Gabri Christa, Moderator

The phrase, drawn from Toni Morrison's Beloved, refers to the need for warriors to heal from endless battles against oppression. For activists today, how do you maintain our capacity for vulnerability and invention while combatting systemic injustice? Panelists include Sasha Alexander (Founder, Black Trans Media), Noel G. Altaha (Founder, Indigenous Womxns Collective), and Mildred Beltré (Cofounder, Brooklyn Hi-Art Machine). Moderated by Gabri Christa (dancer, choreographer, filmmaker).

Lay Down Your Sword and Shield is part of the evening ‘Til Victory is Won at the Brooklyn Public Library, A teach-in at the Library observing the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans to the shores of Jamestown, Virginia. Over the course of five hours, delve into American and trans-Atlantic history from 1619 to the present and engage with historical facts while learning more about their profound ramifications on this country.