In virtually every corner of the Boston metro region, an issue that comes up frequently is how people face down institutional racism. This collection of talks draws together a diverse group of leaders and thinkers tackling distinct problems that grow out of persisting racist views.
It's not enough to talk about Boston's problems stemming from racism. Mayor Marty Walsh intends to devote 2017 to doing something about it. Wrapping up the November event "Boston Talks About Racism", hosted by the Mayor at the Cutler Majestic Theater, reconciliation specialist Jennifer Henderson explained a technique for talking about racism that was first employed in Louisiana: The Welcome Table. Through storytelling and sharing in a safe space, "We build a bridge strong enough to bear the weight of the truth we have to tell each other," she said.
Boston Chamber of Commerce CEO James Rooney spoke to a full house at the Cutler Majestic Theater as part of the Mayor's day to begin tackling the pernicious and deep-rooted problems racism has created. Rooney made a pledge: "The Chamber, our board, our members and our staff will be engaged in action-oriented processes...on issues of board diversity, economic mobility, access, education, workforce development and jobs."
Cambridge Forum in collaboration with [Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard](http://ethics.harvard.edu/ "") host a facilitated discussion with three authors who have recent publications on the complex issues of race and structural injustice, and the steps that citizens and governments can take to find practical solutions to problems such as mass incarceration, extreme poverty in disadvantaged communities, and problematic notions of black criminality. Professor Danielle Allen moderates the discussion with Professors Tommie Shelby, Elizabeth Hinton and Khalil Gibran Muhammed. Photo: Richard Ashurst/Flickr Photo: [Richard Ashurst/Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/-wichid/4670515071 "")
The Massachusetts criminal justice system is part of a program called the Justice Reinvestment Initiative—a national review of criminal justice data to determine where to cut costs in Corrections and how to improve the system. The state will receive recommendations for its criminal justice funding in 2017, and a new coalition wants to involve the communities in Boston that are most affected by high youth incarceration rates. This coalition will strategize how to engage the lawmakers deciding the system reforms in 2017. That new coalition is made up of Opportunity Youth United – Boston, Community Action Team, Teen Empowerment and MassINC. They are planning a series of 3 events with youth, community organizations and leaders around the issue of youth incarceration and the negative affect it has on them, their families, and their neighborhoods. » More about [Stuck on Replay](http://www.stuckonreplay.org/ "").
**Marian Wright Edleman** delivers the keynote address for the first symposium organized by Trinity Church, convening people across the city to come together to learn, be inspired, and be moved to take effective actions towards facing, healing and ending racism. The symposium was organized by members of the Trinity Anti-Racism Team, as part of the recognition of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his commitment to a better America. The The Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III, Rector of Trinity Church, introduces the symposium saying, "With the recent events in Ferguson, Cleveland, New York, and in our own backyard, this discussion sadly is more urgent than we had imagined. We pray that the day’s conversations will speak powerfully to participants coming from many different perspectives, and that it will inform and inspire effective new initiatives in the long journey we walk on together towards truth and reconciliation."
In light of increasingly intense, racially charged events in Ferguson, Mo., and elsewhere across the country, Trinity Church in the City of Boston is elevating race relations as a point for public discussion. To spotlight what Trinity Church’s Rector, the Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, calls “the urgent issue of our time,” Trinity is sponsoring the inaugural Anne B. Bonnyman Symposium – “We Still Have a Dream: End Racism” – on Sun., Jan. 18, 2015. Free and open to the public, the symposium will be held at Trinity Church, Copley Square. Moderator: The Honorable **Barbara Dortch-Okara**
