top of page
purplefilter.png

Cities

Rising

Summit

Sept. 15 - Oct. 30, 2020

A virtual event series exploring critical issues surfaced by the Covid-19 pandemic and 2020 movement for racial justice. 

In 2020, the Tom Tom Summit went virtual: 2455 multi-sector city leaders from 250+ cities in 47 states exchanged ideas and developed solutions for their communities on topics ranging from criminal justice reform to small business recovery to equity in K-12 education. 

Capitals of the Confederacy, Under New Management
01:04:15

Capitals of the Confederacy, Under New Management

Over the course of the Civil War, there were three capitals of the Confederacy — Montgomery (AL), Richmond (VA), and Danville (VA). For the first time in history, all three cities have elected Black mayors. Tom Tom is excited to announce a Marquee Talk with mayors Steven Reed and Levar Stoney, moderated by the former mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu. They’ll discuss their personal and political journeys, the legacy and future of the South, and their ongoing work for equity and justice. Meet the Mayors: Steven Reed, Montgomery, AL As Montgomery County, Alabama’s first African-American mayor and youngest elected probate judge, Reed has expanded access to representation, improved facilities, and modernized the office to better serve the community. He has a long track record of fighting for the underserved through making drastic improvements to mental health services, standing up for marriage equality, and advocating for voter inclusivity. The recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Leadership Award for Governmental Service was born and raised in Montgomery and is deeply connected to his community on every level. Levar Stoney, Richmond, VA Richmond’s youngest mayor is focused on building One Richmond, a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable city where everyone has the same opportunities. He previously served as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, which helped elect Obama in 2008. As Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor McAuliffe, he helped restore more civil and voting rights than any other state in the country. His current initiatives include organizing a commission to lead conversations about Richmond’s Confederate history, designating an LGBTQ+ liaison to help protect citizens from discrimination, and championing children through significant investments in public schools. Mitch Landrieu (Moderator) Lawyer, Author, Political Commentator The former mayor of New Orleans gained national attention for his bold decision to remove four Confederate monuments in his city, earning him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Through his recent launch of E Pluribus Unum, he is fulfilling America’s promise for justice and opportunity for all by breaking down barriers that divide us by race and class. Prior to serving as mayor, he served two terms as lieutenant governor and as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Thanks to Calvin Earl for the use of his song 2020 the People's Anthem. Music distribution with CDBaby Pro. Song was written by Calvin Earl and Christi Earl. All Rights Reserved.
My Vanishing Country: A Conversation with Bakari Sellers and Dr. Cameron Webb
55:52

My Vanishing Country: A Conversation with Bakari Sellers and Dr. Cameron Webb

NewYorkTimes Bestseller What J. D. Vance did for Appalachia with Hillbilly Elegy, @CNN analyst and one of the youngest state representatives in South Carolina history Bakari Sellers does for the rural South, in this important book that illuminates the lives of America’s forgotten black working-class men and women. Part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis, My Vanishing Country is an eye-opening journey through the South's past, present, and future. Anchored in Bakari Seller’s hometown of Denmark, South Carolina, Country illuminates the pride and pain that continues to fertilize the soil of one of the poorest states in the nation. He traces his father’s rise to become, friend of Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King, a civil rights hero, and member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), to explore the plight of the South's dwindling rural, black working-class—many of whom can trace their ancestry back for seven generations. In his poetic personal history, we are awakened to the crisis affecting the other “Forgotten Men & Women,” who the media seldom acknowledges. For Sellers, these are his family members, neighbors, and friends. He humanizes the struggles that shape their lives: to gain access to healthcare as rural hospitals disappear; to make ends meet as the factories they have relied on shut down and move overseas; to hold on to precious traditions as their towns erode; to forge a path forward without succumbing to despair. My Vanishing Country is also a love letter to fatherhood—to Sellers' father, his lodestar, whose life lessons have shaped him, and to his newborn twins, who he hopes will embrace the Sellers family name and honor its legacy. Thanks to Calvin Earl for the use of his song 2020 the People's Anthem. Music distribution with CDBaby Pro. Song was written by Calvin Earl and Christi Earl. All Rights Reserved.

