2004 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations

Keynote Speaker James Stowe
James L. Stowe is a native of Belmont, North Carolina. Mr. Stowe relocated to Columbus to serve as the current and first Executive Director of the City of Columbus, Community Relations Commission. The agency, established in 1992, provides leadership to the people of Columbus by educating the citizens about cultural diversity; identifying and resolving community tensions, and eliminating racism/discrimination, as it works toward Building a Community for All.

Mr. Stowe has been instrumental in involving city leaders in both the public and private sectors in examining the negative impact of racism on the entire community. He co-facilitated a pilot program for small group discussion (study circles) on race relations. Mr. Stowe is also a member of the United Way, Race Relations Vision Council which works in partnership with the Columbus Dispatch and The Ohio State University Research Center to develop the most comprehensive Race Relations Survey for Columbus and the Central Ohio area.

Mr. Stowe's professional affiliations include: Southern Region Vice President of the National Association of Human Rights Workers (NAHRW), 1989-90; Member, International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, 1987-93; Member of the North Carolina Chapter of the NAHRW, 1987-1993; Member , National Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, 1991-1993; General Liaison to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, 1990-1991; life member of the NAACP; elected 2nd Vice President of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA); Member of the Ohio Chapter of NAHRW. 1994-present; Board of Directors for NAHRW, Netcare Corporation, First Link, African American Advisory committee to the Columbus Public Schools, Deceased Children of Franklin County; the African American Advisory Committee to the Columbus Museum of Art, The United Way, the Public Deliberations Coalition and the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.

Mr. Stowe is the host of Community Tapestry, a public affairs program that broadcasts live monthly and is aired on tape replay throughout the month. Program topics include issues on diversity, community problems and concerns, and civil rights issues that have an impact on the Columbus community.