The annual Wine About Public Issues Forum hosted by Junior League of St. Joseph in partnership with the YWCA will be held January 27th from 6-8pm. This year’s event will take place online. To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/
Of the many issues confronting our nation and communities in 2020, the Junior League of St. Joseph felt racial injustice was important to highlight in this year’s forum. In partnership with the YWCA of St. Joseph, the forum will feature expert panelists on the issue. Recognizing that education is power and growth and change can come from crucial conversation, we invite you to explore with us our understanding of systemic/structural racism. We will examine the history of racism, how it has existed in our society both on a national and at a local level here in St. Joseph. We will discuss how inequalities exist across race, class, and gender lines. Our goal is to provide a space for asking complex questions, listening, and to deepen our understanding on this important issue so that we can come together to better discuss solutions, and learn more on how we can act and empower both our organizations and ourselves to affect positive change in our community.
About the panelists:
Dr. Toya Like, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies Department at UMKC with a doctorate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. One of her many areas of research focus includes intersections of inequality across characteristics such as race, gender and class on crime and justice-related outcomes.
Gary Wilkinson is a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Joseph Black Archives museum and an active member of the NAACP St. Joseph chapter. He is the producer of the documentary films “Live at the Archives Civil Rights Video for Schools” and “Crossroads St. Joe” on YouTube. Gary brings a wealth of experiential knowledge on this issue from the lens of a St. Joe native. His experience and research on this topic will provide insight into what systemic racism has looked like in St. Joseph.
Whether you’re an individual wanting to learn more about this issue or an organization looking to strengthen your social justice efforts, please join us!
