Common Thread: Black Power Under Authoritarianism - Discussion and Party

WHAT: MCF Common Thread: Black Power Under Authoritarianism

Live discussion and party with free food and musical performances

WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2026, 5 p.m. ET

WHERE: Maverick Hotel, 120 S Whitfield St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

TOPICS: What does freedom mean in America? The truth is that there is no freedom in America without Black liberation, and we must confront the history of our country to make that possible. Together panelists will explore:

- How American “freedom” has historically been misused to protect white supremacy and white property

- How the legacies of US slavery continue to shape and influence power and opportunity today

- How people’s movements for racial justice can shape democracy

WHO:

Panel Discussion

- Dr. Carmen Rojas, President & CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation

- Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter covering racial injustice

- Jeff Cowie, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power and a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter, and

- Eddie S. Glaude Jr., author of We are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For, Professor at Princeton University

Musical Guests: MIKE and Benji. and an after-party with DJ QRX