Show Up & Show Out - YWCA Announces 2020 Stand Against Racism Community Forums and Public Rally

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment and the 55^th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will explore how the tools of civic engagement empower our community during our 2020 Stand Against Racism season. YWCA will unite voices with community partners as we educate, advocate, and promote the importance of civic engagement in racial justice work. Free educational forums, lunch and learns, and a public rally are planned. Stand Against Racism is a movement that seeks to build community among those who work for racial justice and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities. Stand Against Racism is a signature campaign of YWCA USA and is part of the larger national strategy to fulfill our mission of eliminating racism. 2020 Stand Against Racism – Show Up & Show Out Event ScheduleThursday, February 6, 11:30am – 1:00pmLunch & Learn: A History of Structural Racism in NashvilleDr. Learotha Williams, Jr., Historian and Professor at Tennessee State University & Dr. Wendy Thompson, Vice Chancellor Tennessee Board of RegentsThursday, February 27, 3:00pm – 5:00pmEducational Forum:  Music to Mobilization in a Racial Justice MovementDr. Yvonne Kendall, Musicologist; Ernest “Rip” Patton, Former SNCC Member & Freedom Rider, Patrick Dailey, Tennessee State University, Beverly Watts, Exec. Dir. TN Human Rights Commission (moderator)Thursday, March 26, 11:30am – 1:00pmLunch & Learn: Disenfranchisement, Voter Restoration, and a Path Towards Racial JusticeDawn Harrington, Executive Director Free Hearts; Charlane Oliver, Executive Director The Equity Alliance; Brandon Tucker, Policy Director ACLU of Tennessee, Charles K. Grant, Veteran Litigator Baker Donelson (moderator)Tuesday, April 14, 6:00pm * Walk in Love | Martha O’Bryan Center *Panel Discussion | Women in the Movement: Intergenerational Discussion on the Nashville Civil Rights MovementSpeakers: Gloria McKissack, Janeisha Harris, Rev. Dr. Teresa Smallwood, Vanderbilt Divinity School (moderator)Wednesday, April 22, 12:00pm to 1:00pmCommunity Rally - Voter Registration and Census DriveMetro Nashville Historic Courthouse | Public Square ParkSponsors and partners of this year’s Stand Against Racism include the Metro Human Relations Commission, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative.For more than 120 years, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has helped women, girls, and families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee build safer, more self-sufficient lives. YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Our programs include Domestic Violence Services, Girls Inc., AMEND Together, Dress for Success, and the Family Learning Center.  For more information and to register for the FREE series, visit http://www.ywcanashville.com/events/stand###