The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will host a town hall titled, “The State of LGBTQ People of Color in America” on Tuesday, July 17 during their 109th annual convention which is being held in San Antonio from July 14 to 18 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
The town hall will be moderated by Shijuade Kadree, the senior director of public policy and advocacy at the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.
According to an announcement for the event, the town hall “will explore effective strategies for LGBTQ activism, representation in media, and the voting power of the LGBTQ community.” The panelists include:
- Marsha R. Bonner, diversity, inclusion and equality empowerment speaker and founder of the H.U.G.S. Movement
- Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr., president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity and Chair, DNC LGBT Caucus
- David J. Johns, executive director, National Black Justice Coalition
- Kierra Johnson, deputy executive director, National LGBTQ Task Force
- Rev. Irene Monroe, theologian and Huffington Post blogger
- Angelica Ross, actress & founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
- Amiyah Scott, social media influencer, model and actress
After the town hall, participants are invited to an LGBTQ networking reception, where they will hear from NAACP senior leadership about the current work centered around the LGBTQ community. Among those expected to attend the reception are Leon W. Russell, chairman of the board; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO; and Alice Huffman, chair of the NAACP’s National LGBTQ Task Force.
The NAACP’s five-day convention, whose theme is “Defeat Hate — Vote,” is expected to attract more than 8,000 activists, artists, entertainers, civil rights supporters and social justice leaders. Attendees will be able to attend legal education seminars, federal legislative and public policy workshops, youth workshops, and civic engagement workshops.
NAACP presents: The State of LGBTQ People of Color in America, an open forum town hall, July 17 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E Market St. Inaugural Networking Reception to follow from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hilton Palacio Del Rio, La Vista Ballroom. Convention “Day Pass” required for reception. Day Passes are $50 for adults and $25 for youth. Day Passes can be purchased at the Convention Center. For more information, check out the convention web site.
