Joining the co-hosts for the tenth episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists Miranda Alves and Robert Cutts. Rev. Nell Fields, Brenda Nolan, and Robert Mascali also appear on the program. The discussion in this edition of THE Conversation focuses on the questions: “What are the root causes of racism in the justice system?” and “How do we eradicate racism in the justice system?”

Miranda Alves is a co-founder of Cape Cod Voices, a community organization created by women of color who have grown up on Cape Cod. Cape Cod Voices focuses on bringing black and brown voices into the center of the conversation on race, combating and educating about systemic and institutional racism issues on Cape Cod, and advocating for students of color in local schools. Miranda grew up in Bourne and currently lives in Falmouth.

Robert Cutts was raised in Harwich by his grandmother and his aunt, Cape Cod civil rights activist Eugenia Fortes. He is a 1977 graduate of Harwich High School. Robert spent six years in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany as an officer in the Military Police. In 1985, Robert began a 30-year career working for the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office in Fairfax, Virginia. In 2014, he retired and returned to Cape Cod, where he resides in Bourne. He is currently writing a book about his experiences entitled The Darkness Of Being Black In Law Enforcement. Robert is also a six-time world champion powerlifter. He enjoys working to educate youth and help them understand how members of law enforcement think.

Joining the co-hosts for the ninth episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists Kevin Murray and
Dr. Seyana Mawusi. Lindsey Scott and Anna Fernandes also appear on the program. The discussion in this edition of THE Conversation focuses on the questions: “How does racism exist in our education system?” and “How do we eliminate racism in schools?”

Kevin Murray became Executive Director of the Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) in September 2019. He has had a long career in the leadership of nonprofit organizations in the human rights and international development sectors. Most recently, he led the Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy at Northeastern University School of Law. In addition to his staff leadership roles,

Murray founded Kevin Murray Strategic Consulting (KMSC), an international consulting collaborative with a 25-year commitment to supporting the organizational development of mission-driven nonprofits and philanthropic organizations.

Dr. Seyana Mawusi is an educator with an extensive background in leadership development, curriculum design, mindfulness, trauma, neuroscience education, racial equity, restorative and social justice.

Dr. Mawusi received her doctorate at Mills College, Oakland, CA. She served as a college professor, principal coach, elementary and middle school principal in Oakland and Philadelphia. Dr. Mawusi is a director and founder of Luxor Academy, an Afrocentric school for students ages four to fifteen. Dr. Mawusi also founded and is CEO of Intuitive Integrative Consultants, where she coaches, consults, and intuitively guides leaders locally and internationally to reinvent, rethink and reframe their next steps to enhance their lives personally and professionally. Her clients include school districts, human resource departments, and city agencies.

Joining the co-hosts for the eighth episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists The Rev. David Kohlmeier, Robin Joyce Miller, and The Rev. Natalie E. Thomas. Rabbi Elias Lieberman, The Rev. Nell Fields, and Carrie Fradkin also appear on the program. The discussion in this edition of THE Conversation primarily focuses on two questions: “How does religion perpetuate racism and racist stereotypes?” and “What is the role of religious institutions in addressing racism?”

A proud native Appalachian, The Rev. David Kohlmeier graduated from West Virginia State University in 2012 with a BA in English Literature and Minors in Philosophy and Writing. He moved to Massachusetts for seminary, graduating from Andover Newton Theological School with a Master of Divinity degree in 2016.
His seminary also awarded him a Certificate in Interfaith Leadership for his focused study and interfaith work on the Qur’an and Islam and inducted him into the Jonathan Edwards Honor Society. He became the third settled minister of the UU Fellowship of Falmouth in July of 2017.

Robin Joyce Miller is a retired educator, artist, poet, and public speaker, who taught for 30 years in the New York City school system. She spent the first half of her career teaching learning disabled students and the next half as an art teacher. Miller was also a Blueprint for the Arts Facilitator, leading workshops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. She attended a Black Congregational Church from the age of five to adulthood. On the Cape, she and her husband, James, attend West Parish of Barnstable UCC. Miller has spoken in the pulpit at several Cape Cod churches. After
George Floyd’s murder, Robin and her husband began presenting a Black Lives Matter series with the
Cotuit Center for the Arts, available to the public on YouTube.

The Rev. Natalie E. Thomas began her professional career as a community organizing fellow with
Life Together, a program for young adults in the Episcopal Church. This inspired Natalie to lead organizing movements in Boston; New Zealand; and Nairobi, Kenya. Natalie is currently the Director of Engagement and Communications at Episcopal City Mission in Boston. She is also a deacon in the Diocese of Massachusetts and an Episcopal Church Fellow serving at St. Barnabas's Memorial Church in Falmouth. She is a co-chair for the Diocese of Massachusetts Racial Justice Commission and the Task Force secretary for Church Planting and Redevelopment for the Sake of New Ministries for The Episcopal Church. Natalie has worked extensively as a teacher and consultant with organizations such as The Harvard Kennedy School, Planned Parenthood, and the California Teachers Association.