Advertisement Freedom Center may host town halls on Ferguson First of series of discussions may be in early December Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Efforts to find common ground in the wake of Monday night's violence in Ferguson, Missouri, could involve conversations that are about to take place in Cincinnati.That's what WLWT News 5's Todd Dykes discovered when he visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on Tuesday.Watch this story"What's so important is that we learn from past struggles for freedom," said the Freedom Center's Assia Johnson. "History only really serves to help us to be able to have those discussions, to have open dialogue about what's going on right now, about what's going on in Ferguson."Encouraging discussions about the volatile situation in Ferguson is not a simple task, but Johnson says the museum's emphasis on new beginnings makes it a logical place to start.Photos: Ferguson reacts to grand jury's decision"This is a place where you not only learn, but where you connect and engage," she said.While visitors to the museum on Tuesday viewed portraits of despair and hope in America, the Freedom Center's leader, Dr. Clarence Newsome, was on a tour promoting the facility to other cities. But he was also keeping close watch on what's been happening on the streets of Ferguson."I want to say that violence is not an appropriate or an effective response or reaction," Newsome said. "Violence polarizes. It separates people, and so I want to discourage that in every way that I can. What we need to do is to focus ourselves on having very, very meaningful conversations. More than one conversation. We need to start a series of conversations, and we need to make sure these conversations are all-inclusive."With that in mind, efforts are underway to host a community in dialogue to talk about the events unfolding in Ferguson."The Freedom Center is safe space," Dr. Newsome said. "It is the place where people of varying and diverse views can come together under one roof in one space and speak in ways that will promote understanding."The Freedom Center hopes to host the first in a series of town hall discussions about the situation in Ferguson in early December. An exact date has not yet been determined.More information: http://www.freedomcenter.org/