Past Forums
Every month (except for July & August) Progressive Cheverly welcomes all interested people to come to special forums on specific subjects. We have been presenting these forums since 2005. They include forums on a wide variety of subjects as well as candidate forums and meetings with our elected officials. Where available, click on the title for each event to read notes from the event.
2022
District 4 Congressional Candidates on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Confirmed candidates are Angela Angel, Donna Edwards, and Glenn Ivey, candidates for the Democratic nomination. View a recording of our forum. Use this passcode: #&p09Gwe We included a presentation (at the end of the recording) about the new Congressional District 4 boundaries due to redistricting. You can see those boundary change maps here.
Prince George's At-Large County Council Candidates on Thursday, June 16th, 2022 from 7:00 -8:00 pm. Confirmed candidates are Calvin S. Hawkins, Jr. (incumbent) and Stanford Fraser; Mel Franklin (incumbent) has been invited. To participate in this candidate forum you will need to register separately for each candidate forum. View a recording of our forum. Use this passcode: A.Y&f3OX
Friday, January 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm: Progressive Cheverly presents its 17th Annual District 47 Legislative Forum -- with Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegates Diana Fennell and Julian Ivey. This is a great opportunity to hear directly from your state representatives about legislation on the agenda for the 2022 Maryland General Assembly, which began on January 12th, and to express your thoughts about issues of particular concern to you. Q&A with our elected representatives will follow their presentations.
View a recording of the forum at this link: https://youtu.be/G5X0fDxwpbA
2020
Friday, September 25 -- Legislative Forum with Maryland District 47 Representatives
Please join us for our annual Legislative Forum, only this year our local state representatives will speak to us early in the fall instead of at the start of the January 2021 legislative session. We will hear from Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegates Diana Fennell, Julian Ivey (all confirmed) and Wanika Fisher (invited).
Wednesday, September 16 -- Prince George’s County School Board Candidates Forum
Last April, Progressive Cheverly hosted our District 4 School Board candidates for the primary election. The two nonpartisan candidates running for one seat, Shayla Adams-Stafford (www.shayla4schoolboard.com) and Bryan Swann (www.swannforpgcps.com incumbent) will attend our forum. Their names will appear on the ballot for the general election on November 3.
Thursday, May 7 -- Forum on New Vote-by-Mail for the Maryland Primary featuring Kristen Harbeson, Political Director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and Delegate Julian Ivey.
With the Maryland Primary moved to June 2, it’s time to get up to speed on how to vote during the Covid-19 pandemic. Voting by mail is new -- be sure your voter registration information is current; additional information is available at:
https://www.elections.maryland.gov/elections/2020/index.html
The Maryland League of Conservation Voters recently held an online webinar on voting that you can view here: https://www.mdlcv.org/blog/congressional-district-7-special-election. Ms. Harbeson will summarize key points about the recent changes to Maryland Elections, and provide insights from the April 28th special Congressional District election.
District 47A Delegate Julian Ivey will join the forum to discuss what the Maryland legislature is doing to potentially enable Maryland voters to Vote-by-Mail in all elections. How can we get involved in moving Maryland and the nation to adopt Vote-by-Mail as an option for everyone going forward.
Thursday, April 2 -- School board candidates forum.
Join us for Progressive Cheverly's first All Virtual Forum! All five candidates for the District 4 School Board Seat have accepted. (with the caveat that our recently appointed School Board member Bryan Swann will attend if his school board meeting is over in time). Please send any questions you'd like asked, to the forum's moderator Paul Thompson at prth...@verizon.net at least 1 day before the event to make sure that it is received! Questions will be accepted through the zoom chat function but can't be guaranteed to be shared.
