History

Martha Rollins (relative of R.E. Lee) and Danita Green (descendant of African royalty) share the story of their friendship from meeting (2009) as it developed over 10 years from causal to connected to committed. At the root is their willingness to have honest, courageous and clumsy conversations-- the hallmark of CTTT.

In 2013 Martha and Danita went  to the MLK Anniversary March in DC.  

In 2014 they partnered to begin "Listening Luncheons" in their homes as a vehicle or intentionally connecting people across artifical and systemic  racial divisions in Richmond. Encouraged by Art Carter (Eastern Shore CTTT) Phoebe Kilby and Tom deWolfe (National CTTT) they attended the national CTTT gathering at EMU, returned home and held their first CTTT- RVA gatherings.

In 2016 Danita and Martha were joined by Rev. Darren Utley and Joshua Stepney to create a Co-Conveners team that met weekly for very honest/courageous conversations about the direction of CTTT- RVA. What should our gatherings look like? Where do we meet? When? How do we invite people? How do we deal with doing infinite and important work in a finite time frame? How do we model CTTT values and live into the CTTT vision of taking America beyond the legacy of enslavement?

This Fabulous Five (see photo) plus Barbara Brown morphed in early 2017 into our beginning Leaders Circle. Cheryl Goode and Rev. Darren Utley initiated the second CTTT- RVA dinner gathering at St. John's UCCC. Marsha Summers accepted the challenge of organizing a Food Team for the 3rd Tuesday gathering at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church. Barbara Brown developed the Movie Circle. Cheryl and Marsha also led the Book Circle. Hayat Bain initiated the Healing Circle and began co-convening the 3rd Tuesday gathering with Danita Rountree Green. 

The Leaders Circle continued growing to include someone from each of the principal small groups. Small groups with shared activities deepen and strengthen relationships across the old constructed barriers of race. Some, like the Food Team, share vital work. Others, like the Movie Circle, connect individuals with art, history and each other.

Facilitators Circle came into being to provide one trained facilitator per table at dinner gatherings. How do we help strangers from different backgrounds enter into meaningful. transforming conversations. Bonnie Dowdy, sharing her extensive knowledge and experience in monthly 2.5 hour trainings and

in bi-yearly retreats, encourages using the CTTT touchstones to ...(read more)

70 at Third Tuesday Family Gathering Circle

Since the January showing of the documentary, "A Moral Debt" at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, our Third Tuesday gathering has consistently been attended by 60 to 70 folks eager to talk about Reparations in many systems we've seen are inequitable as a way to begin "repairing that which is broken." Discussions moved to virtual spaces in April 2020, and have continued to draw participants, even from other parts of the country.