After a tragic and somber week regarding race relations in the U.S., several community members helped close the week with a glimmer of hope in Austin.

The Austin Human Rights Commission organized the first in a series of talks on immigration and refugee issues Thursday night at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, and more than 100 people attended to talk, learn and discuss issues affecting Austin.

Though the commission’s talk has been in the works for several months, the event proved well-timed, as it came at the end of a week that should leave us all questioning the status of race relations in our country and our communities.

First on Tuesday, Republican business mogul Donald Trump showed cultural prejudice and ignorance while announcing his presidential run: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

The fact that such generalized and unsubstantiated claims can be a rallying cry for any political party exposes the sad state of our country — and that was before Wednesday.

The saddest event of last week happened in Charleston, South Carolina, where Dylann Roof, 21, is accused of fatally shooting nine people during a Bible study at The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday night.

Roof, 21, had complained while getting drunk on vodka recently that “blacks were taking over the world” and that “someone needed to do something about it for the white race,” according to Joey Meek, who tipped the FBI when he saw his friend on surveillance images.

The events of last week are just the latest in a long line of sobering stories that includes Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, and it’s hard to deny that they’ve exposed enduring and unaddressed racial tensions in our country.

In light of recent events, it was refreshing to see people come together to talk about stripping away people’s preconceived notions about immigrants in Austin.

Some comments from Thursday’s discussions show a stark comparison to Trump’s statements earlier this week:

“They bring character, hard work, family values and culture to our city. They have a lot to offer to our community,” Miguel Garate said of immigrants.

Such issues and concerns are not absent from Austin or any community, and it pleases us to see people are coming together to talk, learn and listen.

We realize a few Human Rights Commission discussions alone won’t solve all the issues in Austin, let alone the country, but it represents a step in the right direction after a sad week.