The candidates for the District 4 seat and the link to their websites or facebook pages are below:
Shayla Adams-Stafford: www.shayla4schoolboard.com
Mohammed Ali www.dralifordistrict4.com
Trina D. Brown facebook.com/trinaleobrown
Alethia J. Simmons facebook.com/dralethiasimmons
Bryann Swann www.swannforpgcps.com
Thursday, March 5th at 7pm: Self Awareness as a Key to Community Building
This month's Forum will be presented more as a workshop based on one that was recently delivered to the Progressive Cheverly Executive Committee. We will explore the nature of bias and how implicitly held biases impact community. Most of our actions occur without conscious thought, which means that our unconscious biases often predict how we'll behave more accurately than our conscious values. Presenters Dana Hallman and Helen Starkweather of Progressive Cheverly's Executive Committee will provide an interactive workshop about exploring biases and supporting community.
Friday, January 31 -- Progressive Cheverly Annual Legislative Forum -- Join District 47 representatives -- Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegates Diana Fennel, Julian Ivey and Wanika Fisher -- who will discuss the legislative issues that will be on the agenda for the upcoming year in Annapolis and will talk about their priorities. Attendees will have the opportunity to comment on and ask questions concerning issues facing Prince George's County residents.
Thursday, January 9th at 7pm — Hear your Prince George’s County Council representatives discuss results from the 2019 Council legislative session and the challenges and issues facing the Council in 2020
Jolene Ivey, County Council Representative for District 5, will be joined by Council Members at Large Calvin Hawkins and Mel Franklin to discuss their perspectives and priorities for the 2020 Prince George’s County Council session. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to comment on and ask questions concerning issues facing Prince George's County residents.
2019
Thursday, December 5th at 7pm — The School to Prison Pipeline: What It Is, Who It Impacts, How Communities Can Work To End It
The school-to-prison pipeline is a disturbing national trend where children are being funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Come learn from two recognized experts on the topic about ways schools and communities can stem the flow of students into the pipeline.
Karen Dolan, a Cheverly resident, is the Project Director for Criminalization of Race and Poverty at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a leading national Progressive think tank. Her recent IPS report, Students Under Siege, examines how zero tolerance policies and excessive expulsions contribute to the pipeline and endanger millions of students. She will also address how restorative rather than retributive practices can help bring an end to this problem.
Dana Coles is the Community Conferencing Program Director at the Key Bridge Foundation Center for Conflict Resolution. The Key Bridge Foundation is a nationally recognized provider of conflict management services. The Foundation, through its Juvenile Diversion Programs, is working with individuals, schools and communities in Prince George’s County to implement alternatives to processing youth through the juvenile justice system.
Thursday, November 7th at 7pm — Community Choice Energy
Listen to Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (D-20) and Lily Hawkins from Food & Water Watch as they speak about community choice energy, a powerful tool for energy choice and delivery that’s gaining traction throughout the country. The community choice energy model halts the reliance on a single utility company and lets local governments bargain for cleaner, more affordable energy on behalf of residents and businesses. While other states like California, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Virginia, have adopted legislation authorizing community choice energy, Maryland has not. Charkoudian has taken the lead on changing that. Join us to learn more about what community choice energy is, how it works, and how it can benefit Cheverly and other Maryland communities.
Thursday, October 3 at 7pm — Immigration: Counteracting the crisis here in Prince George’s County, MD
We are currently experiencing a humanitarian crisis regarding the detainment and treatment of asylum-seekers, immigrants and their children at our borders and within the United States. Listen to speakers Trent Leon-Lierman, Lead Regional Organizer for CASA, and Tana Stevenson, board member of the Maryland Immigrant Rights Coalition and volunteer at the DC Detention Visitation Network, discuss the issue, as well as the reform measures that are coming up in the Prince George’s County Council, and actions people can take.
