Friday, February 5 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, February 6 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically exposed inequities caused by long-standing racism in the United States, revealing that the need for change is more urgent than ever.

Join us in a free, virtual, two-day community conversation as we imagine a world free of racism and explore what must be done to create this future. Experts will talk about the fundamental changes needed in the institutions of policing, work, health care, and the commons, with interludes by local musicians, poets, and artists. We’ll conclude with a visioning session for all.

Registration required, click on button below to register. Eventbrite confirmation email will include Zoom link and detailed schedule. See Washtenaw Faces Race website for more information or contact Joy at joy@ypsilibrary.org.

SCHEDULE:
Friday, February 5, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Introduction and Overview:

• La’Ron Williams, B.F.A., Racial Justice Educator and Professional Storyteller, co-founder of Washtenaw Faces Race. http://laronwilliams.blogspot.com/

Policing Redefined (Panel):

• Eli Savit, J.D., Prosecuter, Washtenaw County, Michigan https://www.washtenaw.org/3284/Prosecutor-Eli-Savit
• Rev. Joe Summers, M.Div., Pastor, Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, Ann Arbor, Michigan http://incarnationannarbor.org/our-staff/
• Desirae Simmons B.A., M.S., Co-Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Ann Arbor, Michigan https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/

Performance

• Mikhaella Norwood, Founder & CEO of Freelife Productions, LLC. Motown award-winning Spoken Word Artist of the Year, actress, motivational speaker, emcee. Tonight reads two poems, “Still” and “Fragility of a Black Man’s Gentle” from her book of poetry, Fruit: Haiku of Haikus for the Blossoming Soul (2019). https://mimifreelife.com

Redefining Work:

• Alford A. Young, Jr., Ph.D., Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Author of From the Edge of the Ghetto: African Americans and the World of Work (2019) and Are Black Men Doomed?: Debating Race (2018). https://lsa.umich.edu/soc/people/faculty/ayoun.html

Saturday, February 6, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Health Care for Everyone:

• Patricia Coleman-Burns, M.A., Ph.D., Assistant Professor Emerita of Nursing and Black Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.. https://nursing.umich.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/patricia-w-coleman-burns
• Anita Hernandez, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine & Service Director of Family-Mother-Baby, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Family Physician affililiated with the Corner Health Clinic, Ypsilanti, Michigan. https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/anita-k-hernandez-md

Defense of the Commons: Individual rights vs. the rights of the collective:

• Thom Hartmann, Ph.D., Political commentator, radio host, and author of The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back (2020) and The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream (2020). https://thomhartmann.com

Rescuing Democracy: The way forward (Short session):

• Abdul El-Sayed, M.D., Physician, epidemiologist, progressive activist, educator, author, speaker, and podcast host. Formerly the Health Director for the City of Detroit and candidate for Governor of Michigan in 2018. http://abdulelsayed.com/

Visioning Session led by:

• Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, B.S., M.A., Publisher and Chief Spiritual Officer, Book Power Publishing. https://bookpowerpublishing.com
• Eleanore Ablan-Owen, B.A., M.U.P., Co-Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Ann Arbor., Michigan. https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/
   

Sponsored by Washtenaw Faces Race , Ypsilanti District Library., University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, and Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice.
This program is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities.