City Club panelists discuss erosion of American Dream at forum tonight

YOUNGSTOWN

Denis Robinson Sr. recalled a man who, despite rising as early as 5 a.m., was consistently late to his job merely because he had no car.

A lack of transportation was a potential barrier to his success, but the man’s employer addressed the problem by allowing him to start later.

“I believe our investment will be greater than we can ever imagine,” said Robinson, the Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries’ mission-services director, referring to what can happen when businesses are willing to make adjustments and be flexible while providing vital tools to allow for greater worker success.

Robinson shared the story as one of three panelists who took part in a 90-minute forum Thursday evening at Stambaugh Auditorium titled “Closing the Gap: Building Opportunity in the Valley.”

The City Club of the Mahoning Valley hosted the program. The other panelists were T. Sharon Woodberry, Youngstown’s director of community planning and economic development, and Maureen Conway, vice president for policy programs with the Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute.

The forum operated on the premise that many people have seen the erosion of bedrock ideals that constitute the American Dream – most notably the idea that hard work results in livable wages and better educational opportunities, in part from a massive conversion from a manufacturing to a service-based economy with largely lower-wage jobs.

Read more about the event in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.