As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to reflect on the stories, struggles, and ideals that have shaped our nation. Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for a community conversation about the history of America’s founding, the voices that have too often been left out of that story, and the work of building a more just future.
This gathering invites neighbors into conversation, reflection, and community connection in a welcoming space where dialogue can spark understanding and action. Together, we’ll explore what America250 means, how the past continues to shape the present, and what responsibilities we share as we imagine the next chapter of our collective story.
Come be in community, engage with others, and help turn conversation into action.
About Derek Hall
Derek Hall (he/him/his) is a dynamic anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging beliefs and institutional culture rooted in systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Derek has worked in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field for more than ten years, partnering with public and private school systems, for-profit and nonprofit organizations locally and nationally. His passion for decolonized education, human connection, and implementing racial equity strategies has led him to speak to audiences of more than 500 people and facilitate groups as small as 5 to 15. As a Racial Equity Consultant and Coach, Derek believes that “changed people change systems,” and he uses facilitation, storytelling, and community building to deepen the racial and social consciousness of individuals and organizations.
About the Subject Experts
We are delighted to feature Connecticut-area historians, educators, artists, faith leaders, and community advocates as subject experts for this conversation on America250.
Joe Young
Joe Young is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, award-winning cartoonist, producer, writer, and teaching artist with more than 35 years of experience in media, education, and community engagement. He is the creator of the nationally recognized KEMET comic property and President of Joe Young Entertainment, LLC, producing original content for television, film, and streaming platforms including Amazon Prime and Tubi. Young is also the President and Co-Founder of Hartford’s Got Talent and leads CAN DO, Inc., organizations dedicated to empowering youth through arts, entrepreneurship, and creative education programs. His work and leadership have been recognized nationally through multiple awards, media features, a Guinness World Record, and a statewide proclamation honoring his contributions to arts and youth development.
Dr. Dexter Gabriel
Dr. Dexter Gabriel is a professor of History at the University of Connecticut. He earned his B.A. in history from Texas State University-San Marcos, an M.A. in history also from Texas State University-San Marcos, and his Ph.D. in history from Stony Brook University-New York. His research interests include the histories of slavery, resistance, and freedom in the Black Atlantic, as well as interdisciplinary approaches to slavery within popular culture and media. He teaches courses on the UCONN campus ranging from African American History to 1865, Comparative Slavery in the Americas, and Slavery in Film—to name a few. His most recent published book, Jubilee’s Experiment: The British West Indies and American Abolitionism, explores British Emancipation in the Anglo-Caribbean and its impact on abolitionist strategies in the nineteenth-century United States.
Chamar Latanja
Chamar Latanja is a community organizer, mentor, and advocate focused on civic engagement, education equity, wellness-centered leadership, and grassroots empowerment. Her work includes organizing around mental health access, school advocacy, police accountability, and community leadership development. Through public speaking, mentorship, and community organizing, she helps people build the confidence, strategy, and support needed to create meaningful change.
Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr.
The Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the Organizing Pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ, Hartford, CT, former Associate College Chaplain, and currently Assistant Dean of Students and Coordinator of Community Standards, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, and one of the leaders of Moral Monday CT. For 15 years, he served as Executive Director of Zezzo House (an 18-unit housing project) in Hartford, CT.
Cherell Banks
Cherell Banks is a Hartford-based community organizer, youth engagement facilitator, and founder of Taking Care of Business Foundation. Her work focuses on youth leadership development, community engagement, violence prevention, and strengthening connections between residents, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Banks has facilitated civic engagement and prevention-focused initiatives with youth and families throughout Hartford and contributes to community conversations centered on public safety, wellness, and belonging. She is committed to helping communities build positive pathways that empower young people and strengthen neighborhood leadership.
Katherine A. Hermes
Katherine A. Hermes is professor emerita of history at CCSU. She received her Ph.D. in history from Yale University and J.D. from Duke University’s School of Law. She became the publisher and editor of Connecticut Explored in 2022. Her teaching and scholarship focused on the colonial Atlantic World, Anglo-American legal history, Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands, and the American Revolution.
