Virtual Symposium 2021:
COVID-19 Conundrums
April 28–29, 2021
Register to Join Us Online:
When:
April 28: 9 am to 11:30 am
April 29: 9 am to 11:30 am
Where:
This is an online event.
Want to see the symposium overview, agenda, schedule, and speakers? Access the Symposium Program Below.
Discussing the impact the pandemic has had on social justice, economic wellbeing, health and housing.
CSA San Diego County as a fair housing agency is raising the alarm about “COVID-19 Conundrums” where speakers will discuss the impact the pandemic has had on community access to social justice, economic wellbeing, health and housing as well as potential avenues to address such disparities. Register now to join us for this online symposium.
This virtual symposium plans to discuss the four topics:
Social Justice and Structural Racism, Economics, Women, and Health- with speakers expounding on the specific socio- historical contexts establishing inequities.
Using such a holistic lens, the discussion will outline potential avenues through existing Fair Housing laws to alleviate some of these barriers while sparking conversation on additional approaches to holistically and systemically heal the longstanding institutional discrimination.
Additional Event Information
The landing of the COVID-19 early 2020 was a rampant reverberating in an astonishing way despite the well-established and giant systems, facilities, and structures in biotechnology and many other supportive fields. The pandemic conundrum nature is globally and equally shared no matter large or small, rich and poor.
While the biological elements of the pandemic are progressively responded and challenged; its sprouts continue to create a foreboding fastidious situation. A number of shadow pandemics are looming in the shade of the COVID-19 pandemic on social justice and other alerting fronts. Race- national origin-or color, gender, and disability are among many protected classes at the front line of shadow pandemics. Ongoing concerns in this respect need to be highlighted and put in the light to prevent counter clockwise discourses or practices.
CSA San Diego County as a fair housing agency is raising the alarm through this symposium titled “COVID-19 Conundrums” to address the structural inequities that establish barriers on the basis of race-color, national origin, sex, and disability. COVID-19 has greatly impacted, exposed, and exacerbated the disparate fissures directly affecting communities’ access to social justice, economic wellbeing, health, and housing.
CSA San Diego County Fair Housing 2021
Symposium Speakers
Joshua V. Barr
Director, Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission
Joshua V. Barr is an Emmy award-winning, transformational leader and lawyer from South Carolina. In 2015, Joshua became the director of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission. As director, he increased the number of complaints filed in the office by 170% and the number of probable cause discrimination cases by 500%. He also spearheaded the Bridging the Gap initiative where the Commission conducted community dialogues to develop policies designed to increase opportunity and make a safe, more just community for all. Through the initiative, the Commission was able to create new city policies including protected class status for persons with government benefits to obtain housing; protecting the right of residents to be free from inquiry about immigration status from local law enforcement; and developing a cultural competency training program for all city employees. In 2020, Joshua debuted the 2020 Emmy award-winning documentary Breaking Bread, Building Bridges where he and his team took 40 strangers and matched them together based on their differences to have dinners over the course of a few months. Joshua served as the creator, director, and executive producer of the documentary. In 2020, Joshua was also named #5 of the top 100 influencers in local government in the United States in part because of his article A Better Way: 50+ Action Items to Fight Against Racism In Your Community.
Christopher Brancart
Attorney, Brancart and Brancart
Christopher Brancart started the Brancart and Brancart firm in 1989 with Elizabeth Brancart. Chris graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1985, clerked for the Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court (1985-1986), taught appellate advocacy and administrative law at Western State College of Law (1987-1988), and worked as a staff attorney and then the supervising attorney at the Pomona legal services office (1987-1989).Since entering private practice, Chris has focused on litigating cases that expand fair housing rights, devising methods that improve fair housing investigations, and supporting fair housing attorneys and advocates through trainings and co-counseling.Chris is a member of the State Bars of California, Nevada, North Dakota, and Maine, and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Eighth Circuits, and the United States District Courts in California, Nevada, North Dakota, and the Southern District of Indiana.
Amy Nelson
Executive Director, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
Amy Nelson is the Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI). The mission of the FHCCI is to ensure equal housing opportunities by eliminating housing discrimination through advocacy, enforcement, education and outreach. The FHCCI has a service area of 24 counties in Central Indiana reaching a population of over 2.5 million. The FHCCI works to prevent housing discrimination through its Advocacy, Education, Inclusive Communities, and Public Policy Programs. Amy believes that all people deserve safe, affordable, accessible housing that is free from discrimination. She has managed nonprofit fair housing organizations and programs since 1997 working previously at the Fair Housing of the Dakotas and Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia.Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business and Political Science from Minnesota State University-Moorhead of Moorhead, Minnesota and received her Master of Business Administration from Averett College of Danville, Virginia. She recently filed and won a case regarding sexual harassment.
Laura Nunn
Housing Policy Director, San Diego Housing Federation
As the San Diego Housing Federation’s policy director, Laura plans, directs, and coordinates development of policy positions as well as government and legislative affairs. Previously, she worked at U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s San Diego district office working on federal level issues related to housing, health, veteran affairs, and social programs. She also interned at former California State Senator Denise Ducheny’s office. Laura holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from SDSU.
Dr. Rakesh Patel
Chief Executive Officer, Neighborhood Healthcare
Chief Executive Officer and practicing family physician, Rakesh Patel, M.D., has been with Neighborhood Healthcare for over 18 years. He has ensured the non-profit community health organization possesses the resources and culture it needs to provide quality, compassionate, whole-person care to families, regardless of their situation or circumstances. Dr. Patel is the Chair of the Board of Managers for Integrated Health Partners of Southern California, San Diego’s leading clinically integrated network representing 270,000 lives. Dr. Patel also serves as the Board Chair for Health Center Partners of Southern California which serves as the primary voice and health care policy advocate for community health centers throughout Southern California. A board-certified family physician and Certified Physician Executive, Dr. Patel received his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his residency at Scripps Family Practice Residency in Chula Vista. He received his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. He is a CPCA board member and CMA delegate and serves as the East County Region Director on the San Diego County Medical Society Board.