Cover Image for BHFH Ernest and Esther Weed Memorial Lecture 2022 - Rage against the system, tend joy and connection (hybrid event)

BHFH Ernest and Esther Weed Memorial Lecture 2022 - Rage against the system, tend joy and connection (hybrid event)

 
 
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​"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue ... I just referred to the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension ... Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood." - Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail

​Our annual Ernest and Esther Weed Memorial lecture, endowed in honor of longtime BHFH Directors Ernest and Esther Weed, features a prominent interpreter of Quakerism speaking on a topic of interest to Friends in New England and beyond.

​​For 2022, our speaker is Dwight Dunston, with the lecture: "Rage against the system, Tend joy and connection: Understanding Kingian nonviolence and its intersection with the Quaker peace testimony."

​Two years ago, Dwight Dunston started on a path toward becoming a nonviolent facilitator through a course rooted in Kingian nonviolence — and what he learned surprised him.

​In addition to Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence, which many of us (in a US context) are familiar with, there was a strong methodology around how to put into practice the principles of nonviolence that Dwight realized he hadn't known about.

​In this lecture, Dwight will help us explore the pieces of Kingian nonviolence, specifically around how we're called to act in nonviolence, that have been moving for him. Dwight will do this through three modalities: a 30-minute lecture, a 30-minute conversation with a partner from BHFH, and some audience Question and Answer for the remaining time.

​Friends have a testimony for peace — which is focused on a strong stand against armed conflict and war. Quakers were also at the forefront of the civil rights and freedom movement alongside King and others like Bayard Rustin. Dwight is inviting Friends in this lecture to sit with: How does the Quaker peace testimony move us today?

​About Dwight

Dwight Dunston aka Duns is a West Philly-based facilitator, hip-hop artist, educator, and activist with roots in the Carolinas and deeper roots in West Africa. His passions/gifts include supporting folks to tap into their superpowers and supporting communities to develop the tools, skills, and techniques to stay connected across different identities.

Dwight served as the Coordinator of Equity and Justice Education at Friends Central School where he also coached track and field and co-developed two courses in the Literature department on the Black experience in 20th century America and exploring the meaning of love and community in the anthropocene. He is a trainer with AORTA (Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance) and also a trainer and Relationship Manager with Lion’s Story, a Philadelphia-based org that uses Dr. Howard Stevenson’s theory on racial literacy to support individuals to develop skills in navigating racially stressful encounters.

In 2020, Dwight co-led a 5-week project on Black + Asian Solidarity with 25 folks across the country and in 2021 co-led a 4-part series on Black Healing Spaces with his older sister. These two experiences have inspired him at this point in his life to deeply explore themes of solidarity, forgiveness, grief, rage, and joy in his art, conversations, and spiritual practices. As an artist, he is a founding member of the nine-piece hip-hop group Hardwork Movement and the musical group City Love, and has performed at schools, venues, and festivals across the country, sharing the stage with Questlove, Talib Kweli, Michelle Alexander, Jonathon Kozol, and many others.

Event information:

When: Doors open at 1:00 PM (ET), program begins at 1:30 PM (ET). There will be a small reception with snacks for onsite participants following the lecture in our St. Francis Courtyard (weather permitting).

Where: This year, the Weed Lecture will be in a hybrid format - either on-site at Beacon Hill Friends House or live-streamed on Zoom. (All participants will receive the Zoom information).

Cost: This program is free and open to the public.

Covid policies: All on-site attendees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear a mask while inside. We ask for proof of vaccination upon entering the building. Masks will be available for those who forget them.

Accessibility: Beacon Hill Friends House is working on making our historic space accessible to everyone.

  • On Zoom: Automated Closed Captions will be available for all participants.

  • On site:

    • ​Audio: Dwight's voice will be lightly amplified in the space. Assistive Listening devices will be made available upon request.

    • ​Physical space: This event will take place in our Meeting Room, which has a ground-level entrance accessible by most standard-sized wheelchairs.

    • ​Our primary entrance is up a flight of stairs and we have a sidewalk-level entrance to our basement level that can accommodate small and standard-size wheelchairs (the turning radius is too small for large motorized chairs). We also have a small, single-occupancy 100-year-old elevator (about 3 ft deep and 2.5 feet wide) that can access all floors. 

    • ​On the basement level, we have a single-user, all-gender bathroom with wall-mounted handrails and ample space for chairs and/or aides. We are not a scent-free space but tend to be low-scent.

  • ​Please let us know if there are any additional ways we can make this program accessible for you.

About Beacon Hill Friends House

Beacon Hill Friends House is an independent Quaker not-for-profit organization that operates a 20-person community residence, overnight guest accommodations, meeting and event space, and public educational programming in a large historic house in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The Friends House exists to provide opportunities for personal growth, spiritual deepening, and leadership development, drawing inspiration and guidance from the values, principles, and practices of the Religious Society of Friends.