Thursday, Sept 5 at 7pm — What We Need to Know and Do About The Epidemic of Gun Violence in Our Country. Action must be taken to stop the mass shootings and the daily killings that have tragically effected communities everywhere. Come hear Representative Anthony Brown (invited) and Jennifer Stapleton, a state leader in Moms’ Demand Action Maryland talk about what is happening around gun reform legislation on the federal and state levels and what we can do to get involved. In addition, former Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Woodie Kessel, Pediatrician, Professor of the Practice, University of Maryland School of Public Health will talk about Gun Violence as a Public Health issue. NEW LOCATION - Gladys Noon Spellman - see top of page for details.
Thursday, June 6 at 7pm — Highway lanes, toll roads, congestion, oh my! It looks increasingly likely that the state of Maryland may soon decide to widen I-495 and I-270. Join Progressive Cheverly for our last forum of the season as we explore transportation proposals and alternatives with Nick Orrick from the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. Light refreshments served. ASL interpretation provided. Where: Judith P. Hoyer Education Center cafeteria (2300 Belleview Avenue), Cheverly. Parking is available.
Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm -- Challenging Mass Incarceration, Organizing for Criminal Justice and Police Reform in our County. Speakers will include Qiana Johnson, Executive Director, Life After Release and Erek L. Barron, Delegate, District 24. ASL Interpretation Provided.
Thursday, April 4 at 7 pm -- Please join us for our April forum as we explore policing, race, and community. Dr. Sharita Jacobs Thompson, an independent scholar and former Assistant Professor of Civil War Era studies and Africana studies at Gettysburg College, will discuss the historical context of the intersection of race and policing, and share the innovative training she has helped develop in Washington DC involving the National Museum of African American History and Culture (in which Cheverly's police force recently participated). We will also hear from a team of researchers at UMD's Applied Social Science Research Lab about work they are doing around implicit bias and police training.
There will be ample time for questions and answers and we hope that anyone interested in these topics will join us for a robust discussion. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly.
Thursday, March 7, at 7pm -- Please join us for a discussion on policing in Cheverly and beyond. Cheverly Acting Police Chief Jarod Towers will speak and answer questions. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center cafeteria. 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly.
Thursday, February 7, at 7pm: Forum canceled.
Friday, January 25, at 7pm: Our popular, 14th annual Legislative Forum for District 47A is back as we hear from our local legislators, including State Senator Malcolm Augustine, and State Delegates Diana Fennell and Julian Ivey about their legislative priorities for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session. Bring your questions: this is the chance to meet directly with your representatives.
Thursday, January 3, at 7pm: Topics will include discussion on the Cheverly Ethics Committee and how Cheverly replaces vacant council seats, as well as Progressive Cheverly budget and dues. Further details to be announced.
Thursday, January 3, at 7pm: Topics will include discussion on the Cheverly Ethics Committee and how Cheverly replaces vacant council seats, as well as Progressive Cheverly budget and dues. Further details to be announced.
2018
Thursday, December 6 - Jolene Ivey, County Council candidate (unopposed) and future representative for District 5 will discuss her plans and priorities for the upcoming Council session. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to comment on and ask questions concerning issues facing Prince George's County residents. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly
Thursday, November 1 - Please join us on as we continue our forums on the important elections this year. We will hear a report and update on Get Out the Vote efforts for the Jealous campaign, and discussion/analysis of ballot initiatives. More information forthcoming.
Progressive Cheverly will elect officers for the coming year. The Nominations Committee will be presenting the following slate of officers for a vote by the members:
Sonya Gross and Karen Moe – Co-Chairs
David Hofstad – Treasurer
Deb Warner – Secretary
All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly
Thursday, October 4 - Please join us on as we continue our forums on the important elections this year. For the first part of our program, Delegate Jimmy Tarlau will discuss "What's at stake for Maryland in the November election." You will have a chance to delve a little deeper than all the campaign rhetoric as to the significance of the outcomes in the races for Governor and the General Assembly. Following that, please join us for a postcard writing campaign. Stay tuned for future forum announcements. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave, Cheverly. (Parking Available)
Thursday, September 6th - Join us as we resume our monthly forums. The November elections are just two months away. If you are distressed about the current state of affairs following the 2016 Presidential election, change will not occur on its own. It requires the dedicated efforts - large and small - of many, many people. Come learn how you can help as we focus on electoral changes. We will be discussing various options for direct involvement. Thursday, September 6th, 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center cafeteria, 2300 Belleview Ave.
