SARANAC LAKE — The Adirondack North Country Association will hold its upcoming meeting as a virtual event focusing on racial equity.

The meeting, which will be held via Zoom, will take place on Friday, Sept. 18 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

The meeting will feature presentations about how racial equity relates to three economic sectors: local food systems, the entrepreneurial economy and the clean energy sector. Having the event consider aspects of racial equity is essential to allowing the North Country to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ANCA.

“This meeting provides an opportunity to listen, learn and lean into the difficult work of making the North Country more racially equitable for all New Yorkers and visitors,” said Adirondack Diversity Initiative Director Nicole Hylton-Patterson in a press release. “It is intended for longtime allies, emerging accomplices and beginners who are ready to challenge systems and practices that have discriminated against and disadvantaged BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities for generations,” she continued.

Hylton-Patterson has been instrumental in the planning of the ANCA annual meeting. She made news when she moved out of Saranac Lake in July, following the discovery of racist graffiti, saying that she did not feel safe in the village.

“With all we’ve learned this year, we recognize that racial equity must be a key part of rebuilding our regional economy,” said ANCA Executive Director Kate Fish in the same press release. “We are so grateful to have Nicky on our team, as she continually challenges us to integrate justice and inclusion in our work. With our annual meeting, we want to extend this challenge to our friends, neighbors and partners, with a shared goal of advancing racial equity in the North Country.”

The meeting will feature presentations by Adam Dewbury, local food system coordinator at ANCA; Valerie White, executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and a third speaker still to be confirmed. After the presentations, there will be time for an online question-and-answer session. Members of the public are invited to participate. To register (for a fee from $10 to $100), go to www.adirondack.org/2020annualmeeting.

Created in 1955, ANCA is an independent nonprofit organization working to build dynamic local economies that sustain thriving communities in northern New York.