INTERRUPT RACISM™ Summit

September 19-21, 2022. Presented by ESL Federal Credit Union

 

enough is enough

The INTERRUPT RACISM™ Summit is an immersive learning experience for youth and adults, uniquely designed for attendees to participate and come together to identify, interrupt, and dismantle processes of systemic racism. The Summit will include one in-person day and one virtual opportunity.

PRESENTED BY

 

Scholarships

A limited number of student scholarships are available. Click here to submit a request.

Summit Schedule

Days 1 and 3 are virtual and Day 2 is in person. Day 2 is SOLD OUT.

Times are listed in EST. (Sessions subject to change.)

Day 1: Monday, September 19 (VIRTUAL)

  • 8:45 am: Welcome — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins (President/CEO, Urban League of Rochester)

  • 9:00: Keynote — Dr. Christopher J. Metzler (Disruptor in Chief, FMH Fit)

  • 9:50: Break / Networking

  • 10:00: Session 1

    • Interrupting Racism Through Theatre for Social Change

      • Presenter: Prof. Ayvaunn Penn

    • Urban Agriculture for Collective Resilience

      • Presenter: Alison Espinosa

    • Amplify Equity in Advocacy: Centering BIPOC Parent and Caregiver Voices

      • Presenters: Sara Taylor, Carmen Torres, Eamonn Scanlon

  • 10:50: Break / Networking

  • 11:00: Session 2

    • Six Degrees of Redlining: The Lasting Legacy

      • Presenters: Dr. Larry Collier & Tamisha Sales

    • #UnLynched: Strategies for African Americans to Build Economic Power

      • Presenter: LaKesha Womack

    • Moving Forward with Board Diversity: Readiness, Recruitment, and Onboarding

      • Presenters: Jeanne Allen & Jonathan Meagher-Zayas

    • Beyond Policing: How Community Safety Can Depend on Human Services through Community Response and Intervention Partnerships

      • Presenter: Alia Henton-Williams

  • 12:00 pm: Keynote — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins (President & CEO, Urban League of Rochester)

  • 12:50 Break / Networking

  • 1:00: Session 3

    • MWBE Program: Path to Independence

      • Presenter: Matthew Burrell

    • DE&I Committees: Give Them the Attention They Deserve

      • Presenter: Howard Cotton

    • Helping Black Men Heal: Truths and Misconceptions about Mental Health

      • Presenter: Steve Alexander, Jr.

    • Mental Models and Worldviews

      • Presenter: Julio Jordan

  • 1:50: Break / Networking

  • 2:00: Session 4

    • Finding Our Voices: Youth Empowerment and Advocacy

      • Presenters: Jackie McGriff, Courtney Shouse, Kate Robinson

    • The Benefits of Police Partnership and Community Relationships to Stop Violence

      • Presenter: Moses E. Robinson

    • The Antiracist Curriculum Project; Exploring the Puerto Rican Civil Rights Movement in Rochester

      • Presenters: Shane Wiegand & Kesha James

    • Mosaic Communities: Interrupting Racism by Creating Trusting Partnerships that Last

      • Presenters: Robert (Bob) Rosenfeld, David M. Horth, Kenn Burke

  • 3:00 Keynote Panel — “Action Steps for the Community to INTERRUPT RACISM”

    • Dr. Rashid Muhammad - Director of Community Partnerships at Director of Community Partnerships

    • Krystle Ellis - Interim Executive Director of Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley

    • Kevin Beckford - Sr. Vice President, Chief People & Compliance Officer of GRYT Health Inc.

    • Dr. Karen King - Commissioner of Public Advocacy for Erie County and the Executive Director of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women

    • Aqua Porter - Executive Director of Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative

  • 4:00: Closing — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins

Day 2: Tuesday, September 20 (IN PERSON)

Day 2 is SOLD OUT. Thank you for your interest.

Day 2 will be in person, with luncheon ticket holders attending at the Hyatt Regency, 125 E. Main St.

  • 9:30 am: Welcome — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins (President/CEO, Urban League of Rochester)

  • 9:35: Keynote — Marc H. Morial (President/CEO, National Urban League)

  • 10:00: Keynote Panel — “Enough is Enough: Action Steps for Ending Violence and Racism in Our Communities NOW”

    • Moderator: Lynette Adams (News10 NBC)

    • Panelists:

      • Aqeela Sherrills (Los Angeles-based activist, community-based violence reduction expert)

      • Wanda Ridgeway (Executive Director, Rise Up Rochester, Inc.)

