Activists discuss reforms Dec. 16
Talk to focus on efforts since Floyd killing, and look to future goals
Almost seven months after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, what’s next?
Capital Region activists will look back on the explosive growth of the Black Lives Matter movement in a virtual panel discussion slated for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16. In addition to looking back on reforms achieved in the time since Floyd’s death and the ensuing protestsit sparked across the nation, the discussion will also touch on what 2021 might bring as activists work to ensure their push for lasting change doesn’t fade with the passage of time.
Sponsored by the Times Union and moderated by staff writer Massarah Mikati, the hourlong talk will include veterans as well as younger voices in the movement:
Jamaica Miles, a Schenectady resident and longtime Capital Region activist. After four years
as Capital District lead organizer with Citizen Action of New York, Miles founded her own organization, All of Us, in February 2020.
A Barbara Smith, a lifelong activist and renowned scholar on race and gender. Smith is a major contributor to Black feminism, and was one of the original members of the Boston-based Combahee River Collective, a Black lesbian feminist organization.
A Xavier Cruz, a Bethlehem resident and head of the advocacy group Bethlehem for Social Justice. Cruz is studying history and English at the University at Albany.
A Jaya Sundaresh, an editor-at-large for Albany Proper and a veteran journalist whose work has appeared in Current Affairs, The Forward and other publications.
To register for the free event, visit timesunion.com.
The discussion will be streamed on the Times Union’s Youtube channel and Facebook page.