ABC 7 Chicago presents: Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race, a virtual town hall with ABC 7's Samantha Chatman

CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC 7 Chicago, Chicago's No. 1 station for news, presented the 10th installment in a series of virtual town halls, DO YOU HEAR ME? A DISCUSSION ABOUT RACE, Thursday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. on abc7chicago.com. The hour-long town hall was moderated by ABC 7 I-Team Consumer Investigative Reporter Samantha Chatman. The virtual town hall also exclusively streamed live on ABC 7's Facebook Live, YouTube, ABC 7's app, and ABC 7's connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku.

This week's town hall focused on mental health issues in the Black community and how those issues present across age and gender. The discussion explored the devastating way violence and trauma impact the mental health of individuals and the overarching repercussions on families and the community when one of their members is suffering.

This town hall brings together professionals approaching mental health services from different perspectives depending on the group needing treatment, including veterans and those in the military, women, men, youth and trauma-impacted individuals and communities. They also examine the stigma that is associated with mental health challenges, preventing many from seeking the help that could not only improve their lives but those of their families and the community at large.

Panelists included:

- LaNae Dedmond Edwards, Illinois Joining Forces

- Robert L. Lewis Jr., Illinois Hires Heroes Consortium, Veteran, U.S. Marine Corps

- Elaine Smith, Bright Star Community Outreach

- John Franklin, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Part 1 is in the player above.

WATCH PART 2

ABC 7 Chicago presents: Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race; the tenth in a series of virtual town hall meetings, on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m.

WATCH PART 3

ABC 7 Chicago presents: Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race; the tenth in a series of virtual town hall meetings, on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m.

PREVIOUS TOWN HALLS:

ABC 7 Chicago presents: Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race, a virtual town hall with Windy City Live's Val Warner

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on June 4, 2020: Hosted by Cheryl Burton, on the aftermath of George Floyd's death

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on June 11, 2020: Hosted by Karen Jordan and Hosea Sanders, on organizational social change

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on June 18, 2020: Hosted by Evelyn Holmes and Will Jones,on youth movements

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on June 25, 2020: Hostel by Terrell Brown and Leah Hope, on racism in public education

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on July 2, 2020: Hosted by Hosea Sanders, on summer festivals

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on July 9, 2020: Hosted by Samantha Chatman, on Black Greek letter organizations

Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race on July 16, 2020: Hosted by Cheryl Burton, on violence

Do You Hear Me? ADiscussion about Race on July 23, 2020: Hosted by Jim Rose, on race and racism in sports

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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago's only local weekday entertainment talk show, "Windy City LIVE," as well as its highest-rated New Year's Eve special. ABC7's award-winning programs such as "Heart and Soul," "The Ñ Beat" and "Asian Influences" showcase the city's diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.