Courageous Conversations COVID-19 Vaccine: You Decide

Courageous Conversations is a bold new 5-part ZOOM talk show series for straight talk about the COVID-19 vaccine. This program is free of charge and produced by Bethany (B.Lyte) Montgomery’s Power 2 The Poetry in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

• Each Conversation will be a 60-minute discussion with Q&A on vaccine-related topics, such as safety measures, current information, questions, vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 prevention, education, and recovery.
• While all are welcome, we especially want to create a space where people in our Black communities can ask questions, express concerns, and receive timely, accurate, and helpful information about the vaccines.
• We will bring in trusted leaders and members of our Black communities as our special guests, such as doctors, nurses, advocates, experts, and others.
• We’re also featuring visual artists and performers to showcase diverse local voices and perspectives on how it feels and what it means to live through this pandemic.
• We’ll be hosting a “My Pandemic Story” contest with prizes to encourage kids, youth, and adults to share their experiences through spoken word, music, visual art, dance, and/or other forms of expression. The winners and runners-up for the Kids, Youth, and Adult categories will be featured in our fifth and final Conversation.

We seek to support sharing our perspectives and knowledge. This way, we can support and empower people in our communities to make the decision they feel is best for themselves and their loved ones.

The series runs weekly on Zoom Tuesday evenings 7pm-8pm from June 29-July 27. It’s free of charge and produced by Power 2 the Poetry in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

Conversation #1 Doctors in the Field: COVID-19 Vaccine Success Stories

Our first Conversation launches on Tuesday, June 29th from 7-8pm on Zoom, and is titled Doctors in the Field: COVID-19 Vaccine Success Stories. Tacoma rapper Brandon Marsalis is our featured musical guest and we’ll have leading doctors from our area sharing their amazing stories and answering your questions.

• Dr. Ann Jarris, MD, MBA, FACEP, Maritime and Remote Medicine Specialist with Discovery Health MD.
• Shaquita L. Bell, MD, Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic.
• Rayburn Lewis, MD, Physician and Healthcare Executive Consultant.

Reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/covid-19-vaccine-success-stories. 

Conversation #2 Caring for Ourselves & Our Communities: How We Can Prepare for the Next Crisis

Our second Conversation is on Tuesday, July 6th from 7-8pm on Zoom, and is titled Caring for Ourselves and Our Communities: How We Can Prepare for the Next Crisis.  We’ll be featuring music from Bry444n, Conscious Creator, and a discussion led by community advocates:

• Tamar Jackson, Director of Community Engagement at Workforce Central.
• Shellie Willis, U.S. Army Veteran, Senior Director of Workforce Systems Alignment at Workforce Central.
• Josh Jordan, Administrative Consultant, Aspiring Decent Human, Life Student, Detail Addict.

Reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/COVID-19-caring-communities 

Speakers and Panelists Wanted!

We’re also still looking to fill spots for our third and fourth Conversations. If you or someone you know is a leader, expert, and or advocate in local communities of color and has something to share about COVID-19 and the vaccines, please email me at B.Lyte@Power2thePoetry.com. 

Conversation #3 Black Experts Answer Your COVID Questions: Ask Experts & Leaders Anything in This Live Q&A

Tuesday July 13, 2021 | 7-8pm on Zoom

Conversation #4 How to Talk with Vaccine-Shy Loved Ones: What Gets Some People to Change Their Minds?

Tuesday July 20, 2021 | 7-8pm on Zoom

And Don’t Miss Stories, Art, and Performances from Our Contest Winners…

Conversation #5 My Pandemic Story: Our Contest Winners Share Their Powerful Stories

Tuesday July 27, 2021 | 7-8pm on Zoom