Whatcom Racial Justice Forum

Bellingham Quakers Host Online Forum on Racial Justice (Rescheduled)

In light of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody and the massive protests and demonstrations sweeping the country and our local communities, Bellingham Quakers are hosting a communitywide forum to talk about how to nurture racial justice here. The forum will be online from 7-9 p.m. on July 1st.

The Whatcom Racial Justice Panel on Zoom invites a creative, collaborative discussion about policing reform, community priorities, and how to nurture racial justice in this historic moment. The link to join the forum is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89368508587 People are encouraged to join the call around 6:45 p.m. so the forum can start on time. It will be recorded and posted online afterwards, so anyone who misses the live event can watch it. The link for the recording will be posted at https://bellinghamfriends.org/ as soon as possible after the forum.

Panelists include County Executive Satpal Sidhu; Rosalinda Guillén of Community to Community, an organization that advocates for food security and immigrant rights; Bellingham Deputy Police Chief Flo Simon; Shirley Williams of Lummi Nation and Whiteswan Environmental; and Jonathan Randolph, Entrepreneur and professional singer. J. Lee Cook of Bellingham Friends Meeting (Quakers) will moderate the event, which will include an opportunity for audience members to make comments and ask questions after panel presentations and discussion.

Quakers believe that there is “a divine spark” within each person; we offer this idea as a starting point for communication and creative problem-solving. Deep listening allows understanding and acceptance of change. The goal of the forum is to enhance dialogue and promote peacemaking and fairness.

Racial justice is a very big topic. The current focus on law enforcement nationally is important, but there are many other considerations. The goal for the forum is for the community to meet this moment by looking closely at the emergent issues, and then moving beyond them to a vision for a better future.

For additional information contact Virginia Herrick, virginiafherrick@gmail.com, or Allen Stockbridge, 360-223-8346.