We need to talk. We need each other. We need community.
Conversation Focus: Climate Change
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for an open forum centered on current news and the issues shaping our lives right now. These gatherings invite neighbors into conversation, reflection, and community connection in a welcoming space where dialogue can spark understanding and action.
Rather than focusing on a single predetermined topic, this forum makes room for what people most want and need to talk about. Contemporary issues will remain at the heart of the conversation, with space for participants to bring their questions, concerns, and perspectives.
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.
Event Historian: Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo has a Ph.D. in Geography from Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Planning, a Masters in Economics from New York University, and has over a decade of experience working in finance and economic development in London and New York City. She spent three years as a Fellow of the National Science Foundation in an Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Research and Training (IGERT) Program in Urban Ecology and has Ph.D. minors in Planning and Urban Ecology. Dr. Atkinson-Palombo is a strong advocate of integrating teaching, research, and community engagement to produce meaningful educational opportunities for students and applied research on issues of societal importance that can help to inform policymakers. One project that exemplifies this approach is the US-Ethiopia Partnership in Sustainable Water Resource Management that has been funded by the United States Agency for International Development and Higher Education in Development to train future professors and water resource professionals in Ethiopia. Another, more local project, is a collaboration with the Blue Hills Civic Association in Hartford, Connecticut, to respond to a Call for Action issued by the Black Caucus to address social and environmental justice issues such as health disparities and achievement gaps.
Subject Experts:
P.R. Lockhart is CT Mirror’s economic development reporter. She focuses on the relationship between state economic policy, businesses activity, and equitable community development. P.R. previously worked as an economic development reporter in West Virginia for Mountain State Spotlight, where she covered inequality, workforce development, and state legislative policy. Her career began in Washington D.C. with fellowship and staff writer roles with Mother Jones and Vox. P.R. graduated with a degree in psychology and a certificate in policy journalism and media studies from Duke University.
Tenaya Taylor (They/Them) is a Capital Community College graduate, rapper, artist, business owner, writer, executive director, and founder at Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG). NAG is an inclusive arts and social justice organization dedicated to grassroots movement building. Tenaya’s work in Greater Hartford includes housing families facing eviction, creating 3 community gardens, 100 paid internships for young people in Hartford ages 13-30, 3 little free pantries, and a statewide mutual aid network for frontline communities impacted by climate change, the housing crisis, and environmental racism. Tenaya has been an advocate for intersectional solutions on housing reform, clean energy, and access to healthcare.
Patrick Doyle is the Executive Director of Knox Hartford. Non-profit/Community Engagement professional with nearly 20 years experience developing and managing people, programs, and grants. Specific expertise in program development, fundraising, training design and delivery, volunteer management, and media relations. Proven success working across diverse settings to bring together businesses, community-based organization, and volunteers to improve communities.
Samantha Dynowski is the State Director of Sierra Club Connecticut. Samantha joined Sierra Club Connecticut as the State Director in August 2018. Samantha works alongside Sierra Club Connecticut’s dedicated volunteers organizing activists to fight climate change, reduce pollution, protect wildlife, and eliminate threats to air, water and land.
Alycia D. Jenkins -aka-“Lady Abstract” is a teaching/spoken word performing artist, poet, writer, an environmental organizer, and an emerging scholar. Raised on the West Side of Chicago, Ms. Jenkins is a graduate of Trinity College who currently resides in Hartford where she has lived for over a decade. She is a proud African American feminist who believes in the power of liberation for Black families in the USA. Ms. Jenkins has been an advocate for justice since she was a teenager. She continues her advocacy by changing the world one city at a time.
Master Travis is an urban farmer, educator, and fifth-degree black belt dedicated to building strong people and resilient communities. Based in Connecticut, he teaches practical food-growing systems—from microgreens and soil regeneration to composting, biochar, and small livestock—making self-sufficiency accessible and actionable. As the founder of Farmwithme, LLC, he leads workshops, installs garden systems, and develops hands-on programs for youth and adults alike. His approach is rooted in discipline, accountability, and real-world execution, combining martial arts principles with regenerative agriculture to cultivate both land and mindset.
