NEW PATHWAYS OF EMPOWERMENT AND TRANSFORMATION:
​MOVING THE DIAL ON RACE, CLASS AND JUSTICE STRATEGIES

Online, November 6-9, 2020
Just days following the election, while now hopeful and optimistic, we will remain concerned and focused on the next four years. We need community for any real sustainable change. Let's renew our commitment and collective energy through civic engagement! In true BRIDGE New Pathways style, we present a Justice, Transformation and Healing conference with a focus on continuing the movement for gender, race and economic justice! Designed and Curated by Gwendolyn VanSant  (BRIDGE) with colleague Dr. Emily Williams (University of Pittsburgh and Development Committee -Special Projects at BRIDGE) joined by special guest panels curated by Dr. Asma Abbas (Hic Rosa) and Malia Lazu (Urban Labs). BRIDGE team: Digital Strategist JV Hampton-VanSant ; Executive Assistant Don'Jea Smith with Conference Coordinator and Lead Moderator Aseante Renee. 

Dr. Angela Davis reminds us...
“... I don't think we can rely on governments, regardless of who is in power, to do the work that only mass movements can do.”
― Angela Y. Davis, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle

SCHEDULE 
Thursday, Nov 5: Pre - conference with Hic Rosa Collective: BRIDGE Towards Racial Justice mtg, 6:30 - 9:00 pm | (Zoom 
  • Co- Facilitators: Stephanie Wright, M. Ed. BRIDGE Community Engagement and Lead Educator and Maya Richards, BRIDGE Justice and Sustainability Programs Coordinator
  • Pre-conference Workshop: Falsework School with Dr. Asma Abbas, 7-8 PM
  • Conference Previews: Pre-recorded Sessions throughout conference- all presenters welcome to discuss pre-recorded sessions at this TRJ session: 
    • Greylock Federal Credit Union and Berkshire Bank, Words from our sponsors; Pops Peterson, “The Making of a Protest Artist”; Mikhala Iversen All Bout Dat Tours; Jackson Whalan Production; James Baldwin, University of Pittsburgh; Gabrielle Senza, Walk Unafraid Kristen vanGinhoven, WAM Theatre with Nicole Brewer, Antiracism Theatre, Dr Lara Setti and Dr. Janice Pride-Boone, Community Health Programs
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  • Friday, Nov 6: Accountability: Public Policy, Civic Engagement & Action, 5:30 PM -8:30 PM | Zoom 
    • MA State Senator Adam Hinds​; 
    • Welcome, Gwendolyn VanSant
    • Remarks from Board Chair & Development Committee Member: Ari Cameron, BRIDGE & Dr. ​Emily Williams, University of Pittsburgh and BRIDGE
    • Mayor Kamal Johnson, City of Hudson
    • Assistant United States Attorney, Deepika Shukla 
    • Berkshire County NAACP, Dennis Powell (T)
    • Keynote: Greg Watson, "Radical Civics and Civil Anarchy" Schumacher Center for New Economics and founding Executive Director of Dudley St. Initiative in Roxbury, MA
      • Panel: Greg Watson with Dr. Leticia S. E. Haynes, JD, Williams College, Helen Higginbotham, MBA  (When Women Gather), Andre Henry
    • Musical Artist: Andre Henry
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  • Saturday, Nov 7: Public Health, Wellness & Positive Mindsets for Transformation, Healing & Justice, 10 AM -4 Pm, Reception 6-8 PM
    • Speaker: Gibran Rivera, “Conscious Masculinity”   | 10 AM: 
    • Presentations/Panel “Wellness & Positive Mindsets for Transformation, Healing & Justice”: 
      • Moderator: Aseante Renee, Gibran Rivera with Ayla Gavins and Leah Abel, CircusUP (Liberation Health), Dr. Keeley Verrett, Holistic Eye Care; (Generational Health); Dr. Eden-Renee Hayes, Williams College (Compassionate Inclusion); 
    • Presentations/Panel: "Where Do We Go from Here?: A Mid-COVID Moment to Re-Imagine HBCUs" | 12 noon:  
      • Moderators:  Dr. Sharon Honore, University of Virgin Islands and Dr. Emily Williams, University of Pittsburgh with Dr. Shirley Edgerton, ROPE, Catherine Adams, Claflin University, Charmayne E. Patterson, PhD, Clark Atlanta University, Eva Michelle Wheeler, JD, PhD, Oakwood College 
    • Panel: “Global Perspectives on Race, Class and Justice” |  1:30 
      • Moderator: Dr. Frances Jones Sneed, MCLA and Clinton Church Restoration, Dr. Chenzira Davis-Kahina, University of Virgin Islands; Dr. Dorjiss Wellington, American University; Dr. BioDun J. Ogundayo, University Of Pittsburgh
    • Panel, “Mental Health and Social Justice” | 3:00 PM: 
