Glenda Strong Robinson, 19, a junior at Memphis State University, seen in the cropped photo bottom right, marches on Main Street in Memphis, Tenn., on April 8, 1968, during a Memorial March following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the great rewards of being the Chair and CEO of the Chamber is having the opportunity to meet and become involved with the great diversity of businesses owners and their employees. We can tell you stories of a young couple, a new immigrant, a retired engineer and more that came to the Chamber and said, “I want to start a business.” In our country and in our community, this may sound common place, and it should. Starting, running and owning your own business is the American dream for many.

We share our community’s and nation’s sorrow at recent events of racial injustice in the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others. For them, the pursuit of their American dream ended suddenly and wrongly.

In our community, we’ve had our own struggles. 40 years ago in August of 1980, a police shooting of two Latino teens happened in Longmont. This led to a number of changes in policing and the broader community with the founding of El Comite organization. We may feel a sense of comfort that what we see on TV is happening in larger cities, miles from us. However, our human failure to attain our American ideals can be found anywhere. While this thought may then give us a sense of desperation, there are things we can all do. Fostering our shared values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion is an active process and is our collective responsibility.

What can we do in our community to promote these values? None of us have all the answers, so it’s important that we listen and learn from others.  Understanding each other’s experiences, struggles, successes and failures will build a strong Longmont

One of the first things we will do is host a community discussion.  One of our guests, Glenda Robinson is a 40 year Longmont resident, a business owner and minister. In the 1960s, Ms. Robinson marched with Martin Luther King. From her historical perspective, we will hear her stories and her thoughts on how our nation and our community can move forward together. There will also be time for Q&A.  Ms Robinson and one or two other community leaders will lead a conversation that is open and honest, addresses your questions and gives thoughtful responses. We encourage you to be part of the conversation, event details will be announced soon.

For a short look at Longmont history from the Longmont Museum, click here.