Watch the Playlist

Featured Speakers:

dots-teal.png

Our Themes:

BGAnimation-2020WebHeader--JUNE_128.gif
BGAnimation-2020WebHeader--JUNE_128.gif
BGAnimation-2020WebHeader--JUNE_128.gif
Week 1: Sept. 15-17

Vital Signs: 

The urgent call to build healthier communities.

There’s no going back to “normal”. Hear from leading community health experts about what’s next—and how we can use this as an opportunity to address the equity in healthcare that has been long, and sorely, needed.

Presented By
Hartfield Foundation
Week 2: Sept. 22-24
New World, New Justice:
Finally, a path to just cities and second chances.

Yes, there have been some wins: Covid-era early releases and a new spotlight on policing—but what’s next? That’s the question we’ll hope to answer in a series of critical conversations around what “criminal justice reform” really means. 

Presented By
C-ville Weekly
Week 3: Sept. 29-Oct.1
Too Small to Fail: 
Our collective quest to save small business and our cities' vitality.

What would we do without Mom and Pop? Join us for an exploration into how we can come together to build and uplift our small business communities—especially for those who haven’t always had a seat at the table. 

Presented By
TomTom2020-Foundation-White (3).png
Week 4: Oct. 6-8

Yes, Community Arts Are Essential:

Let’s lift up our creative neighbors.

When’s the last time you saw a performance, went to an opening, or heard a reading? Come; learn how the art world is giving back in order to survive—and how you can support the artists living and working in your hometown. We all know what they say about art predicting life! 

Presented By
Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation
Week 5: Oct. 13-15
We Are Being Graded: 
Community partnership on the path to stronger, fairer education.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed dramatic inequities across cities, sectors, and services, but perhaps none with more immediate and dramatic ramifications than those in K-12 education. Join us for a timely and accessible conversation around the equity issues facing educators, administrators, and community partners.  

Presented By
UVA Curry School of Education & Human De
Week 6: Oct. 20-22
The Data’s in the Details:
Applied Machine Learning for good.

Data could be our greatest ally in rebuilding—but only if we use it wisely. How can applied machine learning and A.I. not only inform, but uplift, systems of healthcare, education, and food security in our communities? Join us for the fourth year of a sell-out showcase of the industry’s latest trends—only this time, it’s personal.

Presented By
S&P Global
Week 7: Oct. 27-29
The Small City Moment:
Big ideas for right now.

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented incredible challenges for cities across the country and together, we face a long road to recovery. Response and recovery efforts have demanded a renewed spirit of localism, making community leadership in small and mid-size cities is more important now than ever before. These are the people and the ideas behind that movement.

Presented By
Apex Clean Energy

Formats: 

Star-purple.png

Pay-What-You-Can Pricing.

These events are for everyone! Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, we’re thrilled to be able to open the door to more people in more places with a virtual format and flexible pay scale.

Contributions in the range of $0-250 are welcome.

Pay more if you want to, and less if you need to!

Premier + Signature  Sponsors:

Sponsor Block - July 6 (1).png

Additional  Sponsors:

2RW Consultants · Boyd & Sipe PLC · Castle Hill Gaming · Center for Innovative Technology · Charlottesville Office of Economic Development · Community Investment Collaborative · Davenport Posner Wealth Management · Focused Ultrasound Foundation · Generation 180 · GO Virginia · GreeneHurlocker · HelioCampus · Local Energy Alliance Program · Lynchburg Economic Development Authority · Nvidia · R.L. Beyer Custom Homes · School of Data Science at UVA · Sol Unesco · Storyware · Sun Tribe Solar · Timmons Group · United Way of Greater Charlottesville · UVA Community Credit Union · UVA School Of Architecture · Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission · VMDO Architects · VPM

bottom of page