Register for the free event here: https://forms.gle/n7vAYbxBGKtjn4X6A
What Black voices do you usually hear in racial justice programming or the media? On October 25, LexPride will host a public event to showcase more of the diversity in the Black community than we usually see in other forums. The event, called “Listening to Black Voices”, will feature a moderator and five panelists who are “Black and.” That is, they are Black and hold the same array of other identities that non-Black people have: various faiths, ages, LGBTQ+ identities, visible and invisible disabilities, levels of housing and economic security, and incarceration experience.
The moderator for the event, Noah Stang-Osborne (he/they), is a member of LexPride’s Board of Directors, a transgender activist, a person with visible and invisible disabilities, and an art therapy student at Lesley University. Panelists will include:
Annet Kemirembe (she/her), a registered nurse, administrator at Key Care Health Services, and speaker about Islam.
Didi Delgado (DiDi), an award-winning poet, author, resource distributor, and a person with invisible disabilities.
Jennifer Love (she/her), founder of the Jen Love Project and an entertainer and activist for LGBTQ+ people impacted by the criminal justice system.
Larry Freeman (he/him), a member of LexPride’s Board of Directors, social justice activist, and IT Project Manager.
Lennox Orion (they/them), a writer and antiracism educator.
In explaining why they believe this event is important, Lennox Orion said: "When we listen to Black voices, especially those with marginalized intersecting identities, we strengthen our understanding of liberation and what it means to fight for freedom. Our fight for freedom should always prioritize the least free."
Larry Freeman agreed, adding that “Some racial or social justice events feel like I’m feeding my soul and stabbing myself in the back at the same time – because too often they embrace one part of my identity and are hostile to another. This type of event helps me feel whole.”
LexPride hopes that listening to the panelists at this event will help the audience understand the full scope of racial justice issues. “We all need to expand our thinking about inclusivity,” said LexPride Co-Chair Valerie Overton (she/her). “Racial justice initiatives should lift up all Black people, not just some of them.”
Listening to Black Voices will take place on October 25, 2020, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, via Zoom. LexPride invites people to register for this free event at https://forms.gle/n7vAYbxBGKtjn4X6A. The organization will send a Zoom link to registrants on the day of the event. For more information, contact the organizers at LexPrideMA@gmail.com.
Hosted by LexPride, Listening to Black Voices is cosponsored by the Arlington LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission, Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL), Boston Pride, Cary Memorial Library, LexChat, Lexington Commission on Disability, Lexington Human Rights Committee, the Lexington PTA/O Presidents’ Council (PPC), Network for Social Justice, and Together We Rise.