FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: STAND AGAINST RACISM – A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES KEYNOTE SPEAKER – APRIL 10TH, 2025
On April 10th, 2025, YWCA Central Maine will be hosting Stand Against Racism, “Reduce Conflict, Improve Culture: A Guide to Restorative Practices”, a one-day conference held at USM’s Lewiston campus.
Stand Against Racism is a bi-annual signature YWCA event designed to build community among those working for racial justice, raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities, and provide strategies to root out injustice, transform institutions, and create a world that sees women, girls, and people of color the way we do: Equal. Powerful. Unstoppable.
The YWCA is excited to announce this year’s conference keynote speaker is Hilary North-Ellasante (they/them), and their keynote is titled “Re-storying Our Pathways to Liberation.”
Keynote Description: “Our existence on this planet is our birthright, deserving of love, care, and respect–and yet, the dehumanizing impacts and persistence of racial capitalism and settler colonialism erode our capacity to live into our shared humanity on a daily basis. What does it mean to commit to the practice of “getting free?” What are the opportunities and responsibilities each of us embodies in pursuit of Liberation–as
individuals and as members of the communities that hold us? By weaving together threads of storytelling and examples of liberatory praxis, Hilary will share learnings from their own journey towards freedom and invite attendees to explore for themselves how supporting anti-oppression can (and should) be a daily practice.”
Hilary North-Ellasante founded Water’s Edge Consulting in 2022 and offers support for organizational cultural change, anti-oppressive workshops and trainings, and restorative responses to conflict. Hilary’s accomplished list of work in this space includes values-aligned training lineages through Training for Change, Visioning Bear Intertribal Council, Prentis Hemphill’s Embodiment Institute, Resmaa Menakem, and Coaching for Healing Justice and Liberation.
“The YWCA has a history of educating the community about systemic racism and its many manifestations,” said Tiffany Salter, Chief Program and Impact Officer for YWCA Central Maine. “This year’s conference is devoted to restorative practices in the face of these systems: practices that restore our relationships with community, with one another, and with ourselves. Both current structures and histories of racism affect all of us, and this is a day for introducing people to some tools to help begin restoration.”
Registration to Stand Against Racism includes the all-day conference which features the keynote by North-Ellasante, three separate breakout sessions that will give participants the opportunity to delve deeper and interact, food throughout the day, and an award ceremony for the “Champions of Change” award, which will be given to a local Maine business that leads and supports efforts that advance racial and gender equity in the workplace or community.
All proceeds support the work YWCA Central Maine does each day in service of its missions to eliminate racism and empower women while promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Those interested in sponsoring the conference can contact Jennifer Molloy, Chief Development and Communications Officer at jmolloy@ywcamaine.org.
Registration: https://StandAgainstRacism2025.eventbrite.com
To inquire about sponsoring the conference, scholarships, volunteering, or being a speaker contact jmolloy@ywcamaine.org.
###
About YWCA Central Maine
Founded in 1878, YWCA Central Maine began as a service provider for women immigrating to Lewiston to work in the mills. The organization was originally known as the Women’s Benevolent Association and offered housing, language classes, job training, and recreation that allowed working women to thrive in their new country. In its early years, it was housed in buildings located at the corner of Bates and Pine Streets in Lewiston and on Main Street in Auburn. It served as a place for women to receive support services, particularly during the war years. The YWCA’s history inspires us to provide programming that builds community through strengthening inter-cultural relationships and valuing the needs and contributions of all of our members. Our programming is guided by a belief in appreciation of diversity and equitable opportunity for all people in our community. All YWCA services work toward the realization of gender and racial equity through providing accessible and culturally appropriate resources for health and wellness, recreation, childcare, and advocacy. The advancement of women, people of color, and economic justice in Lewiston-Auburn is integral in all that we do. From affordable childcare that supports families and women in the workplace to free-of-charge therapeutic swim programs to anti-racist education and action, the YWCA strives to bring this mission to fruition in big and small ways every day.
For more information, contact: Jennifer Molloy; Chief Development and Communications Officer, YWCA Central Maine – jmolloy@ywcamaine.org