Racism In America: Stop the Hate and Communicate!
Top, left to right: Deborah Mathis, Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, Dr. Derek Chang, Ms. Maura Sweeney; Bottom, left to right: Ms. Chandra Brooks, Mr. Kevin Henry, Ms. Shannon Martinez
Nationwide — Does institutional racism still exist in America? Is racism in America just a black and white issue, or how does it affect other ethnic groups, and why should they be more involved in the fight against racism? Is there really any meaningful, ongoing dialogue between the races, or is everyone content to work independently within their own groups, rather than working collectively to wage war on racism?
According to Donell Edwards, President & CEO of The CWR Talk Network, “Racism has been going on for so long in America that some have become complacent and accept racism as the norm. But, it is not the norm. That is why we at The CWR Talk Network are presenting this special town hall event.”
It cannot be denied that we are a country divided, we are at an impasse, and if we do not effectively address the blatant racism consuming our country, we are on a self-destructive course.
Racism has resulted in a significant increase in hate crimes in recent years, it is responsible for the school-to-prison pipeline and the prison commercial complex, and it is the main reason for police killing unarmed young black men without being held accountable under the law by a broken criminal justice system. In effect, there is no justice for black people.
Edwards says the network has assembled a distinguished and diverse panel for the event, which includes:
Moderator: Nationally renowned journalist, socio-political commentator, author, and motivational speaker, Ms. Deborah Mathis. Ms. Mathis is currently Director of Communications for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). Her journalism career culminated in an assignment as White House correspondent for Gannett News Service during the Clinton Administration. As part of the White House press pool, Deborah traveled with the president and covered the processes, politics and “ground effects” of the administration’s policies and actions. Deborah has has written five non-fiction books, debuting with the acclaimed Yet A Stranger: Why Black Americans Still Don’t Feel at Home.
Panelists:
University of Texas at Austin Associate Professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies, and best-selling author of the phenomenal book The Price for their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, from the Womb to the Grave, in the Building of a Nation, which is the first book to explore an enslaved person’s ascribed value throughout their lifespan, including before birth and after death, Dr. Daina Ramey Berry.
Cornell University Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies and author of Citizens of a Christian Nation: Evangelical Missions and the Problem of Race in the Nineteenth Century, which examines Baptist domestic missions among former slaves in the U.S. South and Chinese immigrants on the Pacific Coast, Dr. Derek Chang. Professor Chang is currently working on a research project that examines the place of Asians within the segregated American South. He is particularly interested in the relationships among Asian immigrants and African Americans and those groups’ relationships to the state.
Author, podcaster, international speaker, and advocate for all, Ms. Maura Sweeney. Ms. Sweeney was originally called Ambassador of Happiness by the UNESCO Center for Peace when invited to speak at the inaugural Nelson Mandela Day celebrations. In 2018, Ms. Sweeney moderated Full of Hate: The Toll of Violent Extremism in America at the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and was named Woman of the Decade at Women Economic Forum in The Hague.
SocialPrenuer, former Vice President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Delegate for The California Democratic Party, and author of the Amazon Best Selling Book, Black, Brown and Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game, Ms. Chandra Brooks. Ms. Brooks is the recipient of numerous awards including being named one of the Most Influential Women in Silicon Valley from the Silicon Valley Business Journal, she was selected as one of the Women of the Year in Advocacy from 100 Black Women of Silicon Valley, she received The Latina with Vision Award from New York Life, and The Leadership Award from The League of United Latin American Citizens.
Author, Speaker, Talk Show Host, Activist and Diversity Consultant, Kevin Henry, has over 30 years of media experience, producing educational programs related to culture, diversity, and red-hot social issues. As Diversity Coordinator for the City of Bellevue, Washington from 1994-2015, Kevin regularly coordinated and facilitated community forums and workplace trainings focusing on community engagement, cultural competence, and race and social justice issues. In addition, he wrote for numerous publications and hosted radio programs devoted to exploring issues related to diversity, while providing a platform for voices often ignored by the mainstream media.
Shannon Martinez is Program Manager at the Free Radicals Project, and the US Regional Coordinator for the Against Violence and Extremism Network. She is a former skinhead and white supremacist who now helps others as part of an emerging U.S. movement that helps people quit hate organizations. She has been a commentator on CNN and HLN, and has been a panelist and speaker at international conferences, such as CPRLV (Center for the Prevention of the Radicalization Leading to Violence) and UN Women.
Edwards says there will be a special segment during the event for individuals, groups, organizations, and civic and community leaders to provide them with a powerful resource to help in the war against racism.
Be sure to tune in for this special live town hall event on Tuesday, June 19th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM CDT online at http://tobtr.com/10747351.
Visit the network’s website, www.CWRTalkNetwork.com, for more information.
PRESS CONTACT:
Donell Edwards
CWR Media Group
(501) 952-2699
