Dinner and Dialogue
The citizen volunteers of the Village's Community Relations Commission seek Oak Parkers willing to open their homes to residents of diverse backgrounds for an evening of dinner and candid dialogue about race, diversity and inclusion.
An offshoot of the Jane Addams Hull House Association Center for Civil Society's Chicago Dinners Project, Oak Park's Dinner & Dialogue Project is based on the power of meaningful conversations and interactions to create true understanding of diversity and build a stronger sense of community.
The Strategy
The strategy behind the dinner project is its simplicity. Many residents rarely have an opportunity for honest conversations about diversity and other difficult subjects – even among their social and professional peers. Informal conversations within small, diverse groups can be a vital step in helping improve our Village’s cultural and human relations.
How to Participate
Participating is free and easy, with Village staff providing technical assistance and the Community Relations Commission covering all costs associated with the dinner. Here's how the program works…
- A community resident hosts a dinner in his or her home or other place they choose
- The host selects the dinner topic and invites no more than 12 guests of diverse backgrounds to attend
- The dinner host briefly highlights the issue or topic of discussion and helps move the dialogue toward exploring various facets of the issue
- Dinner guests then are asked to share their experiences and ideas as well as thoughts for future action
The program has no real rules, other than everyone must participate in the dialogue. The overall goal is to get residents of various backgrounds to talk candidly with each other, an essential step toward greater cultural understanding and cooperation that will extend beyond the dinner experience.
Dinner and Dialogue Registration
For More Information
Anyone interested in hosting or attending a dinner is urged to call 708.358.5407 or e-mail community@oak-park.us.