On Day 5, we began at an interactive workshop (at Blessed Trinity College) hosted by two of our Globe Lane Initiative Board members: actors and artists Paul Oakley Stovall and Nikhil Saboo, who guided students from four Belfast schools in how to translate their written work from the page to the stage. Next, we hosted a wide-ranging and thought-provoking panel discussion at 2 Royal Avenue on the intersection of Frederick Douglass's legacy and LGBTQIA+ rights, which featured voices from various backgrounds and experiences, including Martin Murray (Sporting Pride Ireland), Kieran Higgins (Ulster University), and Belfast City Council members, Cllr Micky Murray and Cllr Séamas de Faoite. Following that event, we hosted a talk and Q&A at the James Connolly Centre with Belfast changemaker Takura Makoni, who challenged the common conception that African heritage is solely defined by slavery and stressed the need to recognize the diverse and multifaceted experiences of individuals from the African diaspora. We finished the day with a special screening of the well-known film Glory (1989), introduced by Dr Brian Kelly (QUB).

During the day, we also were extremely honored and grateful to meet at Belfast City Hall with the First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill, The Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr Ryan Murphy, and attend a private event with the Ambassador of Ireland in Northern Ireland and his wife at their Residence.

Video footage from the day will be available soon HERE.