Joining the co-hosts for the eighth episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists The Rev. David Kohlmeier, Robin Joyce Miller, and The Rev. Natalie E. Thomas. Rabbi Elias Lieberman, The Rev. Nell Fields, and Carrie Fradkin also appear on the program. The discussion in this edition of THE Conversation primarily focuses on two questions: “How does religion perpetuate racism and racist stereotypes?” and “What is the role of religious institutions in addressing racism?”

A proud native Appalachian, The Rev. David Kohlmeier graduated from West Virginia State University in 2012 with a BA in English Literature and Minors in Philosophy and Writing. He moved to Massachusetts for seminary, graduating from Andover Newton Theological School with a Master of Divinity degree in 2016.
His seminary also awarded him a Certificate in Interfaith Leadership for his focused study and interfaith work on the Qur’an and Islam and inducted him into the Jonathan Edwards Honor Society. He became the third settled minister of the UU Fellowship of Falmouth in July of 2017.

Robin Joyce Miller is a retired educator, artist, poet, and public speaker, who taught for 30 years in the New York City school system. She spent the first half of her career teaching learning disabled students and the next half as an art teacher. Miller was also a Blueprint for the Arts Facilitator, leading workshops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. She attended a Black Congregational Church from the age of five to adulthood. On the Cape, she and her husband, James, attend West Parish of Barnstable UCC. Miller has spoken in the pulpit at several Cape Cod churches. After
George Floyd’s murder, Robin and her husband began presenting a Black Lives Matter series with the
Cotuit Center for the Arts, available to the public on YouTube.

The Rev. Natalie E. Thomas began her professional career as a community organizing fellow with
Life Together, a program for young adults in the Episcopal Church. This inspired Natalie to lead organizing movements in Boston; New Zealand; and Nairobi, Kenya. Natalie is currently the Director of Engagement and Communications at Episcopal City Mission in Boston. She is also a deacon in the Diocese of Massachusetts and an Episcopal Church Fellow serving at St. Barnabas's Memorial Church in Falmouth. She is a co-chair for the Diocese of Massachusetts Racial Justice Commission and the Task Force secretary for Church Planting and Redevelopment for the Sake of New Ministries for The Episcopal Church. Natalie has worked extensively as a teacher and consultant with organizations such as The Harvard Kennedy School, Planned Parenthood, and the California Teachers Association.

Returning to join the co-hosts for the seventh episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists Ewell Hopkins, Troy Clarkson, and Dr. Donna Jackson. Ethan Peal, Paul Rifkin, Ken Armstead, and
Gina Brown also return to the program. The discussion in this edition of THE Conversation primarily focuses on two questions: “What can we do to break out of our own bubbles?” and “How do we learn to walk in the shoes of others?”

Along with his professional career focused on strategic technology sales and business development in multiple industries, Ewell Hopkins is a member of the Oak Bluffs Planning Board in Martha’s Vineyard.
He is also involved in various community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Democratic Council of Martha’s Vineyard. In 2016, he was a candidate for State Representative for the Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket District.

Troy Clarkson is the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Brockton and the Principal of Clarkson Consulting, specializing in government relations, strategic planning, and more. A former member of the Town of Falmouth Select Board, a contributor to the Falmouth Enterprise newspaper through his weekly column, “Troy’s Take,” Mr. Clarkson is also the author of two books, Succanessett Snapshot and Out of the Woods: 365 Ways to not be a Dung Beetle.

Donna Jackson, Psy.D is a doctoral-level clinical psychologist for Conch Shell Counseling in Falmouth,
a private practice focusing on families affected by Alzheimer's and Dementia. In 2015, Dr. Jackson,
a support group facilitator for Alzheimer’s Family Support Services of Cape Cod, initiated the monthly Falmouth Together Memory Cafe at Falmouth Museums on the Green to provide a welcoming space for people living with memory changes.

Joining the co-hosts for the sixth episode of THE Conversation are guest panelists
Ewell Hopkins, Troy Clarkson, and Dr. Donna Jackson. Ethan Peal, Paul Rifkin,
Ken Armstead, and Gina Brown also appear on the program. The discussion in this edition
of THE Conversation primarily focuses on two questions: “Why do we find it necessary to see and treat those different from us as less than how we see ourselves?” and “How do we overcome our deep divisions in our country?”

Along with his professional career focused on strategic technology sales and business development in multiple industries, Ewell Hopkins is a member of the Oak Bluffs Planning Board in Martha’s Vineyard. He is also involved in various community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Democratic Council of Martha’s Vineyard. In 2016, he was
a candidate for State Representative for the Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket District.

Troy Clarkson is the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Brockton and the Principal of Clarkson Consulting, specializing in government relations, strategic planning, and more.
A former member of the Town of Falmouth Select Board, a contributor to the Falmouth Enterprise newspaper through his weekly column, “Troy’s Take,” Mr. Clarkson is also the author of two books, Succanessett Snapshot and Out of the Woods: 365 Ways to not be a Dung Beetle.

Donna Jackson, Psy.D is a doctoral-level clinical psychologist for Conch Shell Counseling in Falmouth, a private practice focusing on families affected by Alzheimer's and Dementia.
In 2015, Dr. Jackson, a support group facilitator for Alzheimer’s Family Support Services of Cape Cod, initiated the monthly Falmouth Together Memory Cafe at Falmouth Museums on the Green to provide a welcoming space for people living with memory changes.