Following the riveting production of Dissonance on Monday, September 1 in the Barber Theatre by actor-playwrights Marci J. Duncan and Kerry Sandell, Davidson College’s Theatre Department and Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) are co-hosting a Community Conversation on “Talking about Race: What Makes It Possible and Productive?” on September 8 at 7 pm in the Barber Theatre’s lobby.
The play, which explores what happens when a Black woman and a White woman who have been friends for 20 years have their first open, honest conversation about race, provides a helpful backdrop for this conversation. You do not have to have seen the play, however, to participate in the conversation; we welcome all members of the Davidson community — students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members — who are able to join us for this in-person event.
This Community Conversation has been designed by DCI Senior Fellow Alyssa Henke ’26 as part of her DCI fellows deliberation project. If you register at the link below, we will send you a deliberation guide for the conversation that will outline the questions we’ll discuss during our hour together. Our hope is that this discussion will help us generate some insights and suggestions for future efforts to host conversations about race, whether at Davidson College or elsewhere.
Race is one of the most challenging topics to discuss with family, friends, colleagues, and our fellow citizens. And yet it is also one of the most important topics to engage with, given our many divides that relate to the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and efforts to advance racial equity and justice. We therefore hope you will join us for this important opportunity to discuss how best to have these conversations — Monday, Sept. 8 from 7 pm to 8 pm, in the Barber Theatre Lobby. We’ll have cookies, brownies, and some good conversation. Click the link below to register for the event.
