Bold Voices, Brave Dialogue: Highlights from Conversations 2025
Moderator Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall (Spelman College) led a dynamic conversation with Dr. Ruha Benjamin (Princeton University), Erin Haines (The 19th), and advocate Stephanie Davis (C’1997). Together, they shared stories of courage, change, and impact — challenging each attendee to embrace boldness and use their voice for justice.
Photography by CaseLove Productions
Bold Voices, Brave Dialogue: Highlights from Conversations 2025
On September 18, YWCA Greater Atlanta welcomed 200 guests to our 11th annual Conversations on Race, Class, and Gender forum. This year’s theme, “Women Being Bold and Brave in Dialogue and Action,” set the stage for an inspiring discussion on building a more equitable future.
Meaningful table conversations followed, with attendees sharing personal experiences and envisioning new ways to champion women and families. Conversations 2025 was a vibrant call to action. Boldness is contagious, bravery is essential, and when women lead with courage, communities thrive.
This year’s featured speakers included:
Ruha Benjamin
Professor, Department of African American Studies, Princeton University; Founding Director, Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab
Ruha Benjamin is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, and an award-winning author. Her influential works include Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and most recently, Imagination: A Manifesto. Dr. Benjamin is a 2024 recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship, among numerous other accolades, and is known for her deep insight into the intersections of science, technology, race, and justice.
Stephanie Davis
Advocate
She served as the Chair of the Board of Motherhood Beyond Bars and, recently, the Coalition for Trafficking in Women, and currently serves on the board of the Southern Center for Human Rights. Her career as a professional feminist included being the founding director of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, the Policy Advisor on Women’s Issues to Mayor Shirley Franklin, and the director of Georgia Women for a Change
Errin Haines
Founding Mother and Editor-at-Large, The 19th News, President of NABJ
Errin Haines is an award-winning journalist focused on the intersection of race, gender, and politics. As Editor-at-Large at The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom centering the voices often left out of political discourse, she brings a critical lens to national issues through a Black feminist perspective. Haines has also Haines is a frequent contributor on MSNBC and NPR, and her reporting has helped redefine how mainstream media covers marginalized communities.
Moderator: Beverly Guy-Sheftall
Founding Director, Spelman College Women’s Research and Resource Center
A trailblazer in the field of Black feminist scholarship, Beverly Guy-Sheftall is a renowned author, activist, and educator. As the founding director of Spelman College’s Women’s Research and Resource Center, she has shaped generations of scholars and activists. Her legacy is grounded in lifting up the voices of Black women and interrogating the systemic barriers they face, making her the perfect guide for this year’s timely discussion.
