On November 17, 2009, a number of conversations will take place concurrently across the state. Michigan's Root Beer Summits: Conversations on Race and Diversity will be offered by MDCR and local partner organizations.

These sessions, led by trained facilitators, will walk local residents through a series of thought-provoking questions and discussions. "Our goal is to increase our understanding of each other. Michigan has a diverse population, made up of people from many states and countries. We want to collectively appreciate our differences, while also improving our dialogue and interactions as we move forward," said Kelvin W. Scott, Director, Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

Local facilitators will be advertising these events in their own communities. The series of discussions are tentatively scheduled to take place in Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Detroit, Farmington/Farmington Hills, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Macomb County, Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw and Traverse City.

While all the events will take place on the same day, it is best to check your local media outlets for details on times and locations.

For more information on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/mdcr.