LIT Conversations
Our conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
April 9, 2024 | 6-9 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
If you were unable to join us on April 9th, you can view the film on Kanopy.com with your library card. Find resources for discussion, further learning, and more at the Traces of the Trade website and on this resource list prepared by Dain and Constance Perry.
A SPECIAL SCREENING OF: Traces of the Trade: a Story From the Deep North
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. For this community conversation, we will view the film Traces of the Trade and engage discussion with Dain and Constance Perry.
A documentary film that unearths a hidden legacy of slavery in America, Traces of the Trade: A Story From The Deep North, traces a journey by Katrina Browne, the filmmaker, and nine of her cousins into the dark past of the slave trade which enriched their white New England family. Dain Perry, one of the nine cousins, and his wife, Constance, screen the film and facilitate a conversation on race, reconciliation and healing.
A Voyage of Realization and Reconciliation
"A documentary film that unearths a hidden legacy of slavery in America., Traces of the Trade: A Story From The Deep North was one of the few documentaries chosen from 953 submissions to be shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2008. It traces a journey by Katrina Browne, the filmmaker, and nine of her cousins into the dark past of the slave trade which enriched their white New England family.
Dain Perry, one of the nine cousins, and his wife, Constance, screen the film and facilitate a conversation on race, reconciliation and healing. Traces of the Trade is both a geographical and psychological retracing of the industry of the largest slave traders in American history, the DeWolf family of Bristol, Rhode Island, and an exploration into racism in America, a legacy of slavery that continues to negatively impact the country even today.
For generations the family’s past has been hidden from view, but a group of descendants decided to retrace the Triangle Trade, from Bristol, Rhode Island, to Ghana, where they visited centuries old slave forts and dungeons and talked with African-Americans on their own homecoming pilgrimage, to the ruins of a family-owned sugar cane plantation in Cuba. Each encounter on their journey leaves family members shaken with new insights. Along the way many myths are debunked and new questions pondered. A primary debunked myth is that the North was the center of the abolition movement and had little to do with slavery. The fact is that the North was the center of the US slave trade, and the ownership of slaves in the north was not only common., but it lasted for over two hundred years.
The film was shown on the PBS series Point of View (POV) in 2008, won the Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film in 2009, and in July 2009 was nominated for an Emmy Award for historical research.
It was greeted with excellent reviews. Variety called it “a courageous scab-ripper of a tale.” The Black Notes blog of the Providence Black Repertory Company praised the “complicated moral circumstances” and concluded, “it is a must-see.” Sundance’s Geoffrey Gilmore said the film “makes a potent statement about privilege and responsibility.” In a review Kirk Honeywell, of the Hollywood Reporter, said, the “clear-headed film represents an intense and searing call for national dialogue.”
Dain and his wife Constance are experienced facilitators who will help audience members discuss the lessons of the film. They have conducted over 500 screenings, facilitated conversations in over 200 cities and towns across the country, and overseas in Ghana and Australia. One family member said the most surprising question was whether Constance Perry, who is a descendant of enslaved people, knew about Dain’s family history before she married him. The answer: yes. Now she and her husband travel across the country as a team to screen the film and encourage group discussion of the legacy of slavery. "
“By creating an atmosphere of safety and openness, the Perry’s cut through the fears (of judgment, of giving offense, of being misunderstood) that often inhibit discussions of race.
“Dain and Constance brought the discourse to a gut level, while at the same time affirming everyone’s reactions as perfectly and equally valid.”
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
December 13, 2023 | 6:30-7:30 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
EVERYONE, ALWAYS, ANYTIME: Scituate Community Christmas
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust.
Our conversation will focus on the mission of Scituate Community Christmas and its year-round work to supporting families and individuals during times of hardship. We will be joined by Cara Esch, Managing Director of Scituate Community Christmas.
This community conversation will be held in person on December 13th from 6:30p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Scituate Town Library.
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
October, 11 2023 | 6:30-7:30 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
A SENSE OF BELONGING
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. The topic of this conversation is belonging and its relationship to community. What does it mean to “belong?” What makes people feel a sense of belonging? How do we come together as a community after tragic or upsetting events? What do we do well and what can we do better?
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
April 4, 2023 | 6 - 7:30 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
OUR SISTER CITIES
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. Our final conversation of the year will focus on an introduction to the Town's Sister City Committees. Learn all about how Scituate is seeking to expand the cultural landscape of our town and making important international connections with towns in France, Ireland, and Cape Verde. How do these connections enrich our community? What role do Sister City Committees currently play, and how can we support them in their work? Visit our website to learn about our existing Sister Cities, how Sister City programs began, and a little information from our databases about the countries we currently partner with.
This community conversation will be held in person on April 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Scituate Town Library.
