The NAACP Bucks County announced two upcoming seminars designed to help county residents embrace the beauty of diversity and take action against systemic racism.
“In the months since George Floyd’s murder, we’ve had countless residents ask how they can identify and battle systemic racism in their own lives,” said Karen Downer, president, NAACP Bucks County. “These Zoom seminars are a great first step for anyone interested in standing on the side of inclusion and justice.”
The public is invited to attend either or both seminars. Attendance is free but space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
– Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. – Educating Ourselves on White Privilege: This presentation explores the different experiences people have in our country simply because of the color of their skin. Participants will learn how to identify the privilege that comes with being white and the damage that comes with being a person of color in America. Click here to register.
– Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. – How to be an Ally to People of Color: This presentation describes what it means to be an ally to people of color and includes a call to action with suggestions to put your allyship into action. Click here to register.
The seminars will be led by Serita Lachesis and Ilya Moses.
Lachesis is a mother and teacher who grew up in a multi-racial family, seeing her own privilege as a white person daily, and the difference between the treatment of and opportunities afforded to her but not to her siblings of color.
“We are interested in empowering people to make personal changes that can help transform our world,” said Lachesis about the work she and Moses do. “Many people are a bit paralyzed by fear and worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. These seminars are designed to help overcome that fear and enable each of us to use our voice to build a more inclusive world.”
Moses is a father and adjunct professor of psychology, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia, West Africa, and confronted racism for the first time as a teenager new to the country. His life experience and education in psychology have inspired him to seek positive social change in the world around him.
“To step outside of our bubbles is a difficult ask, but it provides an opportunity to see that the flames in our country are not far away and their causes run deep,” he said. “For love of one’s family and nation, this is an opportunity to see and understand the causes of those flames.”
