Head Of Police Task Force To Headline 'Newton Inspires' Series

Press release from Newton Schools Foundation:

Dec. 20, 2020

On Tuesday, January 5, Newton Police Task Force Chair Sonja Spears will give an on-line talk exploring how her own experiences inform her work as a social justice advocate and give her hope in the restorative powers of justice. To register for the free presentation, visit www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org/newton-inspires.

Spears’ 7 p.m. talk is part of the 10th annual Newton Inspires: A Celebration of Ideas and Community, a fundraiser for Newton Schools Foundation. Once a month Newtonians — present and former — share their interests and passions via Zoom.

While a judge in New Orleans, Spears was wrongfully targeted for criminal prosecution. After two years of investigation, no wrongdoing was discovered so she was cleared and never charged, but the impact of this experience was devastating personally and professionally. After retiring from the bench, she re-dedicated her life to issues of racial justice and equity and now works as the chief equity and inclusion officer at Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program and teaches part time at Tufts University

Other upcoming talks include:

Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. Broadway Babies: From Newton Public Schools to the Great White Way. NPS alums Zachary Baer, Skylar Fox, Tess Primack and Ryan Vona talk with Newton North Theatre Ink director Adam Brown about the theatre world pre-Covid and now.

Tuesday, March 9, 7 p.m. Building a Generation of Social Impact Leaders. Newton North alum SamVaghar takes viewers on the journey that led him to founding Millennium Campus Network, a nonprofit helping to build the next generation of social impact leaders.

Tuesday, April 13, 7 p.m. Our Origin and Our Demise: Birth, Life and the Death of Stars
Dr. Giovanni Fazio, senior physicist Center for Astrophysics: Harvard & Smithsonian will answer some of the big questions from an astrophysicist’s perspective: Where did we come from? What is our ultimate fate?

Tuesday, May 11, 7 p.m. Stepping Up to the Challenge of Advancing Racial and Economic Equity: A thought-provoking conversation with Aixa Beauchamp, co-founder of the Latino Equity Fund, Miceal Chamberlain, managing director for Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Markets, and Orlando Watkins, vice president for programs at the Boston Foundation.

Sessions are free, although donations are encouraged and may be made at registration. Newton Schools Foundation funds professional development for Newton educators, grants that give teachers the opportunity to try new approaches in the classroom, and programs that address racial and income inequities and enable all students to achieve their full potential.

Lead sponsors are Northland and The Village Bank. Other supporters include premium sponsor Mark Development and major sponsor Wegmans. Individuals and businesses wishing to support public education in Newton through a Newton Inspires sponsorship can visit http://newtonschoolsfoundation.org/newton-inspires-sponsor.

Newton Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advance excellence and equity in the Newton Public Schools.

This press release was produced by Newton Schools Foundation. The views expressed here are the author's own.