Athens Summer Black Summit Will Provide Platform For Local Voices

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The Athens Summer Black Summit will be held Thursday over Zoom in hopes of providing a gathering space and platform for issues pertaining to Black people in Athens.

“We had the first one a few months ago and had really good success,” Brandon Thompson, who helped organize the event, said. “It’s really just a time for people of color here in Athens to just come together and be seen, but also to meet other people who want to support them.” 

This summit will feature Tanica Jeffries from the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, who will discuss the need for a wider range of blood types in Black communities, especially for the treatment of sickle cell anemia. There will also be an informational session about forming an NAACP branch in Athens after many of the attendees at the first summit in February expressed interest in creating a chapter. 

Additionally, there will be discussions about concerns, issues and experiences in breakout rooms.

Summit participants will be updated on the progress on the Athens Green Book, a directory of Black-owned business and cultural establishments, and on the Mt. Zion Baptist Church preservation project. 

“We’re looking to people of all cultures, not just Black people,” Carolyn Lewis, another organizer of the event, said. “We need all cultures there to listen to what our needs and concerns are so they can become allies and help in the cause. That’s what happened in the marches over the years from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. up until now. So, we’re hoping that the conversation will continue … a continuation of a conversation with each other, and about the issues that face our community.”

Thompson said he hopes the summit can raise the voices of the attendees, especially young people. One day, he also hopes the summit will serve as an in-person gathering space for Black people in Athens.

“There aren’t any spaces here in town, physical spaces, for people just to go and be seen,” Thompson said. “A lot of people don’t think about that. White people, everywhere they go, that is for them. … It’s not that the spaces in Athens aren’t welcoming … but you know, there’s a different thing when it’s made for you.”

Thompson hopes that the event can foster a curiosity and care for all people in the community.

“Continue to be curious about other people,” Thompson said. “I think that’s something I really hope people do. Whether they’re at this Black summit or just out in life, just be curious about what people are going through, because that’s what motivates you into doing something to support them. But if you’re not thinking about them, you can’t be aware of what they’re doing, and if you’re not aware of what they’re doing, you can’t support them because you don’t know what’s going on.”

The Athens Black Summer Summit will be held via Zoom Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and can be accessed here.