      • Moderator: Dr. Louis Forouhar-Graff, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital; Starlin Astacio, LMFT from Charlotte Hungerford Hospital - co leader of Diversity Equity and Inclusion council; Jane Tillman, PhD Director of Erickson institute and psychologist at Austen Riggs Center; Kimesha Harris, LCSW.  Works at the Institute of Living Young; Aieyat Zalzalah, PhD Psychologist at Institute of Living Youn 
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“Progressive art can assist people to learn not only about the objective forces at work in the society in which they live, but also about the intense social character of their interior lives. Ultimately, it can propel people toward social emancipation.”
― Angela Davis
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  • Sunday, Nov 8: Scholarship & Arts in Action 10 AM- 8 PM
    • Presenters, "Diversity and Anti-Racism Best Practices and Applications" |   10 AM: 
      • Moderator: Aseante Renee, Dr. Tracey Benson, Tracey Benson Consulting (Anti-Racism Institute for Educators); Jonathan Andrew Perez, Esq., Justiceology-by-Design; Samantha Calamari, Microsoft Inclusive Instructional Design; Dana Brownlee, Professionalism Matters, "Workplace Anti-Racism Advocate"
    • Panel: Hic Rosa panel with Dr. Abbas "Keeping Freedom in View: Community, Justice, Political Education, and the Question of Power" |Noon: 
      • ​​​Moderator: Asma Abbas, Hic Rosa, Brianna Pope, Three Point Strategies, Dr. Nadine Naber, author and activist, Ejeris Dixon, Vision, Change, Win Consulting; heidi andrea restrepo rhodes, poet, artist activist, scholar
  • Presentations/Panel: "Arts for Justice" | 2:00-3:30 PM: 
    • Moderator: Gwendolyn VanSant, Dr. Nancy Wellington Bookhart, ​Paine College; Dawn Meredith Simmons, Front Porch Arts Collective and Stage Source;  Pascale Danice Florestal,  Front Porch Arts Collective ; Pops Peterson, current Reimagining Rockwell exhibit; Jackson Whalan, Lyricist and Music Producer
  • Keynote: Dr. Angela Davis,  “Expanding the Social Justice Narrative: Angela Davis Speaks!” | Panel: “Moving the Dial on Race, Class and Justice Strategies: How Will You Show Up in the World?” | 6:00 PM: 
    • ​​​Moderator: Dr. Emily Williams, University of Pittsburgh and BRIDGE, Aseante Renee, BRIDGE
    • Dr. Angela Davis, Gwendolyn VanSant, BRIDGE, Du Bois Legacy Committee of Great Barrington, Tracy Gray, 22Fund and We are Enough, Paloma McGregor, Angela's Pulse
Musical Artist: Mikhala Iversen, All Bout Dat Tours, New Orleans
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  • Monday, Nov 9: Reparations: Moving Resources for Positive Social Impact | 10 AM- 12 noon   
    • Erika Allison, Willow Investment for Loving Change, JEDI, 10 min.
    • Speaker: Malia Lazu, Urban Labs and MIT Sloan, 10 AM, "Tomorrow: A Catalyst Conversation for Sustainable Impact"
      • Panel: Malia Lazu, panel moderator/curator, Segun Idowu, BECMA; Anasa Troutman, President/CEO of the Big We Jonathan Lewis,  The Gathering for Justice
    • Closing Remarks & Thank Yous: Gwendolyn VanSant with Board Representatives
    Opening Remarks: Donna Haghighat, "Financial Inclusion for Women within a Race Equity Lens", Women's Fund of Western MA
*Conference ends at 12 noon on Monday, Nov. 9th*
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  • Post conference (12:30-3:00pm): Reunion 
    • Tracy Gray, the 22 Fund; Tuti Scott, Changemaker Strategies; Marianne Williamson, What Will It Take; Gwendolyn VanSant, BRIDGE and Changemaker Strategies; Aseante Renee, BRIDGE And Axon Group, LLC
TICKETS (Sponsored scholarships available for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and Folks living with disability AND also in financial need-- be in touch at [email protected]! We want you here!)
  • $250 full conference pass / $100 Student pass
  • $200 BRIDGE, Changemaker Strategies, BTCF, ArtsCapacity Cohort & Sponsors rate for full conference pass
  • $75/day for BRIDGE, Changemaker Strategies, BTCF, ArtsCapacity Cohort & Sponsors
  • $30/session. (except Sunday 6-8 PM $50/Sun PM session)
To inquire after scholarships and discounted tickets, email [email protected]. ***You must have arranged for sliding scale prior to zoom attendance! Contact [email protected] or Elie Yeo at [email protected] | 413-394-4305

