The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation to Host Interactive Workshop Connecting 1911 Lynching to Ongoing Violence Against Black Women and Girls
The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation to Host Interactive Workshop Connecting 1911 Lynching to Ongoing Violence Against Black Women and GirlsYour registration helps the Laura and LD Nelson Foundation carry out its mission of education, remembrance, and advocacy. Together, we will reflect, learn, and consider practical steps toward a more just and equitable society.The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation, a Mesa-based 501(c)(3), will present "A Legacy of Silence, A Call to Speak: Laura Nelson and the Ongoing Violence Against Black Women and Girls," a 90-minute interactive discussion workshop, at two locations: Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Nile Theater Coffee Shop, 105 West Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201, and Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at GrassRootz Books and Juice Store, 1145 E. Washington St., Ste. 200, Phoenix, AZ 85043. Both events are free. You must register to attend.The workshop uses the 1911 lynching of Laura Nelson and her son L.D. in Okemah, Oklahoma, as a starting point for a facilitated conversation about a pattern that continues today: police violence and domestic and intimate partner violence against Black women and girls. The program will include a screening of the extended trailer for the documentary in progress "Looking for Laura Nelson" and Bruce Nelson’s short film "Raglin Tales," followed by guided group discussion.