INTERRUPT RACISM Summit
LEGACY: WHAT WILL YOURS BE?
September 19-20, 2023, presented by ESL Federal Credit Union.
9/19: In-Person at the Riverside Convention Center from 9 AM - 4 PM (Check-in begins at 8 AM)
9/19: Interfaith Celebration with Reverend Tutu at St. Paul’s Church from 5 - 7 PM (Check-in begins at 4:30 PM)
9/20: Virtual, on Zoom from 9 AM - 4 PM
JOIN US
The 4th annual Interrupt Racism Summit will be held on September 19-20. We are honored to have Reverend Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the daughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as our Keynote Speaker on the 19th at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. September 20 will be virtual, on Zoom, where Marc Morial, NUL President & CEO will join us for a keynote address.
Reverend Tutu will also join us after the Summit on the 19th as we unite the whole of the faith-based community at our Interfaith Celebration, an Evening with Reverend Tutu, at St. Paul's Church from 5 - 7 pm. This informal dinner & networking opportunity will be open to ALL community members, regardless of affiliation with a faith-based organization.
As with all our events, the community is invited to attend. We encourage local companies, large and small, to join us, as well. Our hope is that businesses will consider sponsoring the Summit, or using it as a professional development tool for their employees... investing in both, their companies and our community. We invite leadership teams to join us, but we also wish to include those entry-level staff members or up-and-comers not normally seated at tables where decisions are made. We are ALL changemakers, after all.
ABOUT THE SUMMIT:
The INTERRUPT RACISM™ Summit is an immersive learning experience for youth and adults, thoughtfully curated for attendees to identify, interrupt, and dismantle processes of systemic racism. This year's theme is Legacy: What Will Yours Be? Each day will include speaker presentations in the morning and workshops in the afternoon.
We will be concentrating on four distinctive areas:
Personal Development (Individuals): This track is perfect for individuals who are on their personal journey to growth, betterment, and understanding. In this track participants will engage in topics around being a better ally, healing unintentional harm, and learning more about our collective history,
Institutional Change (Businesses): This track is intended for audiences committed to making change at the organizational level. It will explore topics such as: work dynamics, implicit and explicit bias, and white supremacy culture. This will also include an exclusive session for DEI officers. Perfect for all levels of organizations staff including, company executives, DEI officers, manager and supervisors, line staff.
Structural Equity (RASE): Following the work of the Commission on Racial and Structural Equity, this track is designed to look at systems and structures that perpetuate racial inequity. Participants will learn about the legacy of Rochester activism, efforts to interrupt systems of inequity and what role each individual can play in fighting for change.
Youth Voice: FREE event for youth, ages 16-21 from 8 am - 1:30 pm centered around legacy and how they can create and cultivate their own.
We have taken great care in designing the Summit to be a transformative, inclusive opportunity for everyone, creating space for those already committed to antiracist and DEI-related work and those just beginning. We have adjusted the format to be more intentional with promoting growth, providing resources & advancing equitable opportunities for all our community members. We want to ensure everyone is given space to learn and INTERRUPT RACISM™ together.
We've been incredibly purposeful with our messaging and the desired outcomes we wish to achieve. We believe this is going to be a phenomenal opportunity for all attendees. Together, we are empowering communities. Together, we are changing lives.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Jamie Buss, our Fund Development Officer, at jbuss@ulr.org.
SUMMIT SCHEDULE
This year’s event is presented by ESL Federal Credit Union.
Day 1- Tuesday, September 19, 2023 (in person)
The first day of the Summit will be in person at the Rochester Riverside Conference Center.
8 AM: Registration & Networking
8:45 AM: Opening Remarks (Dr. Seanelle Hawkins)
9:30 AM: Featured Speaker— Simeon Banister (Rochester Area Community Foundation)
10:20 AM: Featured Speaker— Dr. Christopher Metzler: “Racism in the Rearview Mirror: Much Closer Than It Appears”
11:25 AM: Networking / Vendors
12 PM: Legacy Luncheon, presented by T-Mobile
12:30 PM: Legacy Honorees recognition
Inaugural Joan M. Allen Award recipient: Attorney General Letitia James
1 PM: Keynote Address— Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu (daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu)
2 PM: Break
2:15 PM-3:55 PM: Breakout Sessions:
Personal Development: This track is perfect for individuals who are on their personal journey to growth, betterment, and understanding. In this track, participants will engage in topics around being a better ally, healing unintentional harm, and learning more about our collective history.
2:15 PM: Jerome Underwood— “Leaving a Positive Legacy: A Personal Journey”
3:10 PM: Jim Armstrong— “Finding the Words that Provoke and Heal”
Institutional Change: This track is intended for audiences committed to making change at the organizational level. It will explore topics such as work dynamics, implicit and explicit bias, and white supremacy culture. This will also include an exclusive session for DEI officers. Perfect for all levels of organizations’ staff!