"Radical simply means "grasping things at the root.”
― Angela Davis
final_agenda_nov_5.pdf
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friday_session_1__new_pathways_social_justice_conference.pdf
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monday_day_4__new_pathways_social_justice_conference.pdf
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Pre-conference Thursday Night Reading Falsework-bridge.pdf
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panel_moderators_bridge.pdf
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new_pathways_social_justice_conferennce_speaker_bios.pdf
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bridge_new_pathways_social_justice_conference_2020_panel_descriptions_.pdf
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new_pathways_remarks_gwendolyn_vansant.pdf
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Conference Sponsored by:

Lennox Foundation (Premier) - Angela Davis
Berkshire Bank Foundation, Greylock Federal Credit Union (Lead)
Williams College Davis Center (Impact)
Urban Labs (Impact partner) - Boston Outreach/Urban Labs Panel
Walk Unafraid (Changemaker) -Scholarships to Conference for BIPOC and LGBTQ
Hic Rosa Collective (Changemaker partner) - Falsework School pre-conference/Hic Rosa Panel
Austen Riggs Center (Legacy)
WAM Theatre (Legacy)
Flynt Grant | Williamstown Community Chest (Legacy)
Guidos Fresh Marketplace (Legacy)
Blue Q (Legacy Partner) - a conference bag donation
Willow Investments for Loving Change (Legacy partner) - In-person Saturday Night reception * per regulations
MCLA Foundation (BRIDGE-Builder)

Presented by BRIDGE and our annual Sustaining Members and Member Organizations
​Conference Bags & Boxes with Only in My Dreams 
(Keep the healing vibe going as we WORK): *Restorative Justice Boxes (inspired by conference) for Sale at Only In My Dreams !

​CALL FOR SPONSORS
We are inviting organizations from all sectors across the nation to co-sponsor this event or sponsor an individual, smaller or group or non-profit's participation.
  • Premier Sponsors: $25,000
  • Lead Sponsors: $10,000
  • Impact: $5,000
  • Changemaker: $2,500
  • Legacy/non-profit: $1,000
  • BRIDGE-builder: $500

New sponsors receive first annual BRIDGE membership & benefit package at no further cost through June 2021.
Submit: using this form; [email protected]
CALL FOR PROPOSALS & PRESENTATIONS (Deadline extended to October 18, 2020)

We are inviting leaders from the arts, business, education, human service, DEI, faith groups, philanthropy and public safety. Please submit a proposal (for pre-recorded and interactive sessions) in at least one of the following areas:
  • Shifting Resources: Health, Wealth, Education & Safety
  • Civic Engagement: Community Action & Community Organizing
  • Restorative Practices in Resilience, Wellness, Transformation & Healing
  • Best Practices in Change Management, DEI, and Cultural Competence
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Submit via this form; [email protected]

Conference Review Panel includes: Dr. Emily Williams, Aseante Renee and Gwendolyn VanSant

schedule

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call for proposals

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call for sponsors

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SPONSORS

A Special Thank you to our Annual Members and our Sustaining Donors for making BRIDGE movements and visions possible! Working together to build a more just, safe and equitable community!