No. 7: A River Connected: stories about river, race, home, and climate

12 Noon, Thursday, August 18, 2022

Graydon Swisher


Gathering and Welcome

Introduction: Who are you, where are you, and what is the river to you?

River—Race: Joe St. Columbia

Longtime resident of Helena, Arkansas, former city council member, and owner of Pasquales Tamales, Joe has a unique perspective on the history of race and race relations in Helena.

Q&A: How do you deal with generational racism in your community?

Race—Home: Sandy Hart

Founder and Director of the Veteran’s and Patriot’s Museum in Wickliffe, KY, Sandy is a complicated but genuine woman whose story needs to be heard.

Q&A: How can we listen to everyone’s story?

Home—Climate: Brenda Hymes

Mother, grandmother, and Justice of the Peace on her “end of the world” in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, Brenda is working to keep her children safe in spite of the impending environmental threat to her community.

Q&A: How are we protecting the next generation?

Son of the founder of Long Lake Conservation Center and president of the foundation helping to support its current operations, Bob is an activist at heart, working to bring all sides together for environmental education

Q&A: How do we come together?

click here to watch video

Well it was an intimate group today, but a great conversation! So many thanks to Graydon Swisher for joining me for today’s webisode. With Tom away at a work function, I had to steer the ship by myself, but I think we managed between Graydon and me to dive deep into some pretty complex stories about race relations and differences of opinion. As Graydon said, sometimes it boils down to opening your heart and working on loving each other better, no matter what neighborhood you live in or the color of your skin. Of course that may seem like an oversimplification of so much pain, trauma, and struggle that the world has created, but I do think it is part of the equation going forward. If we can listen and love, we could go a long way to stopping the hate and the violence in our lives. The hard part is learning how to put that into practice! I’m sure all those of you who missed out on today were out in the world doing just that. Keep moving with the River, and please…

Join us next month for A River Connected, Episode 8! Sign up here, and tune in on September 15th at Noon!


https://vimeo.com/740853774