2:15 PM: Dr. Rashid Muhammad— “The INTERRUPT RACISM Model”
3:10 PM: Dr. Christopher Metzler & Cornell Johnson— “A DEI Case Study”
Structural Equity: Following the work of the Commission on Racial and Structural Equity (RASE), this track is designed to look at systems and structures that perpetuate racial inequity. Participants will learn about the legacy of Rochester activism, efforts to interrupt systems of inequity, and what role each individual can play in fighting for structural change.
2:15 PM: Dr. Candice Lucas— “An Overview of RASE”
2:35 PM: Dana Miller— “The Legacy of Social Justice in Rochester, 1964- Present”
3:15 PM: Wade Norwood— “Working at the Intersections: Tying it All Together”
4 PM: Closing Remarks & Discussion (Dr. Seanelle Hawkins)
5-7 PM: Interfaith Reception, featuring Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu (St. Paul's Church*)
Day 1- Youth Voice Summit
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 (in person)
8:15 AM: Officer Moses Robinson— “Youth Voice: Guns, Gangs and Trauma”
9:05 AM: Sebrone Johnson— “EDceptional Sponsor Remarks”
9:15 AM: Isaiah Santiago— “Youth Remarks
9:45 AM: Youth Ambassador Council/Levine Center to End Hate— “Evolution of the Revolution”
10:45 AM: J. Lamar Hannah— “Hip Hop: A Legacy of Black Liberation”
Description: In this session, participants will learn about Hip Hop's roots in the Black Power Movement, establishing an understanding of how art and activism work in tandem.
Day 2- Wednesday, September 20, 2023 (virtual)
The second day of the Summit will be conducted remotely via Zoom.
9 AM: Welcome & Introductions (Dr. Seanelle Hawkins)
9:30 AM: Local Legacy Panel
Constance Jefferson, daughter of Connie Mitchell
Tiffany Owens, daughter of Minister Franklin Florence
Jamila Evans-Rogers, daughter of Bishop Dr. James H. Evans Jr. and Dr. Estella Norwood Evans
10:50 AM: Networking / Break
11 AM: Workshops Session 1
A) Personal Development - Keys to Racial Persuasion: Winning People with Communication and Compassion
Presenter: Charles Holley
B) Personal Development -Reflections on Racial Autobiography: A Journey to Personal Growth and Social Transformation
Presenter: Dr. Diantha Watts
C) Institutional Change: Language is Public Health: Using Inclusive Terminology and Language Style Guides to Promote Dignity and Reduce Bias to Stigmatizing Language - Excluding (Words) to Include (People)
Presenters: María León-Thomas, José Pérez-Ramos
D) Institutional Change: Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace
Presenter: Janice Gassam Asare
E) Structural Equity: Racial Disparities in Pretext Stops: The History and the Future
Presenters: Katie Blum, Esq., Dr. Rashid Muhammad, Jill Paperno, Esq.
F) Structural Equity: Disrupting Disparities: Origins, Updates, and Continued Engagement
Presenter: Patrick B. Fox
11:50 AM: Networking / Break
12 PM: Featured Speaker—Marc H. Morial (National Urban League)
12:50 PM: Networking / Break
1 PM: Workshops Session 2
A) Personal Development: Eight Phrases for Strategic Thinkers
Presenters: Dr. Gloria Morgan, Tricia Crissman
B) Personal Development: Where Do We Go from Here?
Presenter: Jahlil Muntaqim
C) Institutional Change: How to Talk About Race Within Your Organization
Presenter: Kevin Coleman
D) Institutional Change: Interrupting Harmful Remarks
Presenter: Kesha James
E) Structural Equity: Building an Intersectional Anti-Racism Framework for Behavioral Health Systems and Services
Presenter: Chacku Mathai
F) Structural Equity: Empowering Communities: A Conversation about Leveraging Community Cultural Wealth to Create a Sustainable Legacy
Presenters: Dr. Larry Collier, Tamisha Sales
1:50 PM: Networking / Break
2 PM: Legacy Fireside Chat— Mr. Abdul Tubman (relative of Harriet Tubman) and Dr. Seanelle Hawkins
3 PM: Workshops Session 3
A) Personal Development: Five Stages of Allyship: Become an Accomplice in Dismantling Racism
Presenter: Kari Zee
B) Personal Development: Archive of Black History and Culture: The Library’s Role in Repairing the Historical Record
Presenters from the Community Advisory Board, Archive of Black History and Culture
C) Personal Development: Racial and Cultural Awareness and Identifying Internalized Racism and Bias
Presenter: Mynesha Spencer
D) Institutional Change (Exclusive): Principles of White Supremacy Culture*
Presenter: Dr. Sim Covington
*Note that this session is intended for DEI officers and practitioners only.
E) Institutional Change: Examining Personal Networks to Create an Inclusive Environment
Presenter: Dr. Cynetra Ferguson
F) Structural Equity: School Data Transparency Matters
Presenter; Dr. Shanai Lee
G) Structural Equity: The RASE Education CART: Creating a Countywide Antiracist Curriculum
Presenter: Joseph Fargnoli
3:50 PM: Closing Remarks & Reflection (Dr. Seanelle Hawkins)