2026 Perry Talks: Racial Justice, First Amendment Rights and the Blueprint for What Comes Next
The 2026 Perry Talks symposium, held May 25 near George Floyd Square at Christ Church International, brought together Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard, Duchesne Drew, Georgia Fort and Dawn Stevens for a timely conversation on racial justice and First Amendment rights as part of the Rise & Remember Festival's sixth annual weekend of remembrance and action.
On Sunday, May 25, 2026, the community gathered near George Floyd Square at Christ Church International in South Minneapolis for the 2026 Perry Talks symposium, one of the centerpiece events of the Rise & Remember Festival’s sixth annual weekend of remembrance, healing, and action.
The afternoon brought together some of the Twin Cities’ and the nation’s most distinguished voices for a timely and necessary conversation on the intersection of racial justice and First Amendment rights, two issues that have rarely felt more urgent or more connected than they do right now.
The program opened with a series of inspirational short stories from individuals and organizations across the Twin Cities continuing the work for racial justice every day, grounding the afternoon in the real, lived experience of the community before the main program began.
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta delivered the keynote address, bringing a national perspective on civil rights, democracy, and equity to a room full of community members who came ready to listen, engage, and act. His remarks were followed by a dynamic panel discussion and Q&A featuring Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard alongside Duchesne Drew, Georgia Fort, and Dawn Stevens.
Williams-Dillard, whose decades of experience at the intersection of Black media, community advocacy, and civic leadership made her presence on the panel essential, joined a conversation that touched on press freedom, the ongoing fight for racial equity, and what it means to keep showing up for the community when the stakes have never been higher.
