Black and Brown in Blue is a lecture series that builds a bridge between the community and law enforcement for a more inclusive community environment. The program was designed to encourage open and honest dialogue in order to reduce barriers and misperceptions.
The featured speaker, Jimmy “Rome” Ballard, is currently the Interim Executive Director of the East Point Academy in Oakland. The Author of Trans-communality: Selling Social Change Without Selling Out, Rome (his preferred name) leads a team of specialized care and service providers tasked with providing safe and supportive housing to San Francisco’s unhoused population. Formerly incarcerated, Rome spent 34 years to reverse the negative impact that racism and poverty has had on our society and culture. Rome is an influencer in social justice spaces and has earned a reputation amongst scholars and novice alike as an insightful innovator who brings to life complex concepts of an ideal society. For more information about this event, contact mo.phillips@sonoma.edu.