While preparing for an event on a hot day in July, Allan-Charles Chipman, who is the executive director of Initiatives of Change USA (IofC USA), heard from a participant in a recent program. Her question was one Chipman had heard before.
“I realized for the first time after forty years of living, I have been sheltered from the true narratives of how much racism and the institution of slavery have shaped our society,” she said. “Now that I have had this revelation, is it too late for me?”
Chipman reassured her, like he does with many program participants. “It certainly is not too late for you. No one is too young or too old to begin the work of building a new future.”
Initiatives of Change USA began its service in the Richmond region in the late 1980s, as part of a global group of affiliates located in more than 100 different countries. The parent organization, Initiatives of Change International, is headquartered in Switzerland. While the earliest version of the organization took form in 1938, the current name and mission were adopted in 2001.
From the Public Square to the Public Circle
What this woman experienced in 2023 is something Chipman has encountered many times during his time with IofC USA. His empathetic response is what he calls building an infrastructure of understanding that seeks to move society from the public square to the public circle.
“The public square has corners to marginalize people. But in the public circle, everyone is seen,” Chipman said. “To heal today’s conflicts, we must reckon with and refuse the dehumanizing narratives of our polarized corners and dare to enter into the truth and understanding of the public circle.”
Chipman, who has been working with IofC USA in various roles since 2018, was named executive director at the end of 2022, taking the reins during a time of change within the organization.
Initiatives of Change USA has been headquartered in Richmond for more than three decades. In that time, the organization has confronted some of the most pressing issues facing the city and beyond by working with leaders and change agents across the Commonwealth and around the world.
“We have a history of being conveners of change who are more in the background than the forefront,” Chipman says. Now, Chipman wants to build on this history and bring Richmonders along on the journey.
“In my new role,” Chipman continued, “I’m eager to work with our incredible staff, organization, and community to provide programming that will lead to new mindsets, new cycles of healing, and ultimately a new future for our city and world.”
People and Programs in Action
Some of these programs include the Caux Scholars Program, which takes place in Switzerland and India and provides scholars around the world with an in-depth knowledge about transforming the root causes of conflicts. Here in Richmond, the Community Trustbuilding Fellowship brings together a diverse class from across North America to learn how to facilitate dialogue and build racially equitable communities.
But listing some of the available programs doesn’t get at the role IofC USA has played here in Richmond. Chipman says the organization feels an abiding responsibility to be responsive to community needs. This commitment is evident based on the way IofC USA has responded to recent tragedies.
On July 7, the organization hosted a citywide healing circle in Monroe Park to invite community members to come together to mourn, share, and reflect on the Huguenot High School graduation shooting that happened outside Altria Theater.
“Once the news cameras were gone, residents were still processing profound grief,” says Chipman. “We wanted to provide a space for people to speak openly, honestly, and with a conviction that we must work together as a community to end gun violence.”
Earlier this year, IofC USA partnered with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and the Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond and Vicinity for a public discussion titled Towards a Double Victory: Black and Jewish Relations During the Rise of White Supremacy.
Ephraim Seidman, a member of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, has seen firsthand how IofC USA has impacted the region. After attending the IofC USA-sponsored Collective Journeys Program exploring Richmond’s role in slavery, Seidman summed up his experience in one short sentence: “This is an experience every Virginian should have to learn.”
While it is clear that IofC USA has had a direct and lasting impact on the city it calls home, Chipman says there is more in the works.
“I truly believe that as a community, we can change the trajectory of our city and our society toward a brighter, more inclusive, more open future,” Chipman said. “This is an exciting time for our organization, full of possibilities and growth.”
Add Your Voice to the IofC USA Circle
Circle Up Conversation
Richmond Public Library
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Engage in community dialogue and a healing circle to have higher conversations about the deeper issues in society including exploring relationships between the Black and Jewish communities.
Intersecting History Museum Crawl
History Museums in Richmond
Sunday, January 28
Sign up for a community tour: American Civil War Museum, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Branch Museum of Architecture & Design, The Valentine, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Virginia Holocaust Museum, and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. This partnership with some of Richmond’s historical and cultural institutions will strive to create a more inclusive public memory concerning race and justice.
To find out more, visit us.iofc.org or email pearl.wisecrawley@iofc.org
