America Without Racism:  Making the Vision a Reality

Washtenaw Faces Race, is an all-volunteer, inter-racial, interdisciplinary group who consciously and consistently work to dismantle racial hierarchy and promote racial equity in area institutions within Washtenaw County. Ultimately, we seek to foster a deep transformation of our society in order to move us away from the adversarial and hierarchical thinking and the embedded cultural, social, and political practices that promote and perpetuate racism and other systems of oppression. We seek to change the existing social order, rather than simply to inform ourselves about its inequities or to explain how it works. We strive, via our spirit and personal commitment, to act as an inspirational force to motivate others toward the vision of a just, equitable, and diverse nation.Contacts: La'Ron Williams, larontalk@aol.com and Janet Nord, JanetNord22@gmail.com

Washtenaw Faces Race

Friday, February 5, 2021; 6:00-9:00pm and Saturday, February 6, 2021;1:00-4:00pm

We apologize that we have run out of Zoom capacity.  Please contact Joy Cichewicz at joy@ypsilibrary.org to see if other arrangements can be made.

<h3>AMERICA WITHOUT RACISM - Making the Vision a Reality: What we must have in the aftermath of COVID-19</h3>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.<h3>SCHEDULE:</h3><h3>Friday, February 5, 6:00pm-9:00pm</h3>Introduction and Overview:<ul><li>La’Ron Williams, B.F.A., Racial Justice Educator and Professional Storyteller, co-founder of Washtenaw Faces Race. <a href="http://laronwilliams.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://laronwilliams.blogspot.com/</a> </li></ul>Policing Redefined (Panel):<ul><li>Eli Savit, J.D., Prosecuter, Washtenaw County, Michigan <a href="https://www.washtenaw.org/3284/Prosecutor-Eli-Savit" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.washtenaw.org/3284/Prosecutor-Eli-Savit</a></li><li>Rev. Joe Summers, M.Div., Pastor, Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, Ann Arbor, Michigan <a href="http://incarnationannarbor.org/our-staff/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://incarnationannarbor.org/our-staff/</a></li><li>Desirae Simmons B.A., M.S., Co-Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Ann Arbor, Michigan <a href="https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/</a></li></ul>Performance<ul><li>Mikhaella Norwood, Founder &amp; 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). <a href="https://mimifreelife.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://mimifreelife.com</a> </li></ul>Redefining Work:<ul><li>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). <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/soc/people/faculty/ayoun.html" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://lsa.umich.edu/soc/people/faculty/ayoun.html</a></li></ul><h3>Saturday, February 6, 1:00pm-4:00pm</h3>Health Care for Everyone:<ul><li>Patricia Coleman-Burns, M. Div., Ph.D., Assistant Professor Emerita of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Pastor, 1st AME Church of Farmington, Hills., Michigan. <a href="https://nursing.umich.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/patricia-w-coleman-burns" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://nursing.umich.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/patricia-w-coleman-burns</a></li><li>Anita Hernandez, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine &amp; Service Director of Family-Mother-Baby, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Family Physician affililiated with the Corner Health Clinic, Ypsilanti, Michigan. <a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/anita-k-hernandez-md" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/anita-k-hernandez-md</a></li></ul>Defense of the Commons: Individual rights vs. the rights of the collective:<ul><li>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). <a href="https://thomhartmann.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://thomhartmann.com</a></li></ul>Rescuing Democracy: The way forward:<ul><li>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. <a href="http://abdulelsayed.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://abdulelsayed.com/</a></li></ul>Visioning Session led by:<ul><li>Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, B.S., M.A., Publisher and Chief Spiritual Officer, Book Power Publishing. <a href="https://bookpowerpublishing.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://bookpowerpublishing.com</a></li><li>Eleanore Ablan-Owen, B.A., M.U.P., Co-Director, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Ann Arbor., Michigan. <a href="https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.icpj.org/about/bios/</a></li></ul>Sponsored by <a href="https://washtenawfacesrace.weebly.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Washtenaw Faces Race</a> , <a href="https://ypsilibrary.org" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ypsilanti District Library</a>., <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">University of Michigan Museum of Natural History</a>, and <a href="https://www.icpj.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice</a>. This program is funded in part by the <a href="https://michiganhumanities.org" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Michigan Humanities Council</a>, an affiliate of the <a href="https://neh.org" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">National Endowment of the Humanities</a>.

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America Without Racism: Making the Vision a Reality

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