The Summit County Historical Society and community friends invite you to our grounds for a Juneteenth Symposium from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. that is free and open to the public. Please consider signing up for the picnic as we order food - EventBrite.
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Community Talk Back: Equality and Equity
Moderated by Rev. Dr. David Nelson, New Hope Baptist Church and Summit County Historical Society board director
Panelists:
Carla Chapman - Akron Public Schools, Chief Diversity Officer
Leslie Parker Barnes - Founder and Artistic Director of YEPAW, Youth Excellence Performing Arts Workshop
Pastor Robert DeJournett - Greater Akron Chamber and St. Ashworth Temple C.O.G.I.C.
Dr. Jennifer Ross - Akron Urban League, Director of Diversity & Strategic Initiatives
Pastor Kevin Rushings - United Baptist Church
Lt. Michael Miller - Akron Police Department
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Community Picnic
A community picnic will be catered by A Taste of Fine Dining. Reservations are requested on EventBrite starting June 3 to assist in planning for enough food for our attendees. There will also be tastings by Nicole's Restaurant and Ire Jamaican Kitchen.
11:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. "The Life of John Brown" a short play by Reva Golden
Reva Golden, local actress, playwright and Society educational staff member, has written a short play about John Brown. She will perform as Harriet Tubman along with regional actors De Lemire as narrator, Dennis Runkle as John Brown and Corin B Self as Frederick Douglass.
During a 2019 On the Table discussion at the John Brown House, Reva Golden suggested to a group of interfaith leaders, local community members and Society board directors and staff that they work together to host a Juneteenth Symposium. Akron Community Foundation funded a grant request through their On the Table programming to provide this opportunity in 2020 that had to be postponed until 2021.