10/27/03—Boston College Law School Professor Ruth Arlene Howe was one of six prestigious panelists in the discussion A Conversation on Race, held at the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston on Saturday, October 25. The discussion served as the final event of two weeks of programming, celebrating the historic events of the Amistad incident and the arrival of the replica schooner to Boston Harbor’s Fan Pier. The event drew hundreds of people to downtown and the panel discussion was streamed live over the Internet.

Moderated by Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree, and hosted by Karen Holmes Ward of WCBV Channel 5, the panel focused on issues relating to U.S. race relations today, using the Amistad incident as a catalyst. A question and answer session from the audience followed. Other panelists included Robert Lewis, Jr. (National Conference for Community and Justice), Carol Rinehart (Community Change, Inc.), Nathan Rutstein (Institute for Healing Racism), Jeff Stone (Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts), and Hon. Charles Walker, BC Law '78 (Museum of Afro-American History Board).

A replay of the panel discussion can be found at www.marybakereddylibrary.org.