Race conditions have transformed throughout the years from the exuberance of great leaders, protests and marches, but have they changed enough? Does society hold African American lives as equal to other ethnicities and races?
In its first Black History Month event, the Afro-American Newspapers will host a “Black Lives Matter” Town Hall meeting and community discussion on Feb. 10 to explore the facets of life for Black people in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. The event will take place at The Howard Theatre, 620 T Street, NW from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Community partners for the event include Radio One, The Howard Theatre and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
“The AFRO has always highlighted important issues in the Black community,” Jake Oliver, the newspaper’s publisher, said. “With this event, we’re taking a huge, proactive step forward, by facilitating a discussion that addresses how the Black community can be safe and trust the police.”
Panelists, including Allyson Carpenter, advisory neighborhood commissioner, Ward 1; Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist; Dr. E. Faye Williams, president and CEO for the National Congress of Black Women; and Dante Barry, executive director for the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, will discuss topics ranging from police brutality to gentrification. Award-winning social entrepreneur and civil rights advocate April Yvonne Garrett will moderate the event.
The town hall discussion comes after the contested deaths of unarmed Black men and children, including Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice among others, by White police officers. The district attorney’s failure to secure an indictment for the officers sparked national outrage and an analysis of race relations in the country.
“When compared with the adjudication of events involving the recent homicides of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, the outcomes suggest that, in the operational minds of Law Enforcement, the Judicial System and the Media, Black Lives Don’t Matter,” Williams said, in a white paper published on Jan. 16.
The discussion also comes at a time when the area’s economy and race demographics are changing. The discussion will include additional issues that seem to remove Black people from the American dream.
For more information on the event, contact 202-332-0080.
