The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that works to reduce prejudice in schools, businesses, and communities. Its activities include workshops, retreats, and customized training and education programs. VCIC also trains leaders to promote

inclusion Inclusion or Include may refer to: Sociology * Social inclusion, aims to create an environment that supports equal opportunity for individuals and groups that form a society. ** Inclusion (disability rights), promotion of people with disabiliti ...

. VCIC's programs and services have been recognized by local and national organizations. The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities has four chapters, based in Lynchburg, Peninsula, Richmond, and Tidewater (South Hampton Roads).

History

VCIC was established in Lynchburg in 1935, when the President of

Lynchburg College The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. ...

convened a number of Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish leaders to develop an Interfaith educational program. The group called itself the Lynchburg Round Table and organized an Interfaith Conference, held on November 25, 1935, in the gymnasium at Lynchburg College with just under 1,000 attendees, including clergy and lay leaders from other Virginia communities. According to contemporary news coverage, the conference featured an informal discussion among a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

, a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, and a Protestant minister followed by an endorsement from U.S. Senator

Carter Glass Carter Glass (January 4, 1858 – May 28, 1946) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician from Lynchburg, Virginia. He represented Virginia in both houses of Congress and served as the United States Secretary of the Treas ...

of Lynchburg. Chapters of the movement were subsequently founded in Richmond and

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, and by 1946, those chapters were affiliated with the

National Conference of Christians and Jews The National Conference for Community and Justice is an American social justice organization focused on fighting biases and promoting understanding between people of different races and cultures. The organization was founded in 1927 as the Natio ...

(NCCJ), cooperating as part of the Virginia Region of the NCCJ. New chapters were subsequently established in Martinsville, Harrisonburg, Roanoke, the Peninsula, Petersburg, and Suffolk. The Lynchburg Round Table also affiliated with the NCCJ Virginia Region in 1948. In the early 1990s, the organization changed its name to the National Conference, retaining the inititals NCCJ. In 1998, the organization re-launched as the

National Conference for Community and Justice The National Conference for Community and Justice is an American social justice organization focused on fighting biases and promoting understanding between people of different races and cultures. The organization was founded in 1927 as the Natio ...

, to honor the history of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, while reflecting expansion of the organization's work to encompass additional religious groups, as well other contemporary human relations issues. In 2005, local NCCJ offices across the United States, including the Virginia Region, became independent not-for-profit corporations. During this period of transition, the local organization became known as the Virginia Conference for Community and Justice. In 2007, the organization relaunched as the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. Since 2009, the organization's president and CEO has been Jonathan C. Zur, who has been a recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award.{{Cite news, url=https://www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach/dcla/2016/norfolk-jonathan-zur, title= 2016 Director's Community Leadership Award Recipient, date=April 28, 2017, work=Federal Bureau of Investigation, access-date=January 15, 2019, language=en-US

References

Non-profit organizations based in Richmond, Virginia Non-profit organizations based in Lynchburg, Virginia 1935 establishments in Virginia Organizations established in 1935