Courageous Conversations: Why Black Lives Matter

City of Santa Monica

Virtual forum on how community members can collaborate to advance anti-racism work in Santa Monica

The City of Santa Monica and Black community leaders are hosting a forum on how community members, allies and other entities can work together to advance anti-racism in Santa Monica. The forum will feature a panel discussion with Los Angeles Times columnist Erika D. Smith, and award-winning journalist, nationally renowned author and political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson, who will discuss their experiences covering social justice issues and perspectives about how change can be made within communities. The conversation will touch upon the history of the Black community in Santa Monica as well as the legacy of systemic racism that continues to affect the Black community. Forum attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelists during the event.Black community leaders will formally introduce the public to the Black Agenda and the newly formed nonprofit, the Santa Monica Black Lives Association, with a mission aimed at promoting the wellbeing of the Black community and working toward a more just and equitable Santa Monica.The event will be moderated by longtime Santa Monica resident Karen S. Gunn, Ph.D., an advocate for social justice and founding member of the Santa Monica Black Agenda.There will also be a special spoken word performance by mental health entrepreneur, author and speaker Nakeya T. Fields. RSVP: Tickets are free but reservations are required.Event link: RSVPs will receive the event link on the day of the event.By registering for this program via this eventbrite page, you consent to receiving occasional email about events from @smgov.net. You can unsubscribe, or change your preferences at any time using the “unsubscribe” or “manage preferences” links on these emails.

BIOS AND PHOTOS OF FORUM PARTICIPANTS

Erika D. Smith (pictured above) is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times writing about the diversity of people and places across California. She joined The Times in 2018 as an assistant editor and helped expand coverage of the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. She previously worked at the Sacramento Bee, where she was a columnist and editorial board member covering housing, homelessness and social justice issues. Before the Bee, Smith wrote for the Indianapolis Star and Akron Beacon Journal. She is a recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for column writing, a graduate of Ohio University and a native of the long-suffering sports town of Cleveland.

An award-winning journalist, nationally renowned author and political analyst, Earl Ofari Hutchinson (pictured above) has published more than 10 books on race and politics in America including “What’s Right and Wrong With the Electoral College,” “Why Black Lives Do Matter,” and “From King to Obama: Witness to a Turbulent History.” His writing is frequently published by the Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, CNN and many other local and national newspapers, magazines and websites. He also hosts the weekly radio show the “Hutchinson Report” on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network, and appears regularly on network television as a commentator on current events. Additionally, he is the founder of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, a non-partisan public policy forum that sponsors community forums and provides grant funding to nonprofit grassroots organizations that work with underserved communities.

A longtime Santa Monica resident, Karen S. Gunn, Ph.D. (pictured above) is an organizational and community development consultant with over 30 years of experience. She is Principal of Gunn Consulting Group that specializes in strategic planning, teambuilding, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, training and facilitation and a retired psychology professor at Santa Monica College. Dr. Gunn is a longtime advocate for social justice, has served as Chairwoman of the Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council and the City of Santa Monica Social Services Commission. She is a founding member of the Santa Monica Black Agenda and serves on its Steering Committee.

Nakeya T. Fields (pictured above) is a mental health entrepreneur, author, and speaker. She is an alumna of the University of Southern California where she received a BA in Communication, a Master's in Social Work and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work and Child Welfare &amp; Attendance. Nakeya is also a Registered Play Therapist - Supervisor and a certified field instructor and clinical supervisor. Nakeya is a 200 HR TT Yoga instructor, certified in trauma informed restorative yoga and Mini Yogis Yoga for Kids yoga. She is licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California. Most recently, she joined the cohort for the 2020/21 UCLA-DMH Early Childhood Fellowship.
Nakeya has over 12 years’ experience in developing and running mental health related community focused programming. She is the Founder and Chair of the Board for The Therapeutic Play Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to build a healthier, more resilient world for those in under resourced communities. 
Nakeya is the best-selling author of “Mental Health Entrepreneur - Gain Freedom and Escape the 9-5 Grind: How To Treat Mental Illness and Monetize Your Expertise”, released In April 2018. Her second book, The “Manifest It! Action Planner: An Accountability Tool for the Powerful” will be available in 2021.
She is active in the community as the Co-Chair of the Department of Mental Health's Black and African Heritage UsCC and is a leader in the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Steering, Planning and Community Action Teams. She is also the Chair of the Black Mental Health Task Force which seeks to empower community members of Black and African Heritage through advocacy and policy reform.Further, Nakeya acts as a program development and staffing consultant to develop progressive health and wellness programs that incorporate creative modalities within educational, corporate and community driven organizations. She also provides in-service seminars and is available for book signings, expert panels, speaking engagements, and consultation.

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Courageous Conversations: Why Black Lives Matter

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