Somerville Media Center and Let’s Talk About Race have announced a symposium entitled White Supremacy: Where Do We Go From Here?

The public invited to a free public symposium that will address the role of white males in dismantling white supremacy in America and beyond.

When: Saturday, June 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Somerville Media Center, 90 Union Square

Panelists: Larry Aaronson, Bill Cavellini, Lew Gitelman and Alex Pirie, along with host and facilitator Diane Wong.

RSVP HERE: http://tinyurl.com/talkaboutracesmc

Since November 2017, Somerville/Cambridge residents Diane Wong and Pharaoh Saunders have produced a live radio broadcast at Somerville Media Center (SMC) called Let’s Talk About Race (LTAR), inviting folks from a variety of demographics to engage in challenging conversations about racial justice. On January 19, 2019 SMC in collaboration with LTAR producers Wong and Saunders live streamed a symposium entitled Let’s Talk About Race: Where are we now? featuring a diverse group of panelists presenting on racial issues followed by breakout race dialogues. Over 50 people attended, and many audience members were then invited to come on the LTAR radio show and continue the racial dialogues that began at the January symposium.

On June 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Somerville Media Center, they will hold a follow up symposium to the January event titled White Supremacy: Where do we go from here?

This symposium offers our first of four affinity groups (in this case, white males) the opportunity to talk about their commitment to racial equity. Larry Aaronson, Bill Cavellini, Lew Gitelman and Alex Pirie join the discussion (read their full bios online here). All four panelists are white men who attended the January symposium and have been featured on the LTAR radio show.

These four panelists will share ideas around how white folks can use their specific skills, work amongst themselves, form collaborations and find effective ways to engage the system to dismantle the structures and institutions of white supremacy.

The event is free and open to the public, although they will be accepting donations to go towards the development of a six video series set that includes four separate affinity group panels (white males/black males, black females/white females) to discuss ways each group contemplates race-related concerns while seeking to engage in the dismantling of white supremacy. The event will also include a community meal and race dialog, which participants are encouraged to attend.

Schedule of events:

10:30 a.m.: Doors open

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Panel discussion

12:00 – 12:30 p.m.: Community meal

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: Breakout dialogues

Find out more about Let’s Talk About Race at soundcloud.com/healingwithdiane.

Find out more about Somerville Media Center at www.somervillemedia.org.

This event is generously supported by the Somerville Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.