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Drake Harrison, president of the Syracuse chapter of the national organization 100 Black Men, is working with community leaders to turn calls to action about racism and other issues into tangible solutions.

In partnership with Black Cub Productions, 100 Black Men of Syracuse created the “100 Conversations for Change” initiative as part of Syracuse Stage’s 2020-21 season. The series includes eight video interviews.

The first four videos, which are available to view on Syracuse Stage’s website, feature leaders such as Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and State Sen. Rachel May. Guests in the upcoming videos five through eight include Onondaga Community College President Casey Crabill and YWCA executive director Fanny Villarreal.

The initiative invites community leaders from central New York to address social and political concerns with the goal of forming a plan to create systemic change.

“It’s irresponsible if we say we care about the next generation, we care about our children’s grandchildren, and so forth, that if we keep doing what we’re doing, then we’ve lied to them,” Harrison said. “The pain is still there and no one wants to acknowledge it.”

Onondaga Community College President Casey Crabill is one of the many community leaders participating in the “100 Conversations for Change” initiative. Screenshot

Established in 2009, 100 Black Men of Syracuse is one of over 100 chapters in 100 Black Men of America. The organization has several programming initiatives under the umbrella of mentoring, specifically with a focus on Black youth, ranging from educational initiatives to health initiatives and economic initiatives, Harrison said.

The impact of the Black Lives Matter protests and marches across the nation inspired Harrison, along with Joann Yarrow, the director of engagement and education at Syracuse Stage and a moderator of the interviews. The protests led Yarrow and Harrison to look into existing institutions, and identify and change the problem areas this country has with race, they said.

“All the marches are really good, but what’s next? What happens after the march?” Yarrow said. “What are we actually doing? … How can we measure it in the future?”

Harrison and Yarrow are also both members of the Rotary Club of Eastwood. During one of their meetings, Yarrow suggested using Syracuse Stage to host community leaders and have an in-person conversation while practicing social distancing measures, Harrison said.

Harrison and Yarrow suggested talking with local leaders about systemic racism. The initial conversations took place on Zoom and focused on what officials can do in their leadership roles to make “real change” in their institution, Harrison said.

Since the initial meetings happened over Zoom and travel wasn’t possible, Yarrow was able to speak with leaders she never would have been able to speak with before the pandemic, she said. The leaders will be interviewed again in six months and asked what progress they were able to make.

After gathering a lineup of community leaders to participate in the initiative, different leaders will meet with a moderator at Syracuse Stage to begin addressing the concerns within their institution or organization. The audience will be able to participate and ask questions, virtually, through Zoom.

Harrison reached out to Crabill, the president of Onondaga Community College, to participate in the conversation. The two knew each other from when Harrison worked at the college, Crabill said.

In Crabill’s conversation for “100 Conversations for Change,” she said that over the past several years the college has been working to use dialogue to create a safe space for students, faculty and staff to share information and different perspectives. This is all in the hopes of creating a more inclusive environment, Crabill said.

Looking toward the future, Harrison hopes that these conversations will result in changes in policies, practices and existing systems. And while acknowledging the challenges ahead in conversations surrounding systemic racism, Crabill is optimistic about her role at OCC in making a change on a personal and professional level.

“The companion to optimism is dedication,” Crabill said.

Published on October 20, 2020 at 9:14 pm