Saturday, June 16 - Join Progressive Cheverly members as we join the Fourth Ward Civic Association’s Juneteenth celebration, marking the emancipation of the final group of enslaved African-Americans in Texas on June 19, 1865. Food (there will be food trucks), dancing and a good time for all. 1:00pm – 7:00pm Boyd Park, 1801 64th Ave., Cheverly
Thursday, June 7 -- States Attorney candidates forum. Details to be announced. 7:00 -- 9:00 pm. Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria) . 2300 Belleview Ave.(Parking Available) Light refreshments will be served. *Sign Language Interpretation Available Upon Request*
Thursday, May 3 -- County Executive candidates forum. Details to be announced.7:00 -- 9:00 pm Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria)2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available) Light refreshments will be served.*Sign Language Interpretation Available Upon Request*
Thursday, April 12 -- County Council candidates forum. Here is your chance to hear and meet the candidates for Prince George's County Council discuss their plans . 7:00 -- 9:00 pm Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria) 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available) Cheverly Light refreshments will be served. *Sign Language Interpretation Available Upon Request*
Thursday, March 1 -- District 47A candidates forum, Here is your chance to hear and meet the candidates for state senate and state delegate who hope to represent us in Annapolis. 7:00 -- 9:00 pm Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria) 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available) Cheverly Light refreshments will be served. *Sign Language Interpretation Available Upon Request*
Friday, January 26 -- Progressive Cheverly's Annual legislative forum for District 47A. We will hear from State Senator Victor Ramirez and Delegates Diana Fennell and Jimmy Tarlau about their legislative priorities for the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session and have the chance to ask your questions directly to your representatives. This annual event is one of our most popular forums.
Saturday, January 20 -- We will once again be leafleting door to door in Cheverly to promote our January 26 Legislative Forum, and we need your help to make that happen! Flyers will be available for pick-up on Saturday at the home of Kurt and Lisa Stand, for distribution at your convenience this weekend.
Thursday, January 4-- Join us at 7pm at Hoyer Education Center in the cafeteria for a chance to build community and make a difference in elections. We will be teaming up with the group Postcards to Voters and hosting a postcard writing party. We will provide some snacks, stamps and postcards as well as talking points and background on the election we will be supporting. After the stunning results in the recent Alabama senate race, there are more special elections coming up across the country; postcard writing campaigns are one key way that Progressive Cheverly members can help shape these crucial contests, along with helping to register voters.
2017
Thursday, December 7 -- Progressive Cheverly Annual Holiday Party -- Cheverly friends and neighbors are most welcome to come and meet with us in a relaxed party atmosphere. Bring a favorite dish or desert to share as the dinner is a delicious adventure in pot luck. Wine and soft drinks will be provided.
Thursday, October 5th, 2017 7 pm: Forum on Fair Elections in Maryland.
How does money adversely affect the democratic process and what can be done to limit the power of money in elections? Learn about current efforts to control spending on local elections, gerrymandering of elections in Maryland and more. All welcome. Speakers: Damon Effingham, Legal and Policy Director, Common Cause Maryland and Suchitra Balachandran, Chair, Our Revolution Prince George's, a member of the Fair Election Prince George's Coalition. Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly. Light refreshments will be served. Sign language interpreters are available upon request. Contact progressivecheverly@gmail.com
Thursday, September 7, 2017: Returning Citizens and our Community.
