Immediately after the local government issued the resolution, members of the black community called a boycott of two Chesterfield malls. Days later, David Duke, former head of the Ku Klux Klan, appeared at the Chesterfield Mall to thank whites for shopping there.

Public officials quickly realized the impasse had become a serious threat to the community. But with Chesterfield quickly becoming a maelstrom of hateful rhetoric, hopes for a resolution were grim. After other mediators had refused to get involved, the Board turned to conflict resolution specialist James Phillips. Phillips felt he had some unique skills to offer, so he accepted the challenge despite the obvious risks. (He had been told that some people would be carrying guns and many more had the intention of making sure the dialogue was unsuccessful.) "You have to give something like this a chance," Phillips said. "If you don't take risks, you will never break down barriers."

Phillips started off by talking to individuals, often late into the night. After much time and energy, the two sides came together and crafted a joint resolution. The committee, composed of members from both groups, drafted a dedication that honors the chivalry of Confederate soldiers while denouncing "the misuse and dishonoring by hate groups of the symbols of the Confederate armed forces." The board adopted the new resolution, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch headlines that had once screamed "Resolution Draws Fire," now read, "Seeking Civil War Civility: County Has Groups Sharing Perspectives."

But the resolution was more than a simple document and favorable headlines. Phillips seized the opportunity to dispel myths surrounding both perspectives. In accordance with Phillips' firm belief that "silence is not the way government should operate," the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors agreed to facilitate regular meetings to talk about ongoing issues of racial equality.

As a result of the mediation, Chesterfield County was given the President's Award for Entrepreneurial Government by the Virginia Municipal League. Phillips, displaying the type of attitude that has made him such a successful mediator, is quick to defer credit for the award. "All I did was teach people how to talk about these things and create a space for dialogue," Phillips stated modestly. "The people, the stakeholders, they are the ones who crafted the language that went into the resolution. They are the ones who are responsible for the outcome."

Phillips started off his career as a legal aid lawyer for then-Attorney General Mary Sue Terry. But it was during this time that he came to a disturbing realization. After spending two weeks on an out-of-town case, he came back to his office to find six more cases of the same kind waiting for him. Phillips had always enjoyed solving problems, a skill he says he cultivated in the classroom at Hampden-Sydney, but this was something he was doing less and less as a lawyer.

So he decided to train as a mediator and was certified by the Supreme Court in 1997. Shortly after certification he was working in the Attorney General's office representing the transportation department. The federal government had issued money for a roadway critical to long-range transportation in the Roanoke Valley. There were four possible locations, and citizens in each area had hired lawyers to prevent construction in their neighborhood. "No one was thinking about the community as a whole, they just did not want a road in their backyard," Phillips said. And the lawyers had promised to drag the issue out past the deadline by which the money was to be spent. Realizing that the stalemate was jeopardizing the area's access to much needed federal funds, the judge appointed Phillips as a mediator. He managed to facilitate a dialogue and all constituents came together and made a collaborative decision.

Dr. James Phillips '74 in front of his office building at VCU's Center for Public Policy.

The case made Phillips aware of his ability to create solutions. (He admits that what makes a lawyer "good" is often the ability to create problems.) This realization, coupled with his interest in public policy and a desire to teach, prompted Phillips to pursue a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Colorado. He then found himself on the forefront of a nascent and rapidly growing field. He is now the director of the Conflict Resolution Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University. The Institute offers courses in mediation and conflict resolution to students from a wide range of disciplines. In addition, Phillips is an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond's School of Law.

In October, Phillips spoke to Fuqua and Prince Edward County students at the Moton Museum in Farmville. Standing in the very room where, on April 23, 1951, Barbara Johns rallied the students who would soon play a vital role in America's struggle for racial equality, Phillips talked about the need to take risks and look towards the greater good of the community. "In Chesterfield, we demonstrated the lessons of Prince Edward County," Phillips said. "When there is no space for both sides to participate, there will be stalemate. But when people can talk to each other, resolution is possible."