As protests over racial injustice mobilize the country, Conversations On the Green wants to facilitate the effort to bring a necessary and difficult conversation about race to a broader audience and will make its June 28 "Democracy In Color” discussion with three nationally known civil rights activists FREE to anyone who wishes to participate.

THIS IS A FREE LIVE STREAM EVENT

As America smoldered over another case of unequal justice in the wake of the barbaric killing of George Floyd, Michelle Obama channeled the anguish and the anger of the moment when she said "I'm exhausted by the heartbreak that never seems to stop.

Although race and identity always have shaped U.S. politics, they reemerged four years ago in what was supposed to be Obama's post-racial America as the pivot point of the election, the unapologetic driver of Donald Trump's unexpected victory. 

But the reenergized forces that propelled Trump to the White House did not spring out of a vacuum. The crowd-pleasing candidate merely marshaled spirits unleashed half a century ago in what was a culmination of  the so-called  "Southern strategy," the Republicans’ to push race and identity to the political forefront.

Now, as Trump's re-election campaign gathers momentum, three nationally known voices are coming together in Conversations On the Green's third event of the season to discuss the role of race in American politics and how identity issues will shape the 2020 campaign for the presidency and Congress

The forum is led by Joy Reid, an author, historian and MSNBC host. A national political correspondent for the cable news network, she is the author of the best-seller, “Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons and the Racial Divide,” an analysis of the recent history of the Democratic Party. A graduate of Harvard, she is schooled in the art of politics, serving during the 2004 presidential campaign as the Florida deputy communications director for the PAC “America Coming Together” as well as a press aide in Obama’s 2008 Florida campaign. A regular contributor to “The Daily Beast,” Reid’s columns and essays have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the country and her MSNBC program, “A.M. Joy”, is aired on weekends from 10 a.m. to noon.

The civil rights activist Maya Wiley will join Reid on the panel. The former chair of New York’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent police oversight agency, Wiley also served as counsel to the city’s mayor, Bill de Blasio. Before that, she worked for a variety of social and legal advocacy groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union and was the founder of the Center for Social Inclusion, a national policy strategy organization dedicated to dismantling structural racism. She currently is the Henry Cohen Professor and senior vice president for Social Justice at The New School and two years ago became a legal analyst for MSNBC.

The panel’s third political savant is Dr. Jason Johnson, who has managed legislative campaigns in Virginia, South Carolina and Maryland and is the politics editor for both The Source and The Root. Outspoken and consequentially controversial, he is a sought-after television and radio commentator. He appeared regularly on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” before it was canceled. Now he’s often on MSNBC and frequently is quoted as a political expert by major newspapers in analysis pieces on the role of race in elections. He worked on the 2000 London mayoral campaign and has been an international election monitor in Mexico and South Africa. A tenured professor in the School of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan State University, his courses focus on politics and international journalism. 

Moderated by former NBC correspondent and national talk show host Jane Whitney, this interactive symposium, which begins at 3 p.m. on June 28th and runs 90 minutes, will be live streamed, allowing anyone with an internet-connected device to participate and ask questions.

TICKETS

THIS LIVE STREAM EVENT IS FREE
 ** REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED **

*** NOTE: Current Season Pass Holders DO NOT Need to Register

 

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE 2020 SEASON SUPPORT...

 American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund   addressing emerging needs of nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.

 Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals, Inc. -  helping members of the Litchfield County Community and beyond find access to compassionate and high-quality mental health and related care.

 New Milford Hospital - helping to secure the latest technology, attract the best medical staff and provide the compassionate, patient-centered care for which they are nationally recognized. 

 Susan B. Anthony Project - promoting safety, healing, and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence.

We look forward to seeing you!

Clearview Energy and Glenmede are proud to sponsor the virtual events and Connecticut Public Television broadcasts of Conversations On the Green.