The "Talking About Race" Discussion group, if small, will meet indoors at the library with distancing and masks. To sign up for email reminders please email oliviarodham@gmail.com . You may join this group at any time . ( Each discussion stands alone.)
This month we will discuss : The First Amendment
Virtual Program at the Nelson Library on September 18th at 11:30 ( see calendar announcement below to register) If you cannot attend this bring some other information on the first amendment.
Presenter: Meg Mott
The First Amendment to the Constitution describes the process of becoming an actualized citizen. It begins with the freedom to follow a higher moral standard (freedom of religion) and ends with political protest (freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances). This talk, presented by Dr. Meg Mott, will consider how the Framers understood these First Freedoms and how we might think about them in the context of our current racial reckoning. Why does the First Amendment make it so hard to curtail offensive speech?
Other items: Please go to this site to register for this event http://blackheritagetrailnh.org/ New marker will be statewide organization’s first outside of Portsmouth
A plaque to be unveiled September 18 in Hancock will be the newest addition to the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire’s statewide historical marker program.
Building on the success of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail that began more than two decades ago, the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is now a statewide organization that connects the stories of New Hampshire’s African heritage by documenting and marking the many historic sites that testify to this rich history. Two dozen markers in Portsmouth have shed light on that city’s Black history for several years.
This fall, the organization is planning to unveil markers in Hancock, Milford, Warner, and two other New Hampshire communities that hold stories of Black history. The marker to be unveiled September 18 in Hancock will be its first outside of Portsmouth.
The Hancock marker will describe the Due family and Jack, a once-enslaved African who gained his freedom and lived in Hancock in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Due family, identified in early censuses as free people of color, endured many issues with the Church of Christ in Hancock around the same time.
The unveiling will take place in Hancock on Saturday, September 18, in two parts, starting at 9:30 AM. A bus will leave from the Hancock Town Hall parking lot at 9:30 and head to the site of the former Due home for the unveiling. The property is now owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Later that afternoon, starting at 12:00 PM, a celebratory program with music and food will take place at the Hancock Congregational Church, where anti-slavery activities occurred in the early 1840s.
"Talking About Race: Staying Curious, Moving Forward, and Being Part of the Solution"
This workshop is designed to encourage an open and thoughtful conversation on race, emphasizing how we can learn to appreciate and understand experiences and perspectives different from our own. At the center of the conversation, which will be facilitated by Allen Davis, an educator and racial justice activist, will be the experiences of four local African Americans, Grace Aldrich, Claire Holston, Jim Guy, and Luis Rosa. They have generously offered to share what it means to be Black in the U.S. and the Monadnock region. September 27th 7:00 p.m. via ZOOM. Sponsored by the Harrisville Public Library and the Dublin Public Library with funding provided by the Harrisville Community Fund.
In our first meeting we came up with a Community agreement:
Stay engaged: Staying engaged means “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue."
Accept Vulnerability: This norm acknowledges that discomfort is inevitable, especially in dialogue about race, and that participants make a commitment to bring issues into the open.
Speak your truth: Use “I” statements when talking. These are your unique experiences.
Respect others: accept uncertainty and not quick solutions. Be aware that racial understanding requires ongoing dialogue.
Confidentiality makes this a safe place for people to share.
Use the simple formula of 1,2,3 and me. Speak and then let 3 others share.