On Nov. 22, along with QPOC Winnipeg and Black Space Winnipeg, we'll be hosting the first Uniter Speakers Series event of this season. Robin Maynard will share insights from her book, Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, recently published by Fernwood Press.

It would be impossible to fully preview this event in an editorial note, but flip to page 8 for a special feature interview with Maynard, and find more event details on Facebook.

The mandate of the Uniter Speakers Series is to bring important conversations off the page and out into the world, and to do so in a way that's engaging and accessible to as many students and community members as possible. That also means that we strive to plan events that can be free and open to the public.

We see these events as an opportunity to highlight voices – like Maynard's – that disrupt dominant narratives, and that ask people to reconsider what they've learned about history, about the shape of our society and about the
use (and abuse) of power.

For some folks, these conversations are nothing new, and, for others, they could be challenging or surprising. Regardless of your level of knowledge or expertise, we hope that this evening can be an opportunity to speak out, or simply to listen, learn and reflect.

Join us at the West End Cultural Centre for A Conversation with Robyn Maynard - the event is open to all ages, free to everyone, and ASL interpretation will be provided. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. and the event will begin at 8 p.m.

– Anastasia Chipelski

Published in Volume 72, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 16, 2017)