You are invited by the Center for Black Digital Research at Penn State University to #COVIDWHILEBLACKPA, a digital roundtable taking place next Monday, June 1^st at 1PM, led by Kevin Winstead, CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow. The event is organized by the Colored Conventions Project (CBDR) and the Commonwealth Monument Project. Join thought leaders from across the Commonwealth for civic dialogue and collective action to address the challenges of COVID-19 for Black lives, rights and organizing. 

 

What: 

The COVID-19 Pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black communities. The multiple effects of several forces have converged: an election year, the US census, the anniversary of the passage of the 15th and 19th amendments, and a challenging political environment. This moment calls for African American communities to collectively strategize, convene and implement action plans. 

 

In an effort to identify the potential impacts on voting, voting rights, community organizing and political representation, and to explore the historical context of Black responses and resistance to similar moments and challenges, the Colored Conventions Project, Penn State’s Center for Black Digital Research (#DigBlk) and Lenwood Sloan of the Commonwealth Monument Project, an initiative of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC),* are convening a collaborative of statewide thought leaders and publics to share insights, concerns, information, and strategies for addressing the challenges of COVID-19 for Black communities and to think and act collectively now and in the long term. 

 

Key questions we’ll be addressing:

• Historical: What lessons can we learn and connections can we make about the current 

COVID-19 events that inform our current challenges and strategies? How do we connect to the historical force of these events? What is the political meaning and role of commemoration? How can we use the Juneteenth commemoration to engage in thoughtful action and change? 

• Current: What are Impacts of COVID-19 on your communities/organizations/institutions?

What are areas for concern and strategies for addressing those concerns? How have current conditions changed how you plan, create programs, communicate with your community? What has been the role of technology in organizing? How is this COVID moment impacting your organizational engagement with the history and current realities of voting rights?

• Future: How do we maximize a collective voice to effect change? How have current 

conditions changed how you plan, create programs, communicate with your communities? What are your most important work/priorities going forward?

 

When: June 1, 2020 from 1-3pm 

 

Register NOW, and no later than May 31 at: https://bit.ly/covidPAroundtable

 

FEATURED PARTICIPANTS

Sharia Benn

Sankofa Theater, Harrisburg

 

Sam Black 

Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh

 

Tony Collins, 

1619 Project, Lancaster

 

Harriet Gaston

Penn State Altoona

Blair County African American Heritage Association

 

Ivan Henderson

African American Museum of Philadelphia

 

Leroy Hopkins

African American Historical Society of  

South Central Pennsylvania

 

Shakira King

Activist/Educator 

 

Tayyib Smith

Little Giant Creative / Pipeline, Philadelphia

 

Kelly Summerford

William Goodridge House, York

 

tonya thames taylor

Westchester University

 

Corin Wilson

Mural Arts Philadelphia 

 

FEATURED POETS

Amanda Kemp - Poet and Educator - F & M University - Lancaster 

Jordan Lewis  - PA. Poetry Aloud Winner 2018 

Momo St. Claire -  Educator and  Philadelphia Poet and Playwright

Raycell Diaz Hernandez PA. Poetry Aloud Finalist - 2019

 

*The Commonwealth Monument Project is an initiative of The Foundation For Enhancing Communities.

 

Conveners: 

Center for Black Digital Research, #DigBlk

Colored Conventions Project

Commonwealth Monument Project, an initiative of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities 

 

Organized by:

Lenwood Sloan, Commonwealth Monument Project

P. Gabrielle Foreman, Center for Black Digital Research #DigBlk

Shirley Moody-Turner, Center for Black Digital Research #DigBlk

Denise Burgher, Colored Conventions Project

Clay Coleman, Colored Conventions Project

Kevin Winstead, Colored Conventions Project

 

With support from the Penn State University Libraries and the Office of Digital Pedagogy and Scholarship 

For more information, contact: [log in to unmask]