Capital Region Antiracism Training Institute announces Town Hall on the Life and Legacy of W.E.B. DuBois
Saratogian, September 2, 2021
CAPITAL REGION — Following their first year that included a virtual town hall with New York Times bestselling author Ibram Kendi to discuss his book, “How to Be an Antiracist” that attracted more than 20,000 viewers, a community conversation with Princeton University professor, New York Times bestselling author, and MSNBC contributor, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr, the very successful 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge that featured a special session with the Challenge’s founder Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr and had more than 5,000 participants, a comprehensive training cohort of more than a dozen sessions on topics such as “How to Be an Antiracist Parent,” “Racial Health Disparities,” and “Food Racism,” as well as the launch of the public affairs television program Community Conversations, the Capital Region Antiracism Training Initiative & Allyship Institute has announced their latest initiative and the premier the second season of Community Conversations.
A virtual town hall on the life and work of Black sociologist, civil rights activist, and author W.E.B DuBois will take place on Monday, Oct 18, at 7 pm.
“W.E.B. DuBois and Black Community Development” will be facilitated by Training Initiative co-founder and director of the Allyship Institute, world-renowned sociologist Hayward Horton, Ph.D., and celebrated epidemiologist Natarsha Waklatsi, MPH, of H.D. Horton & Associates. Training Initiative & Allyship Institute founder and president of Junior League of Schenectady & Saratoga Counties Denise Murphy McGraw will serve as the host.
“The first year of the Capital Region Antiracism Training Initiative & Allyship Institute far exceeded our most ambitious goals in terms of reach, interest, and level of enthusiasm of participants,” said Denise Murphy McGraw. “What is most exciting is to know we are really just getting started. Dr. Horton has incredible content planned for the year ahead for training programs and topics to be discussed on Community Conversations. Exploring the impact of DuBois will lay the perfect foundation for the work ahead.”
The Town Hall will be preceded by a Community Read of DuBois’s seminal work “The Soul of Black Folk.” A limited number of copies of the book will be available at the Karen B. Johnson Main Branch of the Schenectady County Public Library courtesy of the Friends of the Library.
“We encourage community members to reserve the book at their local library. A limited number of copies will be available at the Karen B Johnson library beginning September 7, 2021,” said Karen Bradley, Director of the Schenectady County Public Library.
“The Soul of Black Folk” has been described as “a classic work of American literature by W. E. B. Du Bois. It is a seminal work in the history of sociology, and a cornerstone of African-American literary history. To develop this groundbreaking work, Du Bois drew from his own experiences as an African-American in the American society. Outside of its notable relevance in African-American history, The Souls of Black Folk also holds an important place in social science as one of the early works in the field of sociology.”
“By reading ‘The Soul of Black Folk,’ participants will gain an understanding of DuBois and his theories. We will be able to truly delve into the topic of Black Community Development during the Town Hall,” said Dr. Hayward Horton. “What thrills me the most is that this session came about organically. It was requested through the online community we created last year to accompany the trainings. I am pleased to be able to accommodate the request.”
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The second season of Community Conversations, co-hosted by Horton and McGraw, will premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., on all Collaborative Media platforms. The weekly public affairs program features interviews with community leaders working to break down racial barriers, increase diversity, and promote allyship.