Metro Albany students traveled with the Albany Museum of Art to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to participate in a panel discussion on Nov 29 at the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance conference. During the panel, these students discussed the impact of the AMA’s Courageous Conversations about Race program.

“We at the AMA are aware of the significant social need that museums can fill with programs that address the tough stuff of life,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “It is a real blessing to see the impact of our most important program, Courageous Conversations about Race, on these deeply thoughtful young people. Nothing is more rewarding than to see these future leaders share publicly the importance of civil discourse around race and racism and potential solutions for how we can all better address these difficult subjects.”

The next session of Courageous Conversations About Race is for college students and college instructors. It is scheduled for 9 am-3 pm on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. The event is free thanks to generous sponsorship from United Way of Southwest Georgia through its Reimagine Albany initiative.

Registration is required because space is limited, with five openings remaining as of Dec 19. An online registration link may be found at www.albanymuseum.com/courageous-conversations.

Participants in the discussion at the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance conference were Brianna McCoy, Dougherty High School student; Anna Plowden, Westover High School graduate; Sophie Singleton, Deerfield-Windsor School student; Jovi Hall, DWS student; Leeann Feng, Lee County High School student; Jayla Carmichael, DHS student, and Tobias Brown, DHS student.

During their presentation, the students broached the uncomfortable and tough conversations that are necessary, illustrating the importance of the conversations continuing and growing in Albany. The AMA plans to expand this program to teachers, college students, and community leaders with the support of the United Way of Southwest Georgia.

On Nov 28, the Albany area students visited other sites in the conference area, including Georgia State University, Emory University, and the High Museum of Art.

Accompanying the students on the trip were AMA Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Vanoteghem and Director of Development and Membership Chloe Hinton; United Way of Southwest Georgia President and CEO Shaunae Motley and Special Projects Manager Philip Gentry, and parents Brandi Singleton and Joshua McCoy.

"Giving these students a chance to grow their speaking skills and share their passion with such a captivated audience is priceless,” Vanoteghem, who moderated the program, said. “They received a standing ovation after pouring their hearts out and demanding change to a room of grantmakers, validating that what they do, what they feel, and the changes they want to make in our community and beyond truly matter. I cannot express how significant that moment was for them and I was filled with so much gratitude for GGA's openness to hearing from our next generation of leaders."

“I am so proud to highlight a special group of young people who sat on a panel during the Georgia Grantmakers Alliance’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Atlanta,” Gentry said. “The group, moderated by Annie Vanoteghem, spoke so eloquently of their lived experiences and the benefit of participating in the Albany Museum of Art’s Courageous Conversations series. They absolutely blew the audience away with their insight and passion on race and social issues in the U.S. I am still hearing their praises being echoed by foundation leaders weeks after the event. Albany has a dynamic class of youth with so much potential, I just hope that we are doing everything in our power to ensure they have the resources needed to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Emily Anne Vull, Ph.D., executive director of Resilient Georgia, a partner of United Way of Southwest Georgia, said, “I am in awe of the youth who spoke at the recent Georgia Grantmakers Alliance meeting. Their thoughts and stories about their experiences with race were honest, insightful, and truly courageous. We are grateful to the Albany Museum of Art and the United Way of Southwest Georgia for creating a space where young people from diverse backgrounds can come together to have these vital conversations that honor artistic creativity and our collective humanity.“

If you have questions about Courageous Conversations About Race or any of the AMA’s other programs, contact Vanoteghem at [email protected].