2018 has been quite the year for black people.
We have somehow made through to December, having waded our way through the horrors of a Donald Trump presidency, his awful administration and blatantly racist, xenophobic and classist policies that have been put into place under his “watch.”
We have endured #PoolPatrolPaula, #PermitPatty, #BBQBecky, and a myriad of other white people who felt it was their duty to patrol, harass—and when all else failed, sic the police on black people.
We stormed through the 2018 midterm elections despite widespread voter suppression.
And now we face a new year with a new Congress, the same president, and the same demons we have to fight against.
So where do we go from here?
That is something the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) wants to address in their final tele-town hall of the year.
On Thursday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST, the NAACP will host #LivingWhileBlack, a tele-town hall that will allow an open dialogue about what we learned from this year’s elections, the shifting political climate, and what we need to do to continue to move the country forward in 2019.
Participating panelists will also discuss NAACP’s #LogOutFacebook protest that took place on Tuesday, as well as the racial tensions which lead to the many #LivingWhileBlack situations we have seen being discussed across social media.
Panelists on the town hall will be Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of NAACP; Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League; Adora Obi Nweze, president of the NAACP Florida State Conference and Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis branch of the NAACP.
Those who would like to phone in and participate are encouraged to RSVP here.
“From organizing historic turnout for voters of color to fighting back against problematic judicial nominations, we made incredible progress on the road to turning America into a country that is equal and just for all of its people,” Johnson said in a release about the event. “However, there is still much work ahead for us, and resistance remains high, we must use our collective power and voices to express our concerns and ensure our future stake in this country.”