Presented as part of The African American Folklorist Black Advocacy Issue, the Black Advocacy Symposium brings together public testimony, cultural memory, and practical community guidance for families and communities navigating institutional harm.

This episode centers Black Americans first—because our communities have too often been forced to learn how to respond to tragedy, protect our loved ones’ stories, confront systems of power, and demand justice while carrying grief. At the same time, the conversation welcomes all listeners who are committed to showing up with care, responsibility, and accountability.

Featuring Allisa Charles-Findley, sister of Botham Jean, who was killed in Dallas on September 6, 2018, this symposium offers more than remembrance. It provides a people-centered roadmap for what advocacy can look like after tragedy: how families and communities can respond, who they may need to contact, what steps can help protect the narrative, and how advocacy can be sustained beyond the first wave of public attention.

Hosted by the Jack Dappa Blues Heritage Preservation Foundation, this episode also asks an important question for folklorists, ethnomusicologists, cultural workers, and community scholars: How can our tools serve the people? Through ethical documentation, oral history, community archiving, and narrative stewardship, we explore how cultural workers can support advocates, help families preserve legacy, and strengthen Black community control over our own stories.

The Black Advocacy Symposium is both a conversation and a call to responsibility—an invitation to listen, learn, document, protect, and act.