Members of Lewiston High School’s 21st Century Leaders program work on their mural “Women of Color and Leadership,” which they will unveil at the event.

The YWCA of Central ME will host its sixth annual Stand Against Racism on Sunday, April 30 from noon to 4 p.m. This year’s event will be a day of education, dialogue, and art around the theme “Women of Color Leading Change.” The Lewiston-Auburn community is invited to join in celebrating and learning from the leadership of women of color students and activists and connecting with larger movements for racial justice in Maine.

Stand Against Racism will feature a keynote address from Portland activist Hamdia Ahmed. Lewiston High School students from the 21st Century Leadership program will unveil their mural on “Women of Color and Leadership,” created for Stand Against Racism 2017. The event will also offer small group workshops that will provide opportunities to explore challenging and inspiring topics. These will include: “The Connections Between Us: Women of Color Solidarity Workshop (for women and girls of color only), led by Magnifique Butoto of the Maine People’s Alliance and Samaa Aburraqib of For Us, By Us; “Implicit and Explicit Bias, Justice, and the New Jim Crow,” led by the Lewiston High School Civil Rights Team; “White Folk’s Role in Anti-Racism,” led by Central Maine Showing Up for Racial Justice; “Organizing Against Racism,” led by Community Organizer Victoria Rodriguez of the Maine Women’s Lobby; “Unpack, Rewire, and Learn,” led by Community Inclusion facilitator Margaret Brownlee of the University of Southern Maine; and “Intersections of Racial and Healthcare Justice,” led by the Southern Maine Worker’s Center

Stand Against Racism 2017 is supported through grants from the Bates College Harward Center for Community Partnerships and the Maine Women’s Fund SWIFT Social Justice grants program. The event is free and open to the public; childcare will be provided. The YWCA is located at 130 East Avenue in Lewiston. For more information, to get involved, or to RSVP for childcare, email Natalie at nbornstein@ywcamaine.org.