ASCENSION – Community activist Maxine Crump spoke to leaders of the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office on the dialogue of race relations within the community.

Sheriff Jeff Wiley invited Crump to start a dialogue to understand the issues around racism and ways of eliminating it within society. Crump also spoke to leaders about how issues such as diversity and equal rights are important in society and also shed light on her non-profit organization, Dialogue on Race Louisiana.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said the conversation was the first of its kind in the area for local law enforcement. 

"Crump focused on the views that America has moved away from seeing racism as operating through institutions and began to understand the problem as personal attitudes and individual acts of meanness," APSO said.

Crump has more than 25 years of experience in radio, television broadcasting, public relations and media development. She is also a founding member of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation.

"Thank you to my old friend for sharing not only her vision of a better community but also her personal story and insight. It is hoped that having meetings and discussions such as this addressing directly the importance of having dialogue on vital issues such as race relations that we can better understand each other," Wiley said.