Creating a Racially Just Community
In June 2020, Portsmouth’s City Council passed a Resolution declaring Portsmouth a Racial Justice Municipality. What does that mean to you?
Join the Portsmouth Public Library a year on, for a three-week online conversation series on racial justice in our community and beyond. This series is co-hosted with Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and sponsored in part by Kennebunk Savings, with additional support from Piscataqua Savings Bank.
We will offer three panel conversations on racial justice featuring Seacoast leaders, educators, business owners and activists. Panels will be co-moderated by Courtney Marshall and library staff, with time for Q&A so members of our community can chime in.
These events are free and open to all. Register and join the discussion!
Note: the library has made some changes to this series. In consultation with our racial justice programming partners, we have decided to focus on our local community and not include an outside speaker, at this time. So we will not be holding the interview with Dr. Michael Eric Dyson nor the conversation about his book as part of this series. The panel discussions will continue as planned.
Racial Justice in Education
Wednesday June 9 | 7 - 8 PM
Our panel conversations will begin with a discussion of racial justice and education, focusing on all ages. Panels will be moderated by library staff. There will be time at each event for Q&A so members of our community can chime in.
More about our panelists:
Moderator Courtney Marshall is a scholar of African-American literature and Black feminism. She currently teaches English at Phillips Exeter Academy where she also serves as Associate Dean of Advising.
Andres Mejia is a black, latinx, bisexual, cisman who has been living in the Seacoast area for the past eleven years, and comes from a family of seven siblings, a Dominican father and powerful Puerto Rican mother out of Boston, MA. Andres is a Program Manager for NH Listens, Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire – hosting equity workshops and facilitating courageous and difficult conversations across the state of New Hampshire between community members, police, politicians, farmers, students, teachers, and many other constituents. Andres has spent the past ten years working at the University of New Hampshire implementing race, equity and diversity initiatives and spearheading underrepresented students support and helping leaders across campus—from student organizers to faculty and administrators—to become more culturally competent of folks marginalized within people of color and LGBTQAI+ communities and folks of various other marginalized groups.
Royaline Edwards dedicated herself to the nurturing of young minds for 34 years as an elementary teacher in Kittery and Portsmouth. Retiring in 1999, she continued her presence in education as an Artist in Residence in various schools on the New Hampshire Seacoast, working with teachers and students in the presentation of an original play, “Listen to the Drums—A Tribute to Harriet Tubman.” Royaline’s love for teaching and writing, were the catalyst in her writing and publishing two books—A Ribbon for Sammi” in 2009, a children’s book, and Kandi, in 2019—a fictional story, based on true incidents, that reveals the impact on a young, Black girl, when her family moved from the segregated south to a large industrial city in the north.
Harini Subramanian (We Speak) is currently a junior at Portsmouth High School and has been a member of We Speak since the fall of 2019. We Speak is a student group at Portsmouth High School that is dedicated to creating a more equitable environment for students to learn and grow comfortably.
Kimberly McGlinchey (We Speak) is a current doctoral candidate in Leadership and Policy in Education at the University of New Hampshire, Kimberly is focused on understanding the systemic policies within public education which lead to exclusion of different cultures and backgrounds; creating an asset vs deficit belief system; and generating an ethos of critical inquiry into our current belief systems. In addition, her interests lie in the intersections of social and eco-justice, sustainability, and youth empowerment. She serves as the teacher school board representative for the Association of Portsmouth Teachers, teaches ecology, physical science, and "Grow it Green" at PHS, and is the advisor for two student-led organizations: We Speak and the Environmental Change Organization (ECO).
Anne Romney is a Portsmouth resident and an educator/group facilitator who is committed to anti-racism education. She is a co-facilitator of the program White People Challenging Racism, offers a workshop on the book, Waking Up White, is a member of the Seacoast NAACP and volunteers with the Black Heritage Trail of NH. In September 2019, Anne helped organize a New England regional symposium on anti-racism organizing and, in the fall of 2019/winter 2020, was on the Portsmouth Listens Equity and Inclusion steering committee. Anne has been leading the Standing Up to Racism course at Portsmouth Public Library since June 2019.
