Perry Talks 2026: Racial Justice, First Amendment Rights and the Blueprint for What Comes Next at George Floyd Square
The 2026 Perry Talks symposium takes place Sunday, May 25, during the Rise & Remember Festival near George Floyd Square, featuring a keynote from Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and a panel discussion including MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard on the intersection of racial justice and First Amendment rights.
As Minneapolis prepares to mark the sixth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, the Rise & Remember Festival is bringing the community together once again for a weekend of remembrance, healing, and action. At the center of that weekend is one of its most powerful events: the 2026 Perry Talks symposium.
Perry Talks takes place Sunday, May 25, during the Rise & Remember Festival at George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis. This year’s symposium could not be more timely. Given the turmoil Minneapolis and the nation are navigating right now, the 2026 Perry Talks will take on the intersection of the fight for racial justice and First Amendment rights, two issues that have never felt more connected or more urgent.
The event will be held near George Floyd Square at Christ Church International in South Minneapolis and runs from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Among the distinguished voices taking the stage is Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard, who will join the panel conversation alongside Duchesne Drew, Georgia Fort, and Dawn Stevens. Williams-Dillard brings decades of experience at the intersection of Black media, community advocacy, and civic leadership, and her perspective on racial justice, press freedom, and the role of Black-owned media in this moment will be essential to the conversation.
The program opens at 2 p.m. with a set of inspirational short stories from individuals and organizations across the Twin Cities who are continuing the work for racial justice every day, in their neighborhoods, in their institutions, and in their lives. These stories set the tone for everything that follows, grounding the afternoon in the real, lived experience of the community.
At 3 p.m., Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta delivers the keynote address. A rising national voice on civil rights, democracy, and equity, Rep. Kenyatta will bring the weight of the current political moment directly into the conversation before turning the floor over to the panel for a dynamic discussion and Q&A that gives the audience a chance to engage directly.
The Rise & Remember Festival, now in its sixth year, exists to hold in remembrance George Floyd and all those lost unjustly to systemic racism, centering education, empowerment, healing, and the collective pursuit of racial justice and equity. This year’s theme, The Blueprint is Us: No Permission Needed, is a call to stop waiting for permission and start building the future the community has always deserved.
Perry Talks is the kind of event that reminds us why that work matters and who is doing it.
Get your tickets now at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/perry-talks–2026