“THE WAY FORWARD”
November 17th, VIRTUAL - 9am to 2pm
The Southeast of the United States has a rich history of hundreds of years. From local and indigenous nations known by mound-building cultures and deep respect for nature, to the arrival of explorers and colonizers from France, Spain and England, horrific 200 years of slavery followed by indenture servitude, the migration to the north, the rise of the civil rights movement and more recently the evolution to a region that is home to some of the fastest growing Asian and Latin American communities in the nation.
“As the South goes, so goes the nation” wrote W.E.B DuBois, at a great watershed moment during the Jim Crow era. Today, the region is representative of great diversity. Vast inequities, some of the most innovative and effective organizing, global companies and high tech industries share space with traditional agricultural activities and people from all corners of the world live, work, play, talk, learn, vote and love here.
The time has come to educate ourselves, take in the history, the leadership, the work, the people and communities that came before us to get us where we are now and embrace this moment of profound change. A moment we must recognize we have a role to play in dismantling systems of inequity and oppression and step into envisioning what a South with possibilities and opportunities for all would look like.
The Latino Community Fund (LCF Georgia) and Ser Familia are excited to host this 8th Annual Latinx Summit and dive into where we are now, and how we believe we can help build a better future for all people in which language, heritage and race come together to realize the dream of place where can not merely survive, but thrive.
2021 Latinx Summit Program
9:00 am WELCOME! Program, process and intended outcomes
Event co-hosts Gigi Pedraza (Latino Community Fund) and Belisa Urbina (Ser Familia)
9:15 AM Centering on Race and Social Justice. Shared Language and Understanding
Defining what is the meaning of these terms, why is it important and what role do we all play in the systems we live in.
Marisol Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer, Tepeyac Consulting
Elias Alonzo, Director Ixtapan Foundation, Adelante Guatemala
10:20 AM Current Baseline. Realities in the Latinx Community In Georgia
Stories and data paint a clear picture of what is truly happening within the community in Georgia. From mental health to school attendance, this panel explores findings, opportunities and priority areas to focus on when working with Latinos as part of a rigourous research project.
Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD, Emory University
Grant Rivera, Ed. D, Marietta City Schools
Belisa Urbina, Co-Founder and CEO, Ser Familia (facilitator)
Q&A with Michael Anthony, GRATITUDE AMERICA. Drawing on Gratitude and Inner Strength.
What we can learn from other diverse communities going through pain, chronic anxiety, stress and trauma
BREAK, RECHARGE YOUR WAY! Choose between:
Latinx Music Trivia with LCF Georgia DJ Pedro or….
Innovative Mindfulness Practices with Katie Portillo, LAPC and / or Antonella Cirino, MSW
12:00 AM Building on our assets. A learning network of community organizations
23 organizations and their volunteers became first line responders when people did not have anything to eat or needed basic information in 2020. These same organizations connected real life problems with policies and representation challenges. What made this coalition so effective and how similar learnings, findings and successes are found in history but also in other communities and spaces.
Edna Rodriguez, RAFI-USA
Laureen Fredella, Educator, Tenement Museum New York
Louis Negron, 100 Black Men of Atlanta
BREAK, RECHARGE YOUR WAY! Choose between:
Latinx Music Trivia with LCF Georgia DJ Pedro or….
Innovative Mindfulness Practices with Katie Portillo, LAPC and / or Antonella Cirino, MSW
1:15 PM Inclusive policies & narratives. Redefining the South
Creating barriers to access and information but also the ability to react, plan and design inclusively are both in the hands of policy makers. We share in this panel a sample of key and important efforts that created a space for emergency response, advancement and true partnership between local governments, state entities and community organizations in Georgia.
Christopher Perlera, Principal, Critical Point Consulting