The incoming Biden Administration faces both challenges and opportunities for racial healing, reconciliation, and progress. CNI hosted a panel of experts who shared their experience and vision for the role those who work in conflict resolution, facilitation, mediation, and dialogue might play in the work ahead to bridge racial divides across the country in the aftermath of the 2020 Election. CNI was particularly pleased to use this session to celebrate the publication of Grande Lum’s book, “America’s Peacemakers: The Community Relations Service and Civil Rights,” which looks at the ground-breaking work of the Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, an office set up as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the mission of bridging and healing racial divisions in communities across the country that would arise as part of the implementation of the landmark act. Moderated by CNI Principal and Harvard Law School Senior Fellow Bob Bordone, the panel included:

Jason Craige Harris (he/him/his) is a Community Partner at the Perception Institute, and he regularly collaborates with other strategic DEI firms such as Anthem of Us and Derrick Gay Consulting. Jason’s consulting work concentrates on diversity, equity, and inclusion; conflict transformation and restorative justice; and leadership development. He also serves as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at a K-12 Quaker school in NYC, where he is a member of both the Senior Administrative Committee and the leadership team of the School's peace, equity, and justice department, which brings together diversity and inclusion, civic engagement, and global education. He is on the boards of Inwood Academy, Seeds of Peace, and Hidden Water.

Grande Lum is Provost and Professor of Menlo College. Prior to joining Menlo, he was Director of the Divided Community Project (DCP) at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Previously, starting in 2012, Grande Lum served as the Director of the Community Relations Service (CRS), an agency within the Department of Justice that serves as “America’s Peacemaker” for communities in conflict by mediating disputes and enhancing community capacity to independently prevent and resolve future conflicts. He is the author of The Negotiation Fieldbook (McGraw-Hill 2nd Edition, 2010); Tear Down the Wall: Be Your Own Mediator in Conflict (Optimality, 2013); and the forthcoming Resolving Civil Rights Conflicts in the Community: The US Justice Department’s Community Relations Service (University of Missouri, 2020. Co-authored with Bertram Levine).

Becky Monroe is the director, Fighting Hate and Bias program. She was previously the director of the Divided Community Project, supporting local leaders in addressing the reasons underlying community division, including racism and other forms of discrimination. Before that, Monroe launched the Stop Hate Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Monroe joined the Lawyers’ Committee after working for almost eight years for the Obama administration. At the Department of Justice, she was the director for policy and planning and senior counselor to the assistant attorney general for civil rights. She also worked at the White House Domestic Policy Council as a senior policy advisor. And as acting director of the DOJ’s Community Relations Service, she led implementation of its expanded statutory mandate to support communities combating hate.

Paul Monteiro is the Chief of Staff at Howard University. Prior to that, he was appointed Acting Director of the U.S. Justice Department’s Community Relations Service (CRS) in 2016. Paul previously served as director of AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) at the Corporation for National and Community Service and led the effort to mark its 50th anniversary. From 2009 to 2013, he was an advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement and led outreach to faith-based organizations, Arab-American communities, and anti-poverty groups. Paul also helped launch the President’s Responsible Fatherhood & Healthy Families initiative that later became “My Brother’s Keeper.” He served as coordinator for the White House Mentorship Program for young men attending local area high schools.