A Virtual Town Hall Series
Anger. Fear. Pain. Grief. How can we channel our emotional responses to the recent events surrounding the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and so many others into productive action to achieve lasting and meaningful social change? Community members joined change-makers and experts in this five-part series of virtual town halls to address topics like How can I make a change in my community? What actions can I take now? What are my rights as a protestor? How do I educate children about activism? How can artists be activists?
Brought to you by Sandy Spring Museum, Brothers With Books, and The HUB for Culture & Democracy.
Expand each discussion topic below to watch the recorded sessions and find links to resources discussed in the video.
Weekly Discussion Topics
July 1: Trauma & Restoration
Constant experiences of racism lead to lasting trauma. Racial trauma can result from major experiencing of discrimination or be the result of many microaggressions over time. How do you recover from this race-based stress? What role does art play as a platform to heal trauma?
Panelists: Karah Palmer, M.Ed. and Meghan Malik
Resources
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Therapy for Black Men
- Liberate Meditation
- Surviving and Resisting Hate: A Toolkit for People of Color
- Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe
- The Trauma of Racism – McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research (NYU)
- Anti-Racist Reading List from Ibram X. Kendi
- Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome – Dr. Joy DeGruy
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
- 75 Things White People Can Do
- End Police Violence in America
- Rachel Cargle: The Great Unlearn
- Layla Saad: Me & My White Supremacy
- Anti-Racism Articles, Books, Films, Podcasts
- An Antiracist Reading List
July 8: Systemic Racism in Education
Education is a legal right – not a privilege – yet it is one of the most pervasive systems of keeping people trapped in generational poverty. What does meaningful educational reform look like? How do we keep the current system from perpetuating systematic racism in education?
Panelists: Professor Natalie Thomas, Dr. Daman Harris, Dr. Joshua Starr
Resources
- MoCo Students for Change
- Facing History and Ourselves
- The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence
- PDK International
- Building Our Network of Diversity
- White Fragility
July 15: What Happened to Anton Black?
Anton Black, an Eastern Shore teenager, died in police custody nearly two years ago. Black was one of 31 people to die in Maryland in an officer-involved incident in 2018. “Anton’s Law” can prevent this from happening in the future. Learn how to advocate for effective change in our community.
Panelists: Delegate Pam Queen, Delegate Gabriel Acevero, Councilmember Will Jawando, LaToya Holley (sister of Anton Black), Moderator – Monty Cooper
Resources
July 22: Creating Change within Police Departments
Do you know what the Police Advisory Commission is? Learn about how the commission and other programs are creating opportunities for citizen-led change within our local police department.
Panelists: Chief Marcus Jones, MCPD, Dave Thomas, Cherri Branson, Moderator – Dr. Rashawn Ray
Resources
July 29: Coalition Building & How to Bridge the Gap Between Established & Marginalized Communities
Learn more about how to build a strong coalition in the fight for racial justice. Local activists and leaders share their insight on building a stronger community.
Panelists: Josephine Garnem, Mohamed Abubakr, Yi Shen, Moderator – Luz Chavez Gonzales
Resources