Our conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
For optional reading in advance, you may find these items useful:
Sister Cities International
Cork Sister City
Sucy-en-Brie Sister City
Santa Catarina do Fogo Sister City
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
February 7, 2023 | 6 - 7:30 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
FOOD INSECURITY
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. Our next conversation will explore the topic of food insecurity in our community and we will be joined by Jim Pollard, Director of Outreach at the Scituate Food Pantry. You will find resources available on this topic at the Scituate Town Library website (www.bit.ly/LITScituate).
This community conversation will be held in person on February 7th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Scituate Town Library.
Our conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
For optional reading in advance, you may find these items useful:
Press release Greater Boston Food Bank Releases Second Annual Report on Food Insecurity, Equity and Access in Massachusetts
Report by GBFB Opportunities to Improve Food Equity & Access
Poetry x Hunger Project Poets Speak Back to Hunger
To learn more about how to access or donate to the Scituate Food Pantry, please visit their website.
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
October 18, 2022 | 6 - 7:30 PM | Scituate Town Library Community Room
THE PANDEMIC: NOW WHAT?
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. This is the first in a series of conversations that will take place between October and April on a variety of topics. Our first conversation will explore the pandemic and its effects on our sense of community: what lessons have we learned? What's the path forward? Is the pandemic truly over? This community conversation will be held in person on October 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Scituate Town Library's Community Room.
For optional reading in advance of the conversation, we offer this piece by Tommy Orange. You can access this short story, printed in the New York Times, from home with your library card. Instructions for reading the Times from home can be found here.
Our conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
The Scituate Town Library and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation.
MAY 3, 2022
THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP
The Scituate Town Library and Scituate Together for Representation, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (STRIDE), invite you to a LIT Conversation, featuring Jamele Adams as facilitator. LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. We'll watch a short explainer video produced by Netflix and Vox Media about the racial wealth gap. After viewing, we'll have a conversation on how we can work toward solving inequities and injustices. This community conversation will be held in person on May 3rd from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Scituate Town Library.
Our conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
Suggested further learning resources:
Books:
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
Through a Trail of Tears: a Black Family's Story of Generational Wealth by Gloria Petgrave Scoggins
Interview:
Interview between Richard Rothstein and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Documentary on Kanopy (access with your library card):
Angelini, G. (Director). (2019). Owned: A Tale of Two Americas [Video file]. Gravitas Ventures. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from Kanopy.
The Scituate Town Library, Scituate Public Schools' LITPAG, and STRIDE invite you to a LIT Conversation!
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
LIT means Love, Inclusion, and Trust. Please read Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in advance of the community conversation. We'll talk about King's messages and how they resonate today, what's changed and what hasn't, and how we can work toward solving inequities and injustices. See below for additional resources.
Sign up here to join the conversation! You'll note that there the registration form asks you to read and agree to conversation norms. The conversation agreement is as follows:
-Be curious and listen actively to understand how others' experiences have shaped their perspectives.
-Show respect by suspending judgment; setting aside judgment opens you up to learning from others.
-Note common ground as well as differences. Seek to understand, rather than to persuade. Question your own assumptions and look for new insights.
-Be your authentic self; speak from your own experiences and with sincerity.
-Be purposeful and concise, so that others have time to share.
-Be conscious of your use of body language and nonverbal responses.
Suggested further learning resources:
Supplemental works:
"While jailed, King wrote notes in the margins of the Birmingham News, reaching out to most of the eight white clergymen. Those notes, passed through a jail trusty and then to King’s lawyers, were transcribed by a secretary and compiled into a letter that would then be sent out to seven of the eight clergymen." The news article about the digitized copy of the letter can be found here.
A reading of Letter from Birmingham Jail has been produced by the Kirwan Institute and can be found here.
A summary of the key points of Letter from Birmingham Jail by the King Institute at Stanford can be found here.
Documentaries from Kanopy (access with your library card number):
Williams, L. Gladsjo, L. Streeter, S. McMahon, T. (Director). (2016). Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise [Video file]. PBS.
Richards, H. (Director). (1963). Freedom March [Video file]. Estuary Press.
In Remembrance of Martin [Video file]. PBS.
Nelson, S. (Director). (2014). Freedom Summer [Video file]. PBS.
Articles:
White Allies: Your Anger Belongs in the Streets, Not at Home, by Dr. David Campt
King's Message of Nonviolence Has Been Distorted
Books:
April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How it Changed America by Dyson, Michael Eric
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
Questions to get you thinking, but please bring your own!
King expresses disappointment with the white moderate. Why is that the case? Is this still a problem?
How do we, as a society, define an unjust law, and what kinds of strategies and tactics have proven most effective in changing such laws? If we are able to abolish legal injustice will it necessarily result in social justice?
What does the quote "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" mean to you today? Does it mean the same thing it did when King wrote it?
For questions about the program or registration, please contact Jessi Finnie, Library Director or Jamele Adams, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Scituate Public Schools.