Smithsonian Announces National Conversation on Race

Program Will Be Held in San Antonio Dec. 3–14
November 20, 2024
News Release
Graphic with large, blocky text in blue and black showing event title and dates.

The Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past” initiative continues the National Conversation on Race with a diverse offering of events Dec. 3–14 in San Antonio. The National Conversation on Race is hosted by and in collaboration with the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions, Asian Texans for Justice, The DoSeum, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) and the Witte Museum.

The program underscores the impact of cultural institutions in working toward a more equitable future. Partner organizations in San Antonio will offer panel discussions, educator workshops, interactive tours and film screenings. Each event is designed to support community building, critical conversations and positive social change.

“San Antonio is home to incredible histories and cultures,” said Deborah Mack, Reckoning with Our Racial Past program director. “Led by our trusted collaborators, the programming offers opportunities to engage with neighbors and spark dialogue and curiosity for all intergenerational learners and doers.”

Many events, including the program kickoff, are free and open to the public. A full itinerary is below:

Kick off Conversation
Tuesday, Dec. 3; 5-8:30 p.m.
Carver Community Cultural Center, Jo Long Theater
The public can join all six collaborators of the National Conversation on Race in San Antonio for a panel discussion, cultural performances and a light reception. Collaborators will highlight their work on expanding narratives, creating programs for critical analysis of society and their future visions for San Antonio. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Conference on Texas “Ode to Juneteenth: Slavery in Texas”
Thursday Dec. 5; 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 6; 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Witte Museum
This two-day conference co-presented by the Witte Museum (host location) and SAAACAM begins with discussions on the history of slavery in Texas, led by national scholars including Daina Ramey Berry, Kellie Carter Jackson, Ed Baptist, Andrew Torget and more. The first day will culminate with keynote speaker Annette Gordon-Reed, author of On Juneteenth, a MacArthur Genius and the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize for History. Gordon-Reed was one of the first voices to bring Juneteenth into the national conversation. 

The second day of the conference will be led by SAAACAM. A call to action and roundtable discussions will contextualize and act on the scholarship learned during the previous day. Advance registration is required; conference tickets are $60 per attendee.

The Black Power Mixtape Film Screening, Discussion and Old School Dance Party
Friday, Dec. 6; 6–8 p.m.
Little Carver Civic Center
A screening of the documentary film The Black Power Mixtape (1967–1975) brings a mosaic of images, music and narration chronicling the Black Power Movement. Featuring interviews with Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael and Kathleen Cleaver, the 16 mm film explores the community, people and radical ideas of the movement. A panel discussion and ’70s-inspired dance party follow the screening. The event is free; registration required. 

Tour y Plática of the Historic Westside
Saturday, Dec. 7; 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Various locations; transportation offered
Elder Westside community Maestros lead this walking and bus tour that highlights places and moments significant to Chicanx and Tejanx cultural and political history in San Antonio. The tour ends at Rinconcito de Esperanza with lunch and a panel discussion with members of the Museo del Westside Planning Group on the role of museums in sharing community histories.

Black History River Tour
Saturday, Dec. 7; 3–6 p.m.
SAAACAM
Attendees can join this 90-minute boat tour of the San Antonio River that explores the ongoing influence of local African American communities throughout the city. The boat will travel through the Museum Reach to the Pearl and back downtown to the Alamo, Convention Center and La Villita (departure and return point). Holiday refreshments will be offered on the museum’s back patio prior to departure at 218 S. Presa. Seating is limited, and tickets are $45 per attendee. Advance registration is required. 

Democratizing Racial Justice Art Exhibition and Showcase
Tuesday, Dec. 10; 7–8 p.m.
Carver Community Cultural Center, Jo Long Theater
“Echoes of Resilience: Art and Activism” is a multi-disciplinary art exhibition and performance series by the University of Texas San Antonio Democratizing Racial Justice’s inaugural artist in residence program. The exhibition showcase is designed to explore and highlight the impact of race through the creative expressions of local artists of color. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the showcase begins at 7 p.m., featuring visual art, music, dance and spoken word from six of the artists in residence. Registration is encouraged but not required.

Beyond Limits Uniquely Us
Wednesday, Dec. 11; 6–8 p.m.
The DoSeum
The Beyond Limits Resource Fair will offer a break from the busy holiday season and provide play with a purpose. Families can connect with service providers, make new friends, enjoy tasty bites and even interact with live animals at The DoSeum’s final sensory-friendly program of the year. Registration is required, and capacity is reduced.

The Christmas Chain Film Premiere
Friday, Dec. 13; 6–9 p.m.
Carver Community Cultural Center
SAAACAM joins with the Texas Kidney Foundation’s Hope series for the premiere of The Christmas Chain, a heartwarming and impactful film that debunks myths and the racial disparities about organ donation and the demand for transparency in the health-care system. Afterward there will be an engaging cast discussion, many of whom have personal connections to kidney disease. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Latinx Pláticas
Saturday, Dec. 14; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. 
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will host five Pláticas, or panels, with local members, academics and activists to share the continued impacts of historical racism and the response of ongoing activism, especially in predominantly Mexican American and lower-income Westside neighborhoods and within the larger context of the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas. This program received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino.

Seminar and Panel Discussion on Asian American History in San Antonio
Saturday, Dec. 14; 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Brick at Blue Star
Asian Texans for Justice will feature a San Antonio educator-focused seminar on Asian American history in San Antonio featuring Mohit Mehta of the University of Texas’ Center of Asian American Studies. After the seminar, Asian Texans for Justice will moderate a panel on the significance of Asian American contributions and their influence shaping San Antonio through historical landmarks and sites. The San Antonio Resource Map, a co-creation with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center, highlights these landmarks. Registration is encouraged. This program received federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center.

Restoring Roots: Reclaiming Heritage and Countering Erasure 
Saturday, Dec. 14; 6:30–8:30 p.m.
The American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions will present “Restoring Roots: Reclaiming Heritage and Countering Erasure,” an engaging panel discussion on the missionization of Native American peoples in South Texas, featuring lived experiences and insights from historical and cultural experts. This event will shed light on the history of racism in San Antonio and examine how the missionization of Native American people in this region became a model for oppression and assimilation across the country. 

For media inquiries about individual events or organizations, contact:

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SI-368-2024

Solo Medios 

Sophia Ancira

202-718-3290

anciras@si.edu

Public Programs