'Race Forward' speaker series continues Thursday

The Lorain County Racial Equity Center's "Race Forward" speaker series continues Thursday. From 1:30-3 p.m. in the Reaser Grand Room at Lorain County Community College, two women will discuss the intersection of mental health, education and race. "Collaborating to Bridge the Gap Part II" will feature Emily Campbell, chief operating officer of the Center for Community Solutions, and Yvonka Hall, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition. The event comes on the heels of a summit on social determinants of health hosted by the Lorain County Mental Health and Addition Services Board and Lorain County Public Health titled "Collaborating to Bridge the Gap." That summit saw mental health service providers, school districts and city officials come together to discuss systemic impacts on mental health. Campbell will discuss her recent opinion piece "Youth Mental Health Crisis is Getting Worse." Hall was recently appointed to the U.S. EPA Commission on Environmental Justice. The pair, along with the audience, will discuss what policy changes are needed to address systemic racism, according to the event flyer. The event will be hosted by the Elyria YWCA, League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area and the NAACP Metro Central Unit. The speaker series started in early 2023 after the Racial Equity Center unveiled its agenda in November. That agenda includes health care equity and justice, education, criminal justice and community policing and housing. The afternoon discussion is free, but registration is requested at RaceForward3.eventbrite.com.