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The Spirit of the Black Men’s Gathering

Aug 13, 2020 | Art, Community, News + Announcements, Pupil of the Eye, Race Unity, Social Justice, Spirituality


As part of our ongoing Pupil of the Eye Art Series, Green Acre is pleased to share that we will be hosting a three-part online program with Dr. William (Billy) Roberts exploring The Spirit of the Black Men’s Gathering.

Session 1: The Purpose of the Black Men’s Gathering

Friday, August 14th | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Eastern Time

The first session will be a general presentation about the Black Men’s Gathering providing an overview of the purpose and influence of this groundbreaking initiative. It will include a panel presentation of Black Men’s Gathering participants who will share about the impact it had on their lives and Bahá’í communities, as well as discuss specific projects which grew out of their participation.

Moderating: Dr. William (Billy) Roberts, Clinical/Consulting Psychologist and Founder, Black Men’s Gathering
Panelists: Nasif Habeeb-ullah, Georgia; Alton Williams, New Jersey; Dennis Davis, Florida; and Dr. Shawheen James, North Carolina


Session 2: Art from the Black Men’s Gathering – A Tribute to Robert Hayden, Poet Laureate, Library of Congress

Saturday, August 15th | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern Time

Honoring Bahá’í poet Robert Hayden, this session will include contributions from writers Dr. Derik Smith and Patrick Patillo, musicians Roger Hogan and Oluyemi Thomas, and photographer Donald Camp.

Moderating: Dr. William (Billy) Roberts
Panelists: Patrick Patillo, poet and son-in-law to Robert Hayden
Dr. Derik Smith, Professor Claremont Colleges and author of Robert Hayden in Verse
Donald Camp, Guggenheim, Pew and National Endowment for the Arts award winning photographer
The recorded music of Oluyemi Thomas, American saxophonist and Roger Hogan, Jazz saxophonist


Session 3: Community Builders

Sunday, August 16th | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern Time

The final session will focus on “Community Builders” and will showcase initiatives that were an outgrowth of the Black Men’s Gathering.

Moderating: Dr. William (Billy) Roberts
Panelists: Teddy Lawrence, Entrepreneur/Educator and Juan Pacheco, Actor/Artist — “A Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative”
Kevin Andrews, Charter School Founder/Administrator and Academic Advocate
Jason Grammar, Dublin Diversity Inclusion Alliance — “Not by Chance: Implementation of the Oneness of Mankind in Dublin, CA”