“Since we are a nation comprised of many ethnicities, it is vital for each community to feel a sense of closure from the oppressions and injustices of the past. Until this is done we can't truly move forward as a nation.”

Hadi Yazdanpanah moved from Iran to the US as a child. He works for the website www.richmond.com and also volunteers with the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Policy, which encourages the
Muslim community to get involved with issues of social justice and community activism. In 2003 he joined IofC's Connecting Communities Fellowship Program (CCFP).

"CCFP has provided me with enormous tools, which
can be used for self-improvement and reflection and tools that can be applied for building bridges and reconciling communities," he says.
Hadi is also helping Hope in the Cities coordinate two important projects. The first is a series of dialogues between Muslims and Christians in Richmond, to foster a better understanding and alleviate fears, stereotypes
and emotional reactions to current events.

The second project will bring together Muslim university students to foster a greater understanding between the immigrant Muslims and African-American Muslims. This bridge building will include visiting historical slave sites in
Richmond, starting with the slave route walk at Manchester Docks.