Our country has a long history of race oppression. Because of this largely unprocessed history, fear of discussing race permeates our national culture. Somerville is no different. We must engage with race in order to break the cycles of oppression that penetrate our lives. In celebration of Martin Luther King Day 2019 Diane Wong, in collaboration with the Somerville Media Center offered a panel of educators, activists, young people, and community members who have engaged in these critical conversations over the past year as part of Somerville resident Diane Wong’s ongoing podcast of the same name.

The event happened on January 19th from 11am-2pm at Somerville Media Center and featured a panel discussion , community meal, and break out dialogues with trained facilitators which answered the questions “Where are we now?” and “Where do we go from here?”

Let's Talk About Race, Thursday, January 24, 7-8PM, meet Byron, "Byron the poet" Morgan, Marcus "Takz" Alimayu and Lewis "Xanza" Gay. Creators of the podcast, "Future//Perfect".

Join us for stimulating conversation on:

- Racial ambiguity; the psychological effects and its benefits/perks

- If white folks lost control of the capitalist system we live in, would they be ok with that? What would a world look like in that instance?

- Empathy and the importance of owning the narrative about black history, the present, and the future

Join us in discussion with "Future//Perfect!"

Yosef brought great discussion to the show. Come listen to the discussion: "I was thinking ...of talking about... my Sicilian background and a little of my story, my messianic Jewish background/ antisemitism, and Palestine/Israel: Also faith matters in race relations, like Martin Luther King and his faith as a minister. And, my perspective on the solution to racism."

White Privilege. Ok, why do nearly all people of color, especially black people get this, but whites can be clueless? Why is that? What about the shifting history of who is white in America? What do we make of all that?

Police brutality, inter-sectional feminism, and building generational wealth to close the racial wealth gap. We talk about it all.

Founder of production company RMC Pictures, Raeshelle writes about the many misadventures of love, with music and spoken word often leading the narratives. She's also recently started writing films with social commentary in them, telling them in a Twilight Zone-inspired way. She's won 3 film awards, one from the LA Film Awards; she had a film screen at the Reel to Real Film Promotion featuring Omari Hardwick in NY this year; and her new film Wrath City screened all across the country and was even accepted to the Africa Movie Academy Awards this year.

Henry will talk to us about the early days being a black family in Somerville, MA, attendance at the local high school and his experience in a black college. Topics we will discuss include: 1. Race in Somerville 2. Race national and international 3. The system of white supremacy. Join us at 7PM on December 20 and learn about early black family life in somerville, MA. Meet Henry Parker.

Meet Halley Murray, Northeast Regional Coordinator of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and Chair of the local chapter Uhuru Solidarity Movement Uhuru solidarity Movement Boston; and Allie Aiello, National Secretary of USM and Chair of the Birthday Fundraisers for the . They will talk about The Uhuru Solidarity Movement and why white people owe reparations.

The Woman and the Land. Morocco, land of magic.

"I am not an Arab and North Africans are not really Arabs. We were colonized by the Arabs during the Islamic invasions dating back to 7th century." Najat Kessler.

Najat talks about:

-Being a woman in the world

-The magical land of Morocco

-Acceptance, love, and gratitude to heal our old wounds

The topic is Reparations: We are working with the hypothetical situation where it is determined that Reparations are in order. So, let's design the program. Who should the program be designed to reparate? In other words, Who should get get paid and why? And, Who should decide who gets gets? How should it all work? We will start off with the show hosts making a pitch for what they think. Then, we ask you to call in and participate. Get ready to talk about Race. Get ready to talk about Reparations. Hypothetically, we have it. Now who should get paid?

"Recognizing racism in Trump's Republican Party." Gen Z, Millennials. How do they define "whiteness" and what role does whiteness play in racism in and out of the republican party? Hear from white young people on racism in the US and more.