The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
The John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation enters its 11th year of the National Symposium and, due to COVID-19, this year’s symposium will be presented in a virtual format. The theme for this year’s symposium, coincidentally keeping in line with current social challenges, is “Reconciliation & Technology: Neutral Resources for Social Good.”
This year’s technology focus has demanded that we take the neutral platform we are using and transform it as a megaphone of reconciliation collaboration. By convening global scholars and practitioners, the John Hope Franklin Center hopes to promote a dialogue among those who work to bridge societal divides.
This year’s symposium will feature over 30 local and national presenters. The keynote speaker is Samuel Sinyangwe. Mr. Sinyangwe is an activist, policy analyst, and data scientist who works with communities of color to fight systemic racism through cutting-edge policies and strategies. Sam is the co-founder of Mapping Police Violence, Campaign Zero and the Police Scorecard to advance data-driven solutions to end police violence in America. Previously, Sam worked at PolicyLink, where he worked to connect 61 federally-funded communities to research-based strategies to build cradle-to-career systems of support for low-income families. He also worked with city leaders, youth activists and community organizations to develop comprehensive agendas to achieve quality education, health, and justice for young black men.
The Symposium’s Opening Session begins on Wednesday, May 27 at 9:00am, featuring John W. Franklin, the son of John Hope Franklin and grandson of Buck Colbert Franklin. For more event details and to register for the 2020 National Symposium, visit John Hope Franklin National Symposium online at www.jhfnationalsymposium.org/.
