As the November 3rd election approaches, we are feeling the collective pressure of an election with high stakes. We invite you to a panel discussion that will bring together four powerful, unique voices to explore the historical disenfranchisement of groups of people and the present responsibility of those who are able to vote in just a few short weeks.

The discussion will begin with a historical view of how the definition of citizenship has been utilized as tool of disenfranchisement. Another form of disenfranchisement that has historical roots starting in the 1860s is felony disenfranchisement, in which persons convicted of a felony lose their right to vote and this practice continues into the present election season. The panelist will be engaging in a discussion to explore how the attacks on voting rights are a structural attack on personhood with clear racial intent and impacts.

Next we will explore what this means for those who have maintained their voting rights. What are the distracting questions in high stakes elections? What is our responsibility? Where is our impact? We will invite the panelist to discuss, from their different geographic and experiential viewpoints, the duty individuals have to engage in the civic process. This historically rooted discussion will be a call to action, a call to neutralize the power at the many stages of influence. We look forward to sharing our analysis and understanding with you.

This panel brings together the expertise of four different voices we are pleased to bring to you. Their bios are below: 

Dr. Emily Drew is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Ethnic Studies at Willamette University, where she teaches courses about racism, white supremacy, immigration, and social change. Her research agenda revolves around understanding how race and racism get institutionalized, with the goal of helping to illuminate more effective strategies for interrupting systemic inequality. Drew’s most recent writing was published in the book Living with Class, with recent research published in the Journal of Urban Affairs and the Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. She currently works with an Oregon coalition for immigrant rights, and is in the process of publishing new research about mixed-status Latino families living “Under One Roof.” With colleagues, Drew has also developed the “AntiRacism Across the Pedagogy” workshop for faculty from all disciplines who are interested in making racial equity and inclusion an essential—not extra—component of their course content and teaching methods. During her two decades of practicing critical pedagogy, Drew has received several teaching awards in recognition of her efforts to build inclusive classrooms and equip students to be effective contributors to efforts for social justice.

T Gonzales serves the residents of Louisville as Director for the Center for Health Equity. T began working of the Center for Health Equity in 2010 to coordinate the department’s Racial Healing and Equity Initiative. T supports the department’s strategy to deepen its focus on the root causes of health through authentic community engagement, strategic partnerships, addressing data gaps and challenges, and through policy analysis and development. As an active community member, T is committed to numerous organizations, projects, boards, and community campaigns. T has varied interests, including: LGBTQ health, racial equity, crafting, and watching any TV show with Gordon Ramsay. T is originally from Texas and has called Louisville, Kentucky, home since 2006. T is a graduate of the University of Houston where T earned a Master of Social Work with a policy concentration. T holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. T’s top strengths are: deliberative, analytical, connectedness, relator, and learner.

Alex Muhammad is one of three founding organizers and architects of the National Mass Liberation Project and currently works with the project as Political Training Director. The Mass Liberation Project (MassLib) is a newly-independent project that moves prosecutor accountability campaigns and community governance strategies around criminal justice reforms in target jurisdictions around the country. The effort is focused on the future of the nation’s black communities that have been the most devastated by generational criminalization, disinvestment and occupation by large police forces. In order to achieve black community liberation, Muhammad believes we must move towards prison abolition to change society’s systems and culture of punishment that undergird anti-black racism. Alex is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, an experienced trainer, community organizer, field director and political educator from the Chicagoland area. She has helped organize the #DecarcerateCHI campaign that demanded an end to the prosecution of marijuana possession in Cook County, Illinois, and In 2016 became the field director for the major independent expenditure supporting Kim Foxx’s candidacy. As a result, the Foxx State’s Attorney’s office has become a leader in decarceration, transparency and advocating for bold criminal justice reform.

Tanya Watkins is a mother, writer, Black womanist, community organizer and prison abolitionist originally from Chicago’s South Side. She studied writing and the teaching of writing at Columbia College Chicago with the intent of bringing innovative arts programs to schools in low-income communities of color. She is a former South Suburban Chicago elected official and served as a Presidential Delegate in 2016. Tanya began as a leader with Southisiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL) in 2010, a multi-issue, faith-based, social justice organization that assists residents to build power in the Chicago Southland. Since being with the organization, Tanya has led a multitude of campaigns demanding criminal justice reform and police accountability in Chicago; most notably, heading up a series of strategic actions targeting former Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez in 2015. Currently, Tanya is the Executive Director of SOUL and on the Executive Board of the BlackRoots Alliance.

The panel discussion will last 60 minutes, with a 30-minute Q&A section to follow. Please submit questions you would like to have answered with your registration. The cost of the webinar is a sliding scale from $0- $35.00. When registering you will have the option to enter your own price. We have priced the workshop at $35, but we know that some folks can pay more and some less. We invite those who are able to donate to support those who cannot. The link to the workshop will be sent to you the week before the event. Please note- this workshop will be hosted on Zoom. In order to access the full functions of Zoom it is best to be on a laptop or desktop computer. A tablet or phone will limit your ability to interact. 

Please create a free Zoom account beforehand: https://zoom.us/freesignup/