The Race Thing Comes to the Avalon

Shortly after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, long-time BFFs Tori Paxon and Heena Paracha decided they would use the power of the podcast format to share their ongoing conservations about racism from the perspective of two women of color who live on the Mid-Shore.

To capture those late-night talks and share with others seemed like a no-brainer. For Heena and Tori, these conversations started when they became fast friends while attending Easton High School. And as they began their adult life after college, they continued to question the role and impact of racism in their community.

But what they hadn’t anticipated was how popular their podcast, entitled “The Race Thing,” would turn out to be. Using distribution portals like YouTube enlarged their audience locally and was being heard on a national level.

And on July 30, they are taking their show “live” at the Avalon Theatre to celebrate their first anniversary. With the help of a selected panel of speakers and audience participation, Heena and Tori, and their partner, the Avalon Foundation, are opening up a new option for Mid-Shore residents to talk about racism and antiracism constructively in a safe place.

Nor is The Race Thing team blind to the history of the Avalon, which was known to segregate its audiences, with the Black community only allowed the balcony seats well into the 20th century.

Heena and Al Bond, CEO of the Avalon Foundation, talk about that history in their recent interview with the Spy. They also talk about reclaiming that space, the program highlights for that evening, and the appearance of rising performing artist Marlee to help set the mode for this challenging conversation.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about The Race Thing Anniversary program and to reserve a seat please go here.