CHARLOTTE -- She's set off firestorms of support and opposition with her controversial social media posts. Charlotte city councilwoman Lawana Mayfield hasn't backed away from topics on racial equity and police brutality on people of color.

Unlike her provocative tweets about police and 9/11 conspiracy theories, Mayfield took the conversation offline and into the community. “This is a conversation that we've never had,” Mayfield said.

Called “Racial Reconciliation Through Truth and Healing: Police Relationships in Communities of Color, she hosted a Friday night forum. “I'm not gonna ask a current officer to jeopardize their livelihood or their work environment,” Mayfield explained. “But the fact that there were some here tonight, speaks volumes.”

That forum kicked off a 15-month program the National League of Cities is doing in 6 cities to address racial equity. “I got my first impression of Charlotte by an interaction with a police officer,” shared panelist Rev. Dr. Peter Wherry.

Community leaders shared their experiences of what's like being a person of color and living in the city of Charlotte. “Anytime that that blue light comes on, I have a fear,” said Robert Dawkins with SAFE Coalition NC. “And, I have fear because of the experiences I've lived thru.”

The panel even included retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe, who dealt with officer-involved incidents during his tenure and now is a average citizen. “Not only does the engagement with citizens need to be talked about,” Monroe said, but, “how do we train the officers to move away from that warrior mentality, more towards a guardian mentality?

One way, Mayfield says, is through a cutting edge virtual reality program mentioned in the forum that’s designed to build trust between law enforcement and the community. “What was presented tonight, this virtual reality piece, can seriously change the game,” Mayfield added.  “I can tell you firsthand that law enforcement is listening, they're hearing your voices,” former Chief Monroe said.

Councilwoman Mayfield said Friday’s was the first of a three-part series she hopes brings healing. “We need to start a real dialogue and we have an opportunity to train our officers better.”