We partnered with the nonprofit I Have a Future for our third and final in-person event associated with HistoryThon: Amplifying African American History Together! The event, Legacy of Courage Film Screening & Panel Discussion, took place on the evening of Thursday, November 2, 2023 at the Bruce C. Bolling Building in Roxbury, MA. Thank you to all of those who attended for making this event a success!
The event kicked off with a welcome from Judy Katz, Director of Development, Primary Source and Keturah Brewster, Executive Director, I Have a Future followed by an inspiring performance from spoken word artist Legacy Thornton, elevating the Black experience and setting the tone for the film, Legacy of Courage: Black Changemakers in Massachusetts, Past, Present, Future.
The audience engaged in table discussions around what activism looks like and what issues ignite participants’ passions. A few shared the results of their conversations.
After the film, our panelists each shared their personal experiences in a discussion themed on how the legacy of activism builds with every generation. Henry Allen, a community activist, has been integral to the struggle for desegregating the Boston Public School System since the 1960s. The awareness of and progress towards these movements can be seen in the creation of the Boston Public School’s Department of Retention, Cultivation and Diversity Programs, currently headed by Rashaun J. Martin, Acting Managing Director. Vikiana Petit-Homme, Lead Organizer, I Have a Future, drew on her passion for youth organizing, sharing how she is continually inspired by the actions of those who came before her and the understanding that each individual strengthens the legacy of courage.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event and to the creators of the film Legacy of Courage: Black Changemakers in Massachusetts Past, Present, Future, the Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society’s Long Road to Justice and Northern Light Productions. None of this would be possible without our generous sponsors of HistoryThon: Amplifying African American History Together and we would like to give a special thanks specifically to MassBar Foundation for sponsoring this film screening event and to Annielly Camargo Photography for capturing the energy and key moments of the event.
