By Samantha Fournier

Tonight participate in a conversation about race with Thomas DeWolfe, a member of the DeWolfe family, who had the largest slave trade in New England and Belvie Rooks, a writer and educator whose family was sold by the DeWolfe family.

At one point the wealthy DeWolfe family, native to Rhode Island, had more ships than the U.S. Navy. Thomas DeWolfe and Belvie Rooks are both speaking as representatives for their families to have a deeper conversation about race which will take place at 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

Professor of counseling and family therapy Dr. Jane Fried brought the idea to the Mosaic Center who is sponsoring the program.

“I think it is one of the most important conversations on race I’ve ever participated in and I thought it would be important for people around here. It’s very profound,” said Fried about a similar event she attended last year.

“I want people to experience the feelings of suffering that happened to black people and the feelings of guilt that happened to white people. When we are oppressed we all feel the same,” said Fried of what she hopes guests will take away from the event.

Program Aavisor for Student Activities and advisor of the Mosaic Center Daphney Joseph said “I really think it’s something Central needs.” Joseph hopes that this event will also make the Mosaic Center, who sponsored the play Plantanos and Collard Greens last semester, a forefront for multicultural programming.

Prior to the conversation that will take place at six p.m. in Alumni Hall, an eleven a.m. session will be held for classes to have the opportunity to participate and ask questions. At noon DeWolfe and Rooks will meet with faculty to discuss how professors can bring this conversation to classrooms and after the event, at 8:30 p.m., the Graduate Student Association will hold a reception which students can attend.