2020-2021 Presidential Dialogue Series
Building Racial Justice Through Health
Travis A. Gayles, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Public Health Services and Health Officer for Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services
Online Event: Thursday, January 28, 1 p.m.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn renewed attention to health disparities in our nation. While African Americans are only 30 percent of the population of Maryland, they make up 50 percent of COVID fatalities. Vulnerability to infectious diseases often correlates with social variables such as income inequality, access to affordable health care, housing, and transportation. Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles discusses with Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard the community’s response to the pandemic, delivering urgent messages to the community about transmission, treatment and vaccination.
Dr. Gayles’ public health expertise lies at the nexus of infectious and non-communicable disease and the social and biomedical factors that impact health outcomes. A clinically trained pediatrician, he currently serves as the Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services for Montgomery County, Maryland. He previously served as the Chief Medical Officer for the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Administration, and Division Chief for STD-TB Control for the District of Columbia Department of Health. Dr. Gayles provided oversight and clinical expertise for all aspects of the care and treatment continuums for each of these disease groups. In his educational journey, he earned a B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, Ph.D. in Community Health and M.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He completed his post-doctoral training in epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute. In addition to his clinical and research efforts, Dr. Gayles is a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Maryland, and New York University Wagner School of Public Service.
This event will be livestreamed. Viewers are asked to submit their questions by Monday, January 25th toPresidentialDialogue@montgomerycollege.edu．
About Our Series
今年的总统对话系列将讨论如何在多元文化社会中建立种族正义的问题。最近针对警察暴力的全国性抗议活动的强度令一些城市感到意外。然而，在马里兰州的蒙哥马利县，关于公平和包容的激烈对话已经持续多年。但是，我们如何超越抗议的激情，去改变法律、政策和文化纽带，这些都深深加深了不平等?我们如何拆解那些使一些人受益而使另一些人受损的特权力量?在这些抗议活动之后，出现了几个问题，这些问题构成了种族正义的更大图景:选民压制、健康差距、食物沙漠、世代财富积累、警务实践和教育机会等。COVID-19的现实加剧了现有的不平等，我们的国家开始了一场迟到的关于种族和正义的对话。世界杯摩洛哥vs克罗地亚欧赔蒙哥马利学院将在总统对话系列中举办自己的反思空间。当我们深入研究种族在人们生活中的作用机制时——无论是制度上的还是个人的——我们将在创造种族公正的斗争中寻找解决方案和新的合作伙伴。The Presidential Dialogue series is sponsored by Bethesda Beat.
Past Speakers and Conversations
Congressman David Trone and Jeffery Robinson
Building Racial Justice Through Law
线上活动:12月3日，周四，下午2点
Racial inequities in criminal prosecution and sentencing have drawn increasing scrutiny in the US. Two guests with special expertise in this area will engage us in dialogue: Congressman David Trone representing the six district of Maryland and Jeffery Robinson, deputy legal director and the director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Trone Center for Justice and Equality.These guests bring legal acumen, political and trial experience,and a deep commitment to reforming criminal justice and building equity in all legal processes.
Congressman David Trone
Rep. David Trone is an outspoken proponent of equal justice, championing legislation to invest in programs to reduce jail populations, reform pretrial justice systems, and ban the box on employment applications. He has also advocated for Pell grants for incarcerated individuals. For more than two decades, he has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to expand voting rights for justice-impacted individuals and create job opportunities for those with criminal records. Rep. Trone was first elected to Congress in 2018 and is now in his second term serving the sixth district of Maryland.
Jeffery Robinson
A graduate of Harvard Law School,JefferyRobinson’s almost four decades of work as a public defender and private practitioner have required him to navigate race, inclusion, and access in criminal and civil trials. His clients have included some of our society’s most vulnerable people, including a defendant at Guantánamo Bay, and led him to speak and write widely about equity and justice. Mr. Robinson’s work at the ACLU allows him to engage in national discourse around issues that challenge basic assumption around due process and equal protection. He is currently at work on a documentary chronicling racism in the US.
Marcus Jones
Building Racial Justice Through Policing
Montgomery County Chief of Police
Online Event: Wednesday, October 21, 7 p.m.
