September 23, 2020

Discussions focus on the importance of minority perspectives through both historical context and recent events

PORTSMOUTH – Great Bay Community College will host a series of hour-long community discussions about current events featuring a broad array of leaders from across the Seacoast.

The series, titled, “Perspectives on Community Colloquium,” began on Thursday, Sept. 17, with Judge Mark Howard, who discussed policing and justice in the context of the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, a representative from the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will talk about the impact on communities of uncovering hidden histories. In October, a member of the Cowasuck band of Penacook-Abenaki people will talk about Indigenous culture in New Hampshire today, as well as its history.

The moderated talks will be presented live on Zoom and available to anyone in the community free of charge. They will also be available for viewing later. The schedule is still being finalized, and details are available at https://www.greatbay.edu/perspectives-on-community-colloquium/.

Other speakers are Tanisha Johnson of the Exeter YMCA and founder of Seacoast chapter of Black Lives Matter, who will host a talk at 11:45 AM on Nov. 10th about the intersection of racism and activism. The final speaker in the series before the holiday break is Dr. Trinidad Tellez of the New Hampshire Office of Health Equity, who will talk about the disparities of healthcare access along racial and socioeconomic lines.

“Given all of the changes that have happened in terms of COVID and some of the social justice movements involving police brutality and Black Lives Matter and civil rights, we wanted to create an opportunity to hear from some of the voices that are not always well embedded in the standard curriculum,” said Dr. Aimee Huard, professor and chair of the Social Sciences Department at Great Bay.

She hopes to use the public platform of a community college to convene timely conversations about current events among people within and outside the college who are interested in hearing from speakers representing a range of perspectives.

To register for one of the events, visit https://www.greatbay.edu/perspectives-on-community-colloquium/. For more information, contact Dr. Aimee Huard, Professor and Chair of Social Sciences, Great Bay Community College at [email protected].