3rd Annual
Building Bridges, Removing Barriers Summit
December 9-10, 2026
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions
Round Rock, Texas
The annual "Building Bridges, Removing Barriers" summit is more than an event—it's a labor of love. Founded and hosted by nationally renowned Racial Equity expert Joyce James, the summit unites helping systems leaders and people who have lived through systemic oppression as partners in a shared fight against racial injustice. We believe transformation is possible. We must hold systems leaders accountable for how