PROGRAM

From a pioneering Black feminist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, the new book Calling in is an urgent and exhilarating memoir-manifesto-handbook about how to rein in the excesses of cancel culture so we can truly communicate and solve problems together. Drawing from five remarkable decades of activism, Loretta Ross vividly illustrates why “calling people in” — inviting them into conversation instead of conflict by focusing on shared values over punishment — is a more strategic choice for making real change. The discussion will be lead by award-winning journalist, activist, and author Carol Jenkins.

Loretta J. Ross is a Professor at Smith College in the Program for the Study of Women and Gender where she teaches courses on white supremacy, human rights, and Calling In the Call Out culture. Loretta also is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellow, Class of 2022, for her work as an advocate of Reproductive Justice and Human Rights. Loretta was the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (2005-2012) and co-created the theory of Reproductive Justice. Loretta was National Co-Director of April 25, 2004, March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest march in U.S. history at that time. She founded the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) in Atlanta, Georgia,  launched the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women (NOW), and was the national program director of the National Black Women’s Health Project. One of the first African American women to direct a rape crisis center, Loretta was the third Executive Director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center.

Carol Jenkins is a journalist, activist, author, and the Co-Founder and Co-President of the nonprofit communications project The Invisible Americans Podcast. Carol is the co-author of the award-winning Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire, a biography of her uncle, the Birmingham, Alabama businessman. She is former President and CEO of the ERA Coalition/Fund for Women’s Equality, and was Founding President of The Women’s Media Center, created to counter the lack of participation and representation of women in media. A women’s rights activist, author and Emmy Award-winning former television journalist, Carol Jenkins hosts the three-time NY Emmy-nominated interview show, Black America, on CUNY TV, in its 7th season. She is also executive producer, writer and correspondent of its documentaries, including the PBS-aired More Than a Building, A Dream Come True, an award-winning film detailing the creation of the new African American Museum in Washington, DC and Conscience of America: Birmingham’s Fight for Civil Rights, a special on the Birmingham National Civil Rights Monument, which won a national Telly award in 2018 and was nominated in the Best Documentary category by the National Association of Black Journalists.