 49?s quarterly series, 2010 Moving Ahead: A Forum for Reporting Progress.

The planning initiative for revitalizing Youngstown, called Youngstown 2010, strives to make the city a better place to live and do business. The first phase of the Youngstown 2010 process, developing the vision, began in Fall 2002 and was completed in Spring 2003. It is a collaborative effort among city officials, community members and leaders from Youngstown State University.

Community involvement shows how important the process is to the residents of Youngstown. Many have attended neighborhood sessions and public forums. Beyond Black & White: Youngstown 2010 Town Hall Discussion is a compilation of two of these forums focused on race relations, which aired in late 2004 as part of PBS 45 & 49?s 2010 Moving Ahead series. The Jan. 13 special will be simulcast on National Public Radio affiliate WYSU/88.5 FM.

?We?ve repackaged the two programs into a single show, adding new material recorded after we left the air in November,? says Jeremiah G. Blaylock, PBS 45 & 49 producer of the show. ?This frank and open dialogue will help not only Youngstown but all of northeast Ohio in understanding the importance of discussing the underlying issues that affect our community?s future.?

Moderated by Youngstown Community Development Director Jay Williams, the town hall-style forums gave community members an opportunity to discuss the relevance of race relations to redevelopment plans for the city.

PBS 45 & 49 will air four more 2010 Moving Ahead forums in 2005, thanks to a generous donation from the Tony Lariccia family, who is sponsoring the series.

Found out more about the Youngstown 2010 project at http://www.youngstown2010.com/.

Four Major Vision Platforms Accepting that Youngstown is a smaller city. Youngstown?s population has declined from 166,000 in 1960 to 82,000 today. Defining Youngstown?s role in the regional economy. Steel is gone. Youngstown must support industries that drive today?s and tomorrow?s economy. Improving Youngstown?s image and enhancing quality of life. Make Youngstown a place where people want to live, work and play. A call to action. An achievable and practical action-oriented plan to make things happen. Comprehensive Plan to be Unveiled The next phase of the Youngstown 2010 process, introduction of the Comprehensive Plan, will take place at Stambaugh Auditorium on January 27 at 7 pm. Community members are invited to participate in this event of landmark importance to the entire Mahoning Valley.