We want to have a conversation directly with America.
Join this national conference call with Ferguson protestors.
We want to remove the middle-man and go straight to the American people so that you can hear from the protest community.
This panel discussion will span a host of topics, including the indictment decision, protest actions, authenticity, gender, and the militarization of police. We will also take questions via the #FergusonFireside hashtag on twitter.
Students, teachers, families, parents, activists, organizers, friends -- all are welcome and encouraged to participate in the first of a series of calls. The movement starts with you.
To allow one Ferguson is to enable endless others.
Link to Previous #FergusonFireside Chats:
Click here to access the audio from Oct. 29th.
Logistics:
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 18th
Time: 8pm CST (9pm EST)
Facilitator and Panelists:
The call will be facilitated by Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) and will include the following panelists:
@nettaaaaaaaa
@deray
@Re_Invent_ED
@WyzeChef
@JamilahLemieux
Call Details:
Due to interest, there are 2 dedicated lines for this call, all able to hear the panel. All of the lines will work. If one is full, please go to the next available line.
Phone Number: 712.775.7031
Meeting ID Line #1: 491-259-520
Meeting ID Line #2: 847-017-248
Line #3: 853-098-042
To Ask Questions
Please tweet your questions with the #FergusonFireside hashtag and they will be addressed during the call. Remember, all lines will be muted on the call.
Pre-Reading
Please read the latest Open Letter From Protestors and Allies (10.17.14) before the call.
Also, please review the tweets from August 9th - 11th that led to birth of the movement.
Panelist Bios
@nettaaaaaaaa, 25, is a resident of St. Louis who has been documenting the events in Ferguson on Twitter. She is Co-Editor of the #Ferguson Protester Newsletter. Before the death of Mike Brown, Netta volunteered with a girls group, called the Sophia Project, in the city of Saint Louis. The group focuses on helping teenage girls navigate through life. Her essay “When I close my eyes at night, I see people running from tear gas” was published in Ebony Magazine on September 9, 2014. Since then, Elzie has been one of the youth activist voices that has taken the message of resistance internationally to media outlets like Aljazeera.com, The Feminist Wire, the Wallstreet Journal, GlobalGrind.com and Huffingtonpost.com.
@deray, 29, is the Senior Director of Human Capital with Minneapolis Public Schools and is a Teach For America alum, having taught 6th grade math in NYC. He has been documenting the events of Ferguson via twitter (@deray) and is the Founder and Co-Editor of the Ferguson Protestor Newsletter. He is an activist, organizer, and educator focusing primarily on issues impacting children, youth, and families. He previously worked for the Harlem Children’s Zone and TNTP, opened an academic enrichment center in West Baltimore, and with Baltimore City Public Schools leading systemic human capital change.
@MsPackyetti, 29, is North St. Louis County native and serves as Executive Director of Teach For America – St. Louis, which serves 24,000 students across the region, including the Normandy and Riverview Gardens districts. She has been leveraging her privilege to amplify the voice of students and young people in Ferguson- the true leaders of this work- carrying their message to multiple national and international media outlets, serving as a supporting editor of the #Ferguson newsletter, engaging students in critically conscious leadership development, and helping lead Teach For Ferguson during school closings due to early unrest in the region. She previously taught 3rd Grade in Southeast Washington, DC, and worked in federal education policy and advocacy for low-income students of color around the nation. She believes every child possesses inherent value and is committed to empowering young people to lead the modern movement toward justice. Brittany was recently appointed to the Ferguson Commission.
@WyzeChef, 33, is a married, lifelong resident of St. Louis and the father of 3 young boys. He is employed full-time and has been involved in the movement since August 9th as a citizen journalist via social media. He has become a committed activist and organizer post August 9th, fighting for a world that will love and protect his sons, his brother, and his friends. He actively uses Twitter to offer commentary on the movement and to live-tweet.
@Re_Invent_ED, 24, has lived in North County for most of her life. Having nephews and and other family the same age as Mike Brown, she was instantly devoted to improving the system that led to a tragic loss of life of Mike Brown. She fights for justice and equality while working two jobs. She attended local colleges and is committed to this work until justice is obtained. As an organizer, she often leads chants and crowd engagement strategies and has assisted in planning many protest actions. She uses Twitter as a means of conveying the truth about what is happening in Ferguson.
@JamilahLemiuex, 30, is a writer and editor. Originally from Chicago, she is a graduate of Howard University and currently serves as the Senior Editor for Ebony.com, where she has led the brand’s “Ferguson Forward” coverage by elevating the voices of organizers and protestors over pundits. She resides in Brookyln.
@MusicOverPeople, 20, is a STL native, born, raised, and currently living in Ferguson. In fighting for Mike Brown, she fights for the future of her nephew and the future of black life. She is a passionate protestor, often seen leading chants and organizing actions. Since August 9th, she has been arrested 3 times, all while engaging in peaceful protest and she remains a tireless advocate for an end to police brutality. In all, she just wants us to “get free.”
@vcmitchelljr, 36, was raised and educated in North St. Louis County in the Ferguson-Florrisant School District. He is an alum of the University of Missouri-Columbia where he received his BA, and Master's degrees in history. He completed his doctorate in American History at Cornell University in May 2014. Currently, he is an Affiliate Visiting Fellow at the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. His research primarily addresses the intersection of race, politics, and religion in America in the twentieth century. His current project examines the religious and political thought of African Americans during the famed Jazz Age. By examining African-American religious thought during the earliest years of the Harlem Renaissance, Dr. Mitchell is uncovering the role that African-American Protestantism played in the development of this cultural and intellectual awakening. His book project, Jazz Age Jesus: The Reverend Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., and the Ministry of Black Empowerment, 1865-1953, uses the Rev. Powell, Sr., as a lens to illustrate the many ways - both tangible and intangible - in which practiced and believed faith came into communion and consternation with one of the most famous secular movements in American history.
http://www.fergusonfireside.org/