by Tessy Abade
Community leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates gathered Tuesday, April 28 at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion to explore a central question: what does it truly mean to build the “Beloved Community?”
The event was a partnership between Rev. Dr. Bill Lee and Blue Ridge Partnership. Through powerful reflections, the speakers emphasized that community health extends far beyond hospitals and clinics. It is shaped by culture, relationships, access, and the systems that connect people to opportunity.
As communities across the nation continue to grapple with division and inequality, local leaders gathered to revisit the enduring vision of the “Beloved Community.” The conference focused on faith, health, and social impact as keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Anthony Battle urged attendees to move beyond conversation and take meaningful action rooted in justice, compassion, and collective responsibility.
Dr. Battle was U.S. Ambassador to the African Union under President Bark Obama. As a renowned world-class theologian and educator, Dr. Battle grounded his message in the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Beloved Community” concept as a moral imperative centered on justice, equality, and unconditional love. He emphasized that this vision calls for a society where all individuals are treated with dignity and have equal access to opportunity.
Battle highlighted ongoing disparities in areas such as healthcare and economic access, questioning why such inequalities persist in a nation with vast resources. “What sense does it make,” he asked, “for one group to have life-saving care while another does not because of their zip code?”
Reflecting on King’s life, Battle noted that achieving this vision requires courage, commitment, and a willingness to confront injustice in all its forms
So, what is the role of faith in leadership?
“The same individuals sitting in church are the same ones making decisions in government,” he said.
He described faith leaders as uniquely positioned to influence both moral thinking and public action, urging them to use their platforms to address issues such as poverty, homelessness, and inequality.
Ultimately, Battle’s message returned to a central question: whether communities are willing to do the work required to bring the Beloved Community to life.
In a community full of diverse people, many of which were in attendance, Lisa Spencer, CEO of Local Colours, during her presentation, “who is our Neighbour?” challenged the audience to rethink how we see one another. She emphasized that while race has historically shaped social systems in the United States, it often oversimplifies identity.
Instead, she encouraged a deeper understanding through ethnicity, culture, and lived experience. Two people who may appear similar at first glance can carry entirely different histories, languages and traditions.
Her message was simple but powerful: Everyone deserves to be seen, valued, and understood for who they truly are.
Through Local Colours’ work, including festivals and cultural events, Spencer highlighted how exposure to different traditions encourages empathy and reduces harmful assumptions. Culture, she explained, is not something abstract; it is the shared values, customs, and meaning that shape how people live.
In an event centred on building a thriving community, health is an unavoidable topic. Aaron Boush of Carilion Clinic expanded the conversation by shifting focus from medical care to what truly helps communities thrive. According to research, factors such as housing, food access, education, and social connection, often called social determinants of health, play a much larger role than just health care.
Boush outlined initiatives designed to meet people where they are, including Community health workers who guide individuals through care, Peer recovery programs supporting those overcoming addiction, Food-as-medicine programs addressing chronic illness and Neighbourhood-based projects like urban farms and community wellness centres
These efforts create a connected system of care that extends beyond hospital walls and into everyday life.
Ultimately, what can the power of community collaboration do? Dr. Cynthia Morrow reinforced that building a healthy community requires collective action. Public health is not the responsibility of one institution, it is a shared effort among healthcare systems, faith leaders, educators, and everyday citizens.
She highlighted how collaboration played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when organizations worked together to ensure equitable vaccine access.
Moving forward, she urged individuals to ask themselves, “What role do I play in improving community health?”
The answer, she suggested, can be simple: Creating safe and inclusive spaces, Volunteering time and resources and Encouraging others to engage in community initiatives
Even small, individual actions can create meaningful change when multiplied across a community.
Dr. Cleopatra Kitt brought the conversation to a deeply personal and forward-looking conclusion by focusing on mentorship.
Her central message was clear:
“Talent is everywhere, but access is not. Mentorship is the bridge.”
Across all speakers, one theme remained constant, a healthy community is built when People are seen beyond labels, Systems support the whole person, Communities work together and Individuals invest in one another
For those in attendance, the event was both a reflection and a challenge that called for renewed commitment to justice, unity, and compassion in Roanoke and beyond.
