Dialogues on Resisting and Thriving

Launched in 2012, Dialogues on Resisting and Thriving is one of the Braxton Institute’s longest-standing and most beloved programs. What began as in-person gatherings has since evolved into a hybrid forum, blending online accessibility with the intimacy of community exchange.

At its heart, the series is a space of public discourse where leaders from the arts, law, education, spiritual, and religious communities come together to confront systemic oppression and to share pathways of resilience, healing, and creative transcendence.

Over the years, Dialogues have welcomed a wide range of powerful voices—including Nkechi Taifa, Mark Osler, Mélisande Short-Colomb, Dr. Warrenetta Mann, Richael Faithful, Dr. Derek McQueen, Dr. Jody Allen, Alice Marie Johnson, and others—each offering their own lens of courage and wisdom.

By fostering conversation across disciplines and traditions, Dialogues invites us not only to resist structures of harm but also to imagine and embody thriving futures.

REcent and Upcoming Dialogues on Resisting & Thriving

November 1 & December 6, 2026
Staged Readings for “Crossing a Deep River: An Original Drama in 3 Movements” with Community Talkback at Montpelier Arts Center. More information to come.

June 28, 2026
Lifting the Lakeland Legacy: Celebrating Resilience and Repair - Community gathering co-created with Lakeland Community Heritage Project, Lakeland Civic Association, First Baptist Church of College Park, and Embry AME Church.

June 27, 2026
Artist Talk for African Odyssey Exhibition Reception with Dr. Braxton and special guests at Montpelier.

June 23, 2026
Scholars Tour - “Reclaiming Our Space: The Story of Lakeland” and “The African Odyssey Exhibition.” Scholars from the Library of Congress tour two African American sites of memory to explore the role of research and repair in contributing to the unfolding meaning of our nation’s story.

May 18, 2026
Second Convening of Black-Eyed Susans for Reparations: a day of relationship-building, strategic coordination, and collective visioning as Maryland embarks on committed pathways towards reparations.

May 15, 2025
Reclaiming Our Space: The Story of Lakeland hosted in partnership with Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation and the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, this event celebrates the opening of this historic exhibit and centers the story of Lakeland from its founding and informs the public about the work of the College Park Restorative Justice Commission.

February 9, 2026
“Black-Eyed Susans for Reparations,” a new coalition of Maryland reparations advocates named for the vibrant and resilient state flower of Maryland, convened for the first time, focusing on the practical conditions necessary to sustain and advance reparations work across jurisdictions and disciplines.