MPR’s Tarkor Zehn reports on Because Black Life Conference, which entails about a dozen workshops that explore an array of issues impacting black life. Examples of topics include being black and Muslim in the current political climate and reparations. The underlying common thread in most of the workshops is healing.
PAMELA BEATTY: I grew up in Minnesota and we didn't have a lot of this. And so it's just so beautiful to see, especially the young African-American children coming out to really witness that we can be a community.
TARKOR ZEHN: Community member Pamela Beatty is excited for the second annual Because Black Life conference. She was at a planning meeting at the University of Minnesota's Rarig Center on Tuesday with organizers getting ready for the Saturday event.
The one-day summit was created by Keno Evol, executive director of his nonprofit, Black Table Arts. Evol describes the conference as an eight-hour think tank to take a look at the issues facing Black Minnesotans and how the community can brainstorm to solve them.
KENO EVOL: I'm looking around in the state of Minnesota. And we are the spot in the country that has some of the worst racial disparities, particularly in housing and education and police violence in the country. So I want to see Black people alive.
TARKOR ZEHN: The conference consists of about a dozen workshops that explore an array of issues affecting Black life. He says it's designed to be a community plug-in, statewide check-in, and national lean in. Some look at the intersections of being Black and Muslim in the current political climate. Others examine reparations.
Director of multicultural life at Macalester College, Jason Jackson, will also have a workshop at the conference on the Black queer and trans experience. He's a part of the core planning team and says a common underlying thread in most of the workshops this year is healing.
JASON JACKSON: I think the Black healing is becoming a big conversation, even just nationally. Over the last six, seven years, I've been hearing the word healing. And I think it's beautiful. And to me, again, healing is about undoing what was done to us.
TARKOR ZEHN: Keno expects about 200 attendees. He says he hopes the conference will lead to ongoing conversations that will continue to shape the Black community here in the Twin Cities. The Because Black Life conference will take place from 10:00 to 6:00 this Saturday at the University of Minnesota's Rarig Center. Tarkor Zehn, MPR News.
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