The last six months have been marked by heightened tensions between law enforcement and civilians. The deaths of George Floyd and several other civilians killed by police have drawn nationwide attention to use-of-force policies and the racial disparities revealed in these encounters. Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones joined the Presidential Dialogue Series on October 21 at 7 p.m. to discuss these issues, the value of diversity in law enforcement, and the productive role of community policing. He discussed the role of race in police encounters and the disciplinary processes that exist for officers within the department. Chief Jones’ 35 years of service have included leadership in investigations, major crimes, drug enforcement, and the creation of diversity training. He is a former national chairman of the National Black Police Association and served on the board of the Montgomery County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. As a current member of the Maryland Violence Intervention and Prevention Advisory Council, Chief Jones brings extraordinary depth and experience to this timely dialogue.
Through the Lens of Difference: Re-Narrating the Nation
Breakfast at 9 a.m., Program at 9:30 a.m.
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Cultural Arts Center (CU)
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the legal right to vote in 1920. The fight pitted women’s groups against one another; clashed with powerful political dynasties that sought their own survival over women’s full citizenship; and intersected with painful racial legacies that denied women of color full citizenship.
Elaine Weissis a Baltimore-based journalist, whose new book,The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, has won critical acclaim from theNew York Times,Wall Street Journal, andThe New Yorker．史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格的安培林制作公司已经选择改编这本书。Ms. Weiss’ magazine feature writing has been recognized with prizes from the Society of Professional Journalists, and her by-line has appeared inThe Atlantic,Harper’s,New York Times,Boston Globe,Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as reports and documentaries for National Public Radio and Voice of America. She has been a frequent correspondent for theChristian Science Monitor．Her first book,Fruits of Victory: The Woman’s Land Army in the Great Warwas excerpted inSmithsonian Magazineonline and featured on C-Span and public radio stations nationwide.
Free copies ofThe Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Votewill be available to the first 150 students who attend.
Elsa Barkley Brownis an associate professor of history and women’s studies and affiliate faculty in African American studies and American studies at the University of Maryland. Her expertise is in African American political culture, with an emphasis on gender. Dr. Barkley Brown is the author of pivotal articles in African American, cultural, urban, and southern women's history. An expert on the history of the black community of Richmond, Virginia, she is the coeditor ofBlack Women in America: An Historical EncyclopediaandMajor Problems in African-American History．她目前的研究和教学兴趣包括文化史和艺术，以及妇女在民权运动中的纪实史。
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Reception at 6:30 p.m., Program at 7 p.m.
Rockville Campus, Science Center West (SW 301)
An award-winning professor, Dr. Neil Nakadate is a passionate scholar who joins history and culture with extraordinary insight. Professor Nakadate taught English and American literature for 40 years at Iowa State University, where he inspired a love of multicultural literature in many students—including MC President DeRionne Pollard. A popular professor to many, he also received the Iowa State University Foundation Award for Career Achievement in Teaching and served as president of the board of directors of Humanities Iowa. Dr. Nakadate has authored and edited several books, his most recent,Looking After Minidoka: An American Memoir, blends stories of his family with the history of three generations of Japanese Americans. As the US grapples with contemporary issues around nationalism, identity, and immigration, Dr. Nakadate’s book is a powerful lens through which to explore the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Dr. Nakadate’s writing has appeared in various publications, including Aethlon, Cottonwood, ISLE, and Annals of Internal Medicine. He has edited two books on Robert Penn Warren, co-authored two books on rhetoric and writing, and has written a critical study of novelist Jane Smiley. Dr. Nakadate holds the distinguished title of University Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University, reflecting his critical contributions to the institution.
150 free copies of Dr. Nakadate's book,Looking After Minidoka: An American Memoir,will be given to students who attend.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Reception at 6:30 p.m., Program at 7 p.m.
