Join the Springfield UU Meetinghouse online on Sunday, April 18 for “Race Amity” with Dr. William H. "Smitty" Smith and Rev. Mellen Kennedy.
Race relations in America will not substantially improve unless the public discourse on race moves beyond the blame-grievance-rejection framework to one that recognizes and celebrates our ability to overcome racial prejudice through association, amity, and collaboration. While the tradition of racial oppression was unfolding, a parallel tradition, largely hidden and poorly understood, was demonstrating some of the most positive qualities to be found in American history. This “other tradition”, of close collaboration, amity, and love has served as the moral and spiritual counterweight to the dominant tradition of racism that occupies so much of our national history. The other tradition offers a new entry point for the public discourse on race.
** Please also join us for watch party of the film, An American Story: Race Amity and The Other Tradition, which will be shown by the Springfield Library on April 14 at 6 pm. This film is free but you must pre-register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/race-amity-watch-party-tickets-146760030201 **
William H. “Smitty” Smith, EdD, Founding Executive Director, National Center for Race Amity. With a background in public education administration and communication, he promotes cross racial/cross cultural amity as a means of moving America towards E Pluribus Unum. He was the Executive Director of the Center for Diversity in Communication Industries at Emerson College. He is the concept creator/Co-Executive Producer for the 2018 documentary, An American Story: Race Amity and The Other Tradition. He was the principal organizer of the State Bill establishing Race Amity Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He co-authored, with Dr. Richard Thomas, Race Amity: America’s Other Tradition (2019)
Email uuspringfieldvt@gmail.com for Zoom link. All welcome!

Dec 20, 2024, 4 to 7 PM

Dec 22, 2024, 3 to 5 PM

Dec 22, 2024, 4:30 to 6 PM