      • Victor T. Saunders (Advisor for Violence Prevention, City of Rochester)

      • Imam Hanif Abdul-Wahid (Black Agenda Group)

  • 11:30: Lunch break

  • 12:15: Keynote — A Fireside Chat with Tamika Mallory (Co-founder, Until Freedom)

  • 1:00: Closing — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins

  • The remainder of the afternoon of Day 2 will be devoted to programming for youth attending public schools in the City of Rochester.

Day 3: Wednesday, September 21 (VIRTUAL)

  • 8:45 am: Welcome — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins (President/CEO, Urban League of Rochester)

  • 9:00: Keynote — Thomas Beauford (President/CEO, Urban League of Buffalo)

  • 9:50: Break / Networking

  • 10:00: Session 5

    • Leaving a Legacy

      • Presenter: Pauline Josephs-McCleary

    • Keys to Building Powerful and Resilient Race Alliances

      • Presenter: Charles Holley

    • Lost Wanderer: The Journey of Becoming a Change Agent

      • Presenter: Debra Lubberts

  • 10:50: Break / Networking

  • 11:00: Session 6

    • LGBTQ+ People of Color: Discrimination and Stigma

      • Presenter: Angelica Gonzalez

    • Critical Thinking about White Supremacy Norms

      • Presenters: Sandra Katz & Dr. Sim J. Covington

    • Empowering a Multicultural Society through Language Access

      • Presenter: Jesus Paesch

    • Climate Action for Health, Wealth & Safety

      • Presenters: Brady Fergusson & Andrea McLean

  • 12:00 pm: Keynote — Dr. April Aycock (Director, Office of Mental Health, Monroe County)

  • 12:50: Break / Networking

  • 1:00: Session 7

    • Evaluating Privilege and Bias to Advance Equity in Staff Recruitment and Retention

      • Presenters: Jonathan Meagher-Zayas & Nicole Dam

    • Addressing Spiritual and Psychological Trauma: A Womanist Response

      • Presenter: Dr. Desjamebra J. Robinson

    • What Happens When Moms become MADly Motivated

      • Presenter: Tansy McNulty

    • How to Be an Anti-Racist Researcher: Using a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach

      • Presenters: Dr. Donna Harris, Erika Rosenberg, Alice Carle

  • 1:50: Break / Networking

  • 2:00: Session 8

    • Authentic Allyship

      • Presenter: Kelvin Weathers

    • False Expectations: The Real Reason You Can’t Create a Culture of Inclusion (… and what to do instead!)

      • Presenter: Kari Zee

    • All Hands-on Deck: How to Create an Inclusive Workplace

      • Presenter: Adrian Hale

    • Fostering a Sense of Belonging for Historically Underserved College Students Through Community Building Circle Practice

      • Presenter: Dr. Sonnette M. Bascoe Ph.D., Jessica & Alyssa Coleman

  • 3:00 Keynote — Dr. Camesha Whittaker (Associate Professor of Communications and Director of BJ Moore Center for Faculty Innovation, Bethune-Cookman University)

  • 3:50: Closing — Dr. Seanelle Hawkins

Not your average conference

Using cutting-edge technology from Bevy, the virtual days of the INTERRUPT RACISM™ Summit approximate an in-person conference in ways you’ve never seen before online!

And for the first time, Day 2 will feature live, in-person programming!

Single login link

Log in using a single link, and you’re in! Unlike similar virtual events that involve lists of Zoom links, the Summit is housed inside a single webpage.

Change sessions at will

Throughout the Summit, three or more workshops/presentations will be running at the same time. Just like at an in-person conference, attendees can choose to enter or switch sessions at any time—without having to find a different link!

Chat across sessions

A unified chat feature allows attendees to get connected and stay connected easily—even across sessions! Have a question for a presenter after their workshop ends? Send them a quick direct message from anywhere at the Summit. It’s that easy!

Networking tables

Have meaningful conversations face-to-face with other attendees and presenters in a smaller, more intimate setting at our networking tables. Networking tables are open for the entirety of the two-day Summit—also all within the same webpage!

Mainstage

Our special mainstage of the Summit can accommodate hundreds of attendees all at the same time. Come hear from our six outstanding keynote speakers in this arena.

Sponsor / Presenter Booths

Visit unique, individual booths between sessions, where you can meet our fabulous presenters and generous sponsors and learn more about the goods and services they offer.

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our generous sponsors for this year’s Summit!