Germantown Campus, High Technology and Science Center - Globe Hall (HT)
Freeman A. Hrabowski III is a prominent advocate for racial equity in higher education, with a special emphasis on minority participation and performance. As the president of UMBC since 1992 he has received some of the nation’s highest accolades in higher ed leadership and advised the National Academies, NIH, and the National Science Foundation on building the pipeline of strong STEM students. Dr. Hrabowski was appointed by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by more than 30 institutions and co-founded the Meyerhoff Scholars Program with philanthropist Robert Meyerhoff in 1988. The program is open to all high-achieving students committed to pursuing advanced degrees and research careers in science and engineering, and advancing underrepresented minorities in these fields. Dr. Hrabowski was also a child-leader in the civil rights movement, and has been an advocate for racial justice on several fronts. His most recent book,Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering Youth from the Civil Rights Crusade to STEM Achievement, describes the experiences that most critically shaped his character as an educator and leader.
The Politics of Radical Inclusion
Critical conversations about equity, democracy, and social justice
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
下午7点接待，7点半节目
Rockville Campus, Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center (PA)
Isiah Leggett has been a force for radical inclusion in Montgomery County for several decades, advocating tirelessly for education and equity, as well as human rights. In addition to his 12 years as the Montgomery County Executive, Leggett also served on the County Council, as a White House Fellow, a law professor at Howard University, and the Chair of the Human Rights Commission. Public service has been a hallmark of his professional life, for which he has been recognized with more than 400 awards. He served in the Vietnam War and has taken on roles in countless local and national boards, where his experience has helped affect positive change through the work of non-profits. A cornerstone of his leadership has been dignity and respect for all people, which he has advanced through strategic policy decisions. He has been an outspoken supporter of Montgomery College’s mission, joining his spouse, Catherine to lend their names to a Legacy campaign that has raise more than $1.7 million for scholarships. The math and science center underway on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus will bear their names as well.
A free copy of Doris Kearns Goodwin's book,Leadership: In Turbulent Times，将提供给活动的前150名学生。
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., Program at 9 a.m.
Rockville Campus, Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center (PA)
As the US Secretary of Education under President Obama, Arne Duncan visited schools in all 50 states to promote public investment in education, recruit new teachers, and increase college enrollment through larger Pell grants. His tenure as secretary followed seven years as the chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools, during which applications for teaching positions tripled and 100 new schools were opened. Duncan is currently the managing partner at Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity for youth. The Collective’s work centers on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives. Through partnerships with local business leaders, community organizers, and nonprofit groups, it seeks to create inclusive communities for disconnected youth. Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in sociology. He was also co-captain of Harvard’s basketball team. A free copy of Duncan's book,How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success from One of the Nation's Longest-serving Secretaries of Education, will be provided to the first 50 students at the event.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Reception at 6:15 p.m., Program at 7 p.m.
Rockville Campus, SW 301
Neera Tanden is President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, the largest progressive think tank in the United States. Before joining CAP, she worked as a key member of the health reform team of former President Barack Obama, where she helped to develop and pass the Affordable Care Act. She also managed all domestic policy initiatives during Obama’s first presidential campaign and has served in several leadership roles for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She has written extensively on policy issues for theThe New Republic他经常以政治评论员的身份出现在电视上。坦登在CAP致力于建立一个包括所有美国人并扩大机会的国内议程。CAP关注中学后教育的可及性以及高质量的K-12教育，体现了对包容的关注。该中心还积极开展有关种族和民族、性别和性行为及其对全国平等的影响的对话。本中心密切关注这些问题在政治思想和行动上的演变，并鼓励就这些问题进行公开、公开的对话。
Thursday, October 18, 2018, 7 p.m.
CAC Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
New York Timesbestselling author Dave Zirin is the sports editor forThe Nation杂志。他写了十本关于体育政治的书。He is also the co-host of the radio showThe Collisionwith Etan Thomas and hosts the Edge of Sports Podcast. His most recent book,Things That Make White People Uncomfortable与NFL球员迈克尔·班尼特合作，探讨职业体育和美国社区中的种族和政治问题。贝内特曾拒绝在足球比赛奏国歌时起立，他利用自己的才华和声望来吸引人们对警察暴力问题的关注，加入了致力于建立公共问责制的活动人士的行列。齐林和贝内特雄辩地阐述了美国种族和阶级的复杂性，以及采取戏剧性行动挑战不平等的必要性。
A free copy of Zirin's book,Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, will be provided to the first 100 students at the event.