1990 - Hope in the Cities began as a local effort to bring together political, business and community leaders to address racial healing in Richmond, Virginia.

1993 - These leaders sponsored Healing the Heart of America: An Honest Conversation on Race, Reconciliation and Responsibility. Approximately 1000 conference participants, hailing from 50 U.S. urban centers and 20 foreign countries, examined the underlying racial issues that influence social trends and public policies in housing, education, police and community relations, and other issues impacting families.

1996 - HIC announced A Call to Community at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. More than 200 prominent individuals and partner organizations (LINK to endorsement list) across the country joined HIC in the effort to engage in honest and respectful public dialogue on race.

1996 - HIC launched Metropolitan Richmond Day, an annual regional forum drawing up to 600 business, government, religious and grassroots leaders.

1998 - HIC assisted in the creation of a public dialogue guide for President Clinton's Initiative on Race.  Its work is the subject of numerous studies and is featured in several books.

1998,1999 – Provided on-site training for community facilitators in cities across the U.S. including Dayton (OH), Portland (OR), Camden (NJ), Selma (AL), Natchez (MS), Baltimore (MD), and Norfolk (VA).

2001 – Sponsored a national “Connecting Communities for Reconciliation and Justice” conference at Howard University. One by-product was the creation of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation.

2004 – Launched the Connecting Communities, a residential program which provides intensive training for community leaders.

2007, March - The Slave Trail Commission in partnership with Hope in the Cities Richmond and Hope in the Cities Liverpool unveiled the Reconciliation Statue in Richmond. Replicas of this statue are erected in Liverpool, England and The Republic of Benin (West Africa).

2009, February - The Slave Trail Commission completed an archeological dig at the former site of Lumpkin's Jail. The Smithsonian stated that this was the most significant dig to occur in the United States in the last fifty years. Lumpkin's Jail was one of the historical sites identified by Hope in the Cities at the 1993 Healing the Heart of America Conference.

Former Mayor Walter T. Kenney of Richmond, Virginia, said ,''The process for moving past and not getting stuck in the blame game is critical for real growth. The mentality of victimhood or guilt-ridden shame anchors us in inaction. Hope in the Cities provides the arena for unselfish leadership and partnerships for building trust and hope.’