Black community leaders are hoping that an online series of forums and webinars will help to facilitate growth in the Black community, impart knowledge and share differing perspectives. The next in the series, “Widsom From Our Elders,” is scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
“Our elders have a very specific place in not only our families, but in our culture as a whole. They are the keepers of knowledge,” said Edward Coleman, chair of the Nevada Democratic Black Caucus and treasurer of the Washoe County Democratic Black Caucus.
Coleman is helping to organize the series. For this week’s session, he’s lined up a list of local civil rights activists from times past whom he said can pass on advice to the next generation of activists. That list of panelists includes Lonnie Feemster, Patricia Gallimore, Lucille Adin and Ken Dalton. Coleman said Reverend William Webb, pastor emeritus of the Second Baptist Church of Reno, is tentatively scheduled as well.
He said he hopes the panel discussions will facilitate conversations within the Black community on a variety of issues.
“There’s really no place for Black people to tell our story ourselves, that [doesn’t] always include the struggle or hardships,” he said. “There’s nothing to kind of facilitate our growth beyond that. So that’s what these are meant to really fill in those areas.”
So far, the events have been well-received. They’ve covered inequality in Washoe County and the “Bring Mother Hug Home” campaign to rename the former Hug High School after Dolores Feemster, a Black educator and community leader.
Coleman said the most popular topic has been Black feminism, which they plan to revisit on a quarterly basis. “Black Feminism II” is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
While the events are targeted to Black people, Coleman said all are invited to join to get a different perspective on the Black community.
“We’re more than just a struggle. We’re more than civil rights. We’re more than inequality,” he said. “We’re as diverse and have as many views as any other group of people. And that’s really in my heart. Why I push these so much is just to make sure that we do see Black people as not a monolith, but a group of people who also have different views and perspectives.”
Visit the Black Caucus of the Democratic Party of Washoe County Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BCDPWC for additional event details and other upcoming sessions.
