Thank you for your interest in our forum on race and anti-racism! We at Copper and Cobalt have convened a panel of experts to discuss the nature of race and steps that can be taken at the individual and community level to be actively anti-racist. We want this to be an interactive process that can help inform all of us at our level. It should help each of us decide how we can be anti-racist today, tomorrow, and every day in the future. The views of the panelists only reflect their individual thoughts - not any prior or current organizational affiliation.

In order to participate we require that you register using the registration form, review the rules of the forum and sign off on your agreement to abide by those rules.

We have also provided a link on Being Anti-racist. The information is provided by the National Museum of African American History of the Smithsonian Museum and we urge you to review the content before and after our discussion. It provides a wealth of information including definitions of racism, being anti-racist at the individual and interpersonal level, and being an anti-racist at the institutional level (among so many other interesting and relevant topics).

If you have any questions feel free to email us at inquiries@copperandcobalt.org (especially if it is a question of a private nature) or comment below (especially if it is an FAQ or general question). We love to engage with our community and want to elevate the conversation.

Thank you again for setting aside the time to have this important discussion and review these materials. We so look forward to meeting with all of you. Below is the list of panelists that we have convened for this event.

-The C+C Team

LIST OF PANELISTS AND MODERATOR

Eric Barber-Mingo Esq. | An experienced local attorney and Westford resident who specializes in helping individuals and small businesses with their legal needs. Eric is the founder and sole practitioner at the Law Office of Eric R. Barber-Mingo (EBMLAW). He has been practicing for over 25 years, and focuses primarily on criminal defense and civil litigation.  He completed his Bachelors in Economics at Columbia University in 1990 and his J.D. at Harvard Law School in 1993.

Jenny Jun-lei Kravitz | A science curriculum coordinator for grades 6-12 of Westford Public Schools with decades of experience in education. Jennifer is additionally a well-renowned expert in diversity and inclusion. Her last appointment was to the Tufts University Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce. She graduated from Tufts University in 2003, and completed her MS Biological Sciences at University of Massachusetts, Lowell in 2011. Aside from her current professional role, she is currently studying Diversity and Inclusion Leadership at Tufts University.

Christine Mathai MD | A doctor with many years of experience in Philadelphia, PA and now working in Worcester, MA. Christine graduated from Westford Academy in 2008. She completed her BS in Biology at the College of New Jersey in 2012 and MD at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in 2015.

Kene Orakwue | A recent graduate of Westford Academy who is now a student at the UMass Amherst. Kene graduated from Westford Academy in 2017 and is now a prospective 2021 graduate of the BS Public Health Sciences program at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Edith Joachimpillai | An economist and consultant with an interest in catalyzing growth and development with a constant eye towards human equality. Edith formerly worked for the Brookings Institution as an economics researcher in the Global Economy and Development Program. She is now the Principal Managing Partner of Copper and Cobalt. She graduated from Westford Academy in 2008 and completed a BS Economics-Finance with minors in Mathematics and Mandarin at Bentley University in 2012.

Moderator: Karim Foda | An economist with a background in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. Karim grew up with an interest in economic growth and international linkages. He is currently an economist working in Washington DC, and was formerly at the Brookings Institution's Global Economy & Development program, and KPMG's Infrastructure Practice. He graduated with a BA in Economics at University of California, Davis in 2006 and an MA Economics at Duke University in 2007.

The moderator and panelists of this discussion are participating as private individuals in their own personal capacity. Their views do not represent any past or present organizational affiliation.