Race Relations the topic of discussion tonight

The first of four sessions billed as “Honest Conversations” will be held tonight for central Iowans to discuss the issue of race relations. Adin Davis is organizing the gatherings, which he says give residents the chance to talk about race and its impact on their lives.Davis is a spokesman for the Des Moines office of the National Conference on Community and Justice, or N-C-C-J. He says the sessions last two hours each and will gather people from all ages, colors and societal backgrounds.A few weeks ago, two white bouncers were found innocent of involuntary manslaughter charges after a black patron suffocated while being restrained in a Des Moines bar. While Davis says the death of Charles Lovelady was tragic, the case did shed light on another important issue. That he says is the use of dress codes to segregate people from nightclubs.Tonight’s dialogue is scheduled for 6:30 at the NCCJ office in Des Moines. Other Honest Conversations are planned on November 28, December 5 and 12.