Last spring a large number of Cheverly residents objected to the placement of a Halfway House in our town. Yet the fact remains that formerly incarcerated persons live in Cheverly as they do elsewhere in Prince George's County and very few public services are offered to help this vulnerable population. This forum will present experts and activists who will examine the public policy steps we can take to help reintegrate them into civic life upon their return as well as look at the public policy choices that result in so many fellow citizens being locked up in the first place.
Speakers:
Courtney Stewart, Chairman/CEO, The National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens
Krystal Oriadha, Lead Advocate, Criminal Justice Reform, Progressive Prince George's
Amity Pope, Co-Lead, Progressive Prince George's
Karen Dolan, Project Director, Criminalization of Race and Poverty, Institute for Policy Studies
Sunday, June 25: Join Progressive Cheverly as we celebrate with our annual summer picnic. All are welcome. Please bring a dish to share. We will provide burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, rolls, condiments and soft drinks. BYOB. If you have never been there, Boyd Park has play equipment for children, so bring the whole family. 3:00 -- 6:00 pm Boyd Park (intersection of 64th Ave. and State St.) Cheverly
June 1, 2017: Immigrant Rights
Defending vulnerable populations in our community. Speakers include Kamal Essaheb, Director of Policy & Advocay, National Immigration Law Center, and Julio Murillo, Policy Analyst in CASA's Housing and Community Development Program. Senator Victor Ramierez has been invited. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available), Cheverly. Light refreshments will be served.
Thursday May 4, talk by Corey Flintoff, longtime NPR international correspondent based in Moscow, now retired, and a Cheverly resident. He will be interviewed by Dr. Liz Papazian, who is a specialist in Russian studies teaching at the University of Maryland. To be followed by a Q&A session with audience members. 7:00 pm, Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria), 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available) Light refreshments will be served.
April 2017: Congressman Anthony Brown
March 2, 2017 -- Women's Rights: Past, Present, Future.
Dr. Sonya Michel, recently retired history professor at the University of Maryland will talk about the work of the Feminist Scholars Policy Forum and it advocacy of paid maternity/paternity leave, child care, equal pay, health care access and other issues. She will also talk about the national women's history museum project, which is now in its planning stages.
February 2, 2017 -- The Future of Metro and Mass Transit in Cheverly and the County.
This forum will address proposed cuts to the Metro system could directly impact our Cheverly station. Moreover, they can harm the local economy, and set back efforts for sustainable growth throughout Prince George's County. Community and labor representatives will discuss possible paths toward resolving the Metro crisis in a manner that will serve the interests of riders and workers as well as promote sustainable development.
Speakers include:
Malcolm Augustine, WMATA Board Member representing Prince George's County.
RJ Eldridge, Director of Planning for Toole Design Group, is a Town of Cheverly Councilmember and serves as council liaison to the Cheverly Planning Board. He will be speaking in a personal, not official capacity.
Dyana Forester, Political and Community Representative, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400.
Jackie Jeter, President, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689.
January 27, 2017: Progressive Cheverly 12th Annual District 47 Legislative Forum
Come join us, Senator Victor Ramirez and Delegates Diana Fennell and Jimmy Tarlau for this popular event. Hear your elected General Assembly representatives speak and answer your questions about Maryland state issues. Find out how proposed federal initiatives may affect Maryland and what can be done at the state level. Q & A with elected representatives will follow their presentations.
January 5, 2017: A Wake Up Call – Activism in Defense of our Future. Come Together at a Progressive Cheverly Conversation
Progressive Cheverly was founded as an independent organization 12 years ago, following George W. Bush's re-election, guided by our mission statement "to promote economic fairness, social justice, basic human rights, civil liberties, a sustainable environment, a tolerant society and world peace through a more informed political dialogue and active participation in civil society and the democratic political process." Ambitious goals, with a local focus. Donald Trump's election is presenting us with new challenges and threatens to undermine progress on many fronts. How should we respond? Join us on Thursday, January 5th and bring your energy and your ideas for action. Hoyer Education Center, 2300 Belleview Ave, 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the cafeteria