Northeast Delta Dental is excited and honored as we continue to sponsor and enjoy the 15th Annual Black New England Conference, a 2-day gathering put on by The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, an organization that was erected to promote awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today.
The 2021 Black New England Conference explored paths forward from legacies of racism to collective accountability and collective healing. Keynote speakers Berwick Mahdi Davenport, Dr. Robert Livingston, and Yvette Modestin and a wealth of presenters like Chief Wándé Abímbọ́lá and Davarian Baldwin examined the ongoing impacts of enslavement, mass incarceration, unethical medical experimentation, disenfranchisement, and the many harms still perpetrated against people of Black and African descent.
They also dug deep into the ways traditional spiritual and religious practices serve as sources of strength, hope, resilience, and healing for Black people in the centuries-long struggle for justice. “We have to consider a realignment of resources. Breaking (systems) down to build things up,” shared Davarian Baldwin, Alan Bean, and Kathleen Anderson during their moving panel discussion “A Check Uncashed: Past & Present Projects for Reparations.”
We, like other attendees, were encouraged to have tough conversations and to stand up in order to generate healing and “raise the vibration of inequities.” “We must remove the boundaries and borders that exist through truth and accountability … we need to reconnect with humanity,” expressed Modestin in her keynote address “Guided by the Whispers of the Ancestors.”
And not only that but we were able to join others from around New Hampshire to celebrate and give reverence to this history of resilience, versatility and courage, all of which will help us understand opportunities for growth as well as continue to serve our communities through oral healthcare and overall wellness.
Stay tuned for future programs from The Black Heritage Trail.
