While the events that spurred the Black Lives Matter movement occurred far from Hawaii, the movement’s impacts were felt locally and resonated with
communities here in the islands. In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, join us in a conversation about race, activism, and allyship at the kick-off event for the Hawaii State Judiciary’s multi-part discussion series, “Confronting Racial Injustice: Achieving Racial Equity in Hawaii.”
Opening remarks by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald of the Hawaii Supreme Court. Introduction by Judge Rebecca Copeland of First Circuit – Family Court, with a panel presentation by Brieanah Gouveia of the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center (moderator), Dr. Akiemi Glenn of the Popolo Project, Josie Howard of We Are Oceania, Kamaile Maldonado of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Kristen Brown of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Honolulu NAACP).
The short film shown was produced by the Civic Education Council for their Just Futures Project. It features Nikkya Taliaferro, youth activist and leader of Hawaii For Black Lives.
Panelists
Dr. Akiemi Glenn is a Honolulu-based researcher, curator, and culture worker. She is the founder and executive director of the Popolo Project, a nonprofit organization that engages concepts of culture, race, and belonging through the convergence of African and Pacific diasporas in Hawaii, working at the intersections of art, social justice, and education. Her work, in many different media, reframes histories of colonialism and resistance, connections to land, cultural and artistic practice, and the visibility of Black people in the Pacific region. She is also a co-founder and principal at Hawaii Strategy Lab, a research and data access endeavor that democratizes research and re-centers models of leadership and expertise in Hawaii.
With ancestral roots and a childhood rooted in Onoun (a small island in Chuuk state, located between Chuuk Lagoon and Yap Outer Island), Josie Howard possesses a deep cultural understanding of the people of Micronesia that is woven into her success today–paving a path for the thriving Micronesian community in Hawaii. From her island education to her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropologie and minor in biology with a certification in Island Studies from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Pacific Island Studies at the Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Josie continues to humbly and strongly uphold her values and respect for her culture and the culture of others, advocating for the overall health and well-being of her people. Most recently, she serves as Director and Founder of We Are Oceania empowering the Micronesian community in Hawaii to navigate success while honoring the integrity of their diverse heritage.
Kamaile Maldonado was raised in Halawa and her ohana is from Kakaako. She obtained two BAs with honors in Sociology and Intercultural Communication from Pepperdine University and received her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Kamaile has been with the Public Policy team at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs since 2011 where she has assisted with policy development and legislative advocacy on behalf of Native Hawaiian interests in the fields of historic preservation, criminal justice, and civic engagement.
Kristen is originally from Augusta, Georgia and is a graduate of James Campbell High School. She is the Youth Chair of the Honolulu NAACP. Kristen helped organize the high school student group that went on to facilitate Honolulu’s Black Lives Matter march in June 2020. She is passionate about conserving the environment, African American history, and music. In 2019, Kristen was the sole student representative from Hawaii to participate in the United Nations Youth Climate Summit in New York.
