Juneteenth Free Your Mind Symposium Day 2

Day 2 of the 2025 Free Your Mind Lecture Series continues with a screening of Little Trumpet, directed by Megan Trufant Tillman and produced by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence on June 11, 2025 from 12-1:30pm. Little Trumpet is a short film set in Tillman's hometown of New Orleans and tells the story of a 9-year-old boy who dreams of playing the trumpet like his older brother. A conversation with Tillman and Matsuda-Lawrence will follow, moderated by the Carver Museum's Curatorial Fellow, Mueni Rudd.

The day continues with the artist talk for the Carver Museum's current group exhibition,Second Sight, from 6-7pm. Featuring artists Samara Barks, Hailey Gearo, Brian "Bydeeman" Joseph, Jonathan "Chaka" Mahone, and moderated by the Carver Museum's Associate Curator, Regine Malibiran, the artist talk will dive into the exhibit's themes of double consciousness in modern times, enduring forms of slavery, and catharsis.

The 2025 Free Your Mind Lecture Series concludes with Up to Us, a panel in collaboration with community builder Salihah Saadiq. Up to Us features Ishia Lynette, Executive Director of the Austin Justice Coalition, Dr. Kevin Foster, founder and Executive Director of PBS' Blackademics Television and African American Studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Ashley George, cybersecurity professional and adjust professor at the University of Washington. Moderated by the Director of the City of Austin's Office of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Lindsey Wilson, Up to Us will discuss the current state of DEI initiatives, how Black leaders in education, community organizing, and local government are resisting against the erasure of DEI work, and community strategies on how to navigate the current landscape. Enjoy a vendor market and grooves by DJ Kay Cali between events!

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