Racial Justice in Work & Business
Wednesday June 23 | 7 - 8 PM
Local business owners and public employees will discuss what racial justice looks like at work and in our local economy.
More about our panelists:
Moderator Courtney Marshall is a scholar of African-American literature and Black feminism. She currently teaches English at Phillips Exeter Academy where she also serves as Associate Dean of Advising.
Latonya Wallace manages a branch of Bangor Savings Bank, sits on the Portsmouth Public Library’s Board of Trustees, and is a Board Member of the Black Heritage Trail New Hampshire and founder of a non-profit, Purseverance 207. When Latonya isn’t working at her full-time job, parenting her children singlehandedly, or immersing herself in civic activities, she is building bridges; lighting the way along a nuanced path that will bring people together. Latonya has spent 20 years in the banking industry which has set the stage for who she is as a professional today.
Jay McSharry is a local restaurateur with ownership in Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, Moxy, Vida Cantina, The Franklin, Street, Luigi’s West End Pizzeria, Ore Nell’s Barbecue, The Railpenny Tavern, Mr. Kim’s, Dos Amigos, as well as other projects on the Seacoast. In 2020, Jay was named James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. He is actively involved in the community and has served on the boards of Share our Strength, The Music Hall, The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, and established the Diversity Scholarship at his alma mater, The University of New
Hampshire.
Katie Czajkowski (she/her/hers) is the Special Collections librarian at the Portsmouth Public Library and the co-founder of the library's Taskforce for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (TIDE). The group was formed in June 2020 as a space for library staff to discuss social justice issues and to critically examine the library's role in serving the Portsmouth community. Before starting at the library in 2018, Katie was studying wine and working in the food and beverage industry here on the Seacoast while earning a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. She was adopted from South Korea and raised in central Massachusetts.
Racial Justice in Our Community
Wednesday June 30 | 7 – 8 PM
Join Seacoast leaders and activists to hear how we can achieve racial justice in our community. Panelists will include:
More about our panelists:
Moderator Courtney Marshall is a scholar of African-American literature and Black feminism. She currently teaches English at Phillips Exeter Academy where she also serves as Associate Dean of Advising.
Tanisha Johnson is currently an Exeter, NH resident. She was raised in New Jersey and spent much of her adulthood in Pennsylvania. She has over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management within community service, youth programs, mental health, and wellness services. In July 2020, Tanisha co-founded the Black Lives Matter Seacoast Chapter. She also serves on the Racial Unity Team Board as Vice Chair of the Board along with the Program Chair for the organization.
Clifton West is 28 years old and resides in Barrington since 2016. He is a full time software developer and he co-founded Black Lives Matter Seacoast in July 2020. Since then, he became the executive director of the organization & has led both political and social efforts for BLM Seacoast with a focus of giving back to the community. He also crafted policy demands for every level of government and meet with several elected officials and law enforcement officials to enhance and protect the lives of BIPOC people in the Seacoast. He was the 2020 New Hampshire Young Democrats’ Progressive of the Year and became the Vice President of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Young Democrats in 2021.
Cindy Khoury is a lifestyle blogger and local influencer. A writer for Seacoast Moms and Co-leader of Exeter Chapter Women's Business League, she has been featured on NHPR, NH Talk Radio and other local podcasts. You can learn more about Cindy at SeeBeautyInEveryone.com where she uplifts businesses, inspires individuals and encourages all to see beauty in everyone.
JerriAnne Boggis is the executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the founder and director of The Harriet Wilson Project; and the previous Director of Diversity Programs & Community Outreach at the University of New Hampshire.
Cliff Lazenby is in his fourth year as a City Councilor. In June 2020 he collaborated with Seacoast leaders to author the "Racial Justice Municipality" declaration for Portsmouth. With unanimous City Council support, the declaration acknowledged an ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, diversity and justice. Cliff earned a B.A. in Government from Harvard and lives in Portsmouth with his wife and two daughters, who all believe Black Lives Matter.
Note that panelists are subject to change. All events will be held on Zoom.
Registration required – sign up for each event to receive a Zoom link. Questions? Write to us at libraryevents@cityofportsmouth.com!