As a complement to First Freedom: Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom, the Library will partner with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities to host a panel discussion exploring the intersection of religious freedom and immigration, focusing on how the concept of religious freedom informs or influences an immigrant’s perceptions of citizenship. Aprilfaye Manalang, a sociologist and assistant professor in the Department of History and Interdisciplinary Studies at Norfolk State University, will serve as moderator for a group of panelists representing the Asian Indian, Muslim, and Latino communities in the metro Richmond area. A native of Mumbai, India, Rumy Mohta completed graduate studies in chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University and is CEO of Atlas Branding and Communications. A practicing Zoroastrian, he is married to a Catholic. Dr. Imad Damaj is a pharmacology professor at the Medical College of Virginia. A native of Lebanon and a Muslim, Dr. Damaj is the president and founder of the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Affairs and is involved in multiple interfaith and community organizations in the Greater Richmond area. A native of Guatemala, Oscar Contreras is a program host on Radio Poder WBTK 1380AM. This program is made possible through a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE VIDEOTAPED