A two-day virtual convening for activists, advocates, academics, and artists who work at the grassroots level, to teach advocacy skills and create a national coalition of social justice collaborators. Conversations will focus on three critical concerns: democracy, criminal legal system transformation, and COVID-19 pandemic resilience.
Thursday, May 20th
6:00 p.m. Welcome: Cornell William Brooks
6:20 p.m. Opening Keynote: Tiffany Loftin
6:45 p.m. Activist Breakdown: Juliet Pesner and Nialah Edari
6:55 p.m. From Voting Rights to A Right to Democracy: LaTosha Brown, Roberto Lopez-Irizarry, Nsé Ufot, and Karen Finney (moderator)
8:20 p.m. Keynote Conversation: Reggie Hudlin and Cornell William Brooks
Friday, May 21st
12:00 p.m. Welcome: Devon Jerome Crawford
12:10 p.m. Activist Breakdown: Piper Perabo
12:20 p.m. From Healthcare Disparities to a Healthy Democracy: Marcella Alsan, Alden McDonald, James E.K. Hildreth, Allie Young, and David Williams (moderator)
1:55 p.m. Introduction of the Criminal Legal Reform Panel: Letitia James
2:05 p.m. Abolishing the Carceral State and Building the Nation: Sara Sidner, Ron Sullivan, Yanilda Gonzalez, and Sandra Susan Smith (moderator)
3:30 p.m. Immersive Teaching Experience: Cornell William Brooks, Stephen A. Green, and HKS students
5:00 p.m. Art and Justice: W. Kamau Bell, Cornell William Brooks, and “The Story of Venus: Suzannah Omunuk”
6:00 p.m. Closing remarks and commencement: Cornell William Brooks