‘Emancipation Conversations’ focuses on state of education, role of HBCUs
Moderator ReShonda Tate (left), TSU's President Lesia Crumpton-Young and Dr. Rod Paige (right). Photo by Aswad Walker.

Emancipation Park Conservancy is featuring “Emancipation Conversations” as part of its 150th Juneteenth celebration. Through the conversations, special guests — ranging from Robert Stanton, the first African American to serve as director of the National Park Service, and PJ Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd — address a variety of topics that affect African Americans in Houston and beyond. These include the histories of Juneteenth and Memorial Day, the significance of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in education, the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and the role of arts in historical and cultural preservation, among others. 

Visit Emancipation Park Conservancy’s Juneteenth page for the most up-to-date conversation schedule. 

All events take place at:

Emancipation Park

Cultural Center 

3018 Emancipation Ave.  

6:00pm – 9:00pm CT

Mon., Jun. 13

Topic: Healthcare & The Impact of COVID in Communities of Color

Healthcare leaders Dr. David Callender, president and CEO, Memorial Hermann; Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, CEO Harris Health System,  Dr. Lovell Allan Jones, professor emeritus UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Dr. Erica Savage Jeter, regional medical director, Centerwell Primary Care will address the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and social factors that affect health.

Tues., Jun. 14

Topic: Policing Communities of Color

Tonya Jones, judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 15;  PJ Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd; Dr. Howard Henderson, founding director, Texas Southern University Center for Justice Research and Dr. Whitney Threadcraft-Walker, director of programs and strategic partnerships, Emancipation Park Conservancy, will discuss policing and the current state of communities of color.

Wed., Jun. 15

Topic: Art & Community Redevelopment 

Michelle Barnes, founder, Community Artists Collective; Danielle Burns-Wilson, curator and art director, Project Row Houses, and local artists Jesse Lott and Marsha Dorsey-Outlaw will discuss the role of art in helping communities of color maintain historical and cultural identities while facing gentrification. 

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