Civic Cafe is a weekly event series that occurs every Tuesday evening at Stix House, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Each night will either be a Skill Building session, Democracy Dinner, or Civic Storytelling event. Students of every discipline are invited to attend. Learn, eat, and meet other civically-minded individuals.

A Civic Café Civic Journey Spotlight aims to connect students with local civic leaders. Local civic leaders will share the story of how their life experiences shaped their path and led them to the type of civic work they do now as well as their perspective on civic engagement and social change. Civic Journey Spotlights aim to offer students real-life examples of how to get involved in social change, a deeper understanding of the St. Louis region, and a chance to reflect on their own civic pathways, values, and commitments. 

For our inaugural Civic Journey Spotlight on Tuesday, December 6 from 5:30pm-7:00pm, the Gephardt Institute is thrilled to welcome David Dwight IV, Executive Director and Lead Strategy Catalyst at Forward Through Ferguson.  

David’s Forward Through Ferguson bio reads, “Forward Through Ferguson is the organization created to carry on the work and vision of the Ferguson Commission, which was a wide-ranging community policy recommendation process engaging over 3,000 residents after the killing of Michael Brown Jr. In David’s role, he leads FTF, develops strategic initiatives, and directs the organization’s policy and systems advocacy strategy. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in St. Louis to engage community voice and apply a Racial Equity lens to regional issues.  

David has taken root in St. Louis where he has lived for nine years. He received his degree in biomedical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015. His experience co-founding Students in Solidarity—a multi-campus student advocacy coalition—led him to center equity, justice, and advocacy in his career. After graduation, he served as the communications fellow for the Ferguson Commission where he worked closely with the Citizen-Law Enforcement Relations working group. He is dedicated to supporting the St. Louis region as we forge a path toward a transformed St. Louis where Racial Equity is the status quo. David balances his equity work, and maintains his sanity, through theatre and dance.” 

Speakers: 

• David Dwight IV, Executive Director and Lead Strategy Catalyst, Forward Through Ferguson 

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