Rep. Justin Jones has joined the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) at the 5th annual Critical Race Theory Summer School: Freedom Summer 2024: No U-Turn on Racial Justice in Nashville, Tennessee at the historic Scarritt Bennett Center to take the fight for racial justice right into the center of reactionary backlash. By attending Critical Race Theory Summer School participants join a vibrant community of changemakers dedicated to advancing racial justice and equity both in-person and online around the world.
On Sunday, July 28th, Rep. Jones anchored the kickoff plenary, “Tip of the Spear: Tennessee on the Frontlines of the War on Woke”, in a conversation with Co-Founder and Executive Director of African American Policy Forum, Kimberlé Crenshaw; Nashville lunch counter sit-in organizer and Freedom Rider Bernard Lafayette; professor of African-American and Public History at Tennessee State University, Learotha Williams; and Adrianne Gott. This discussion was designed to foreground the work of local and state activists working on several overlapping struggles for equity. It sought to explain why Tennessee is the “Tip of the Spear” in the so-called “war on woke,” and why it’s so important to stake a claim for justice and equity in even the reddest of red states.
On Monday, July 29th, the School continued with the second plenary session, “Fight the Power: Using History to Find the Courage to Resist,” building on the insights of local activists. It was a conversation with Kimberlé Crenshaw; author Michael Eric Dyson; historian Nancy MacLean, and anti-racist author and educator Tim Wise
on how we can use the past to galvanize for the present fight ahead. This conversation celebrates the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer 1964 by highlighting the importance of historical memory in resisting the nationwide assault on racial justice. Audience members heard from activists from that historic period, who, despite the threat of deadly violence, found strength and inspiration in multiracial community and in the knowledge that emerged from their Freedom Schools.
On Wednesday, July 31st, you can. join AAPF for a banned books event featuring Rep. Justin Jones and Kimberlé Crenshaw at the Nashville Public Library: 615 Church St. Nashville, TN 37219. They will delve into the implications of banning books and its impact on communities, as well as highlight how to ensure diverse voices and perspectives remain accessible in education. There will also be a banned books giveaway during the event.
For more information, including registration details and a full schedule of events, visit the CRT Summer School website:
The African American Policy Forum (AAPF) is a social justice think tank that utilizes new ideas and innovative perspectives to transform public discourse and policy on race and social justice concerns. They bring together academics, policymakers, artists, politicians, activists, and stakeholders to promote frameworks and strategies that address a vision of racial justice that embraces the intersections of race, gender, class, and the array of barriers that serve to disempower those who are marginalized in society. They are dedicated to advancing and expanding racial justice, gender equality, and the indivisibility of all human rights. Visit www.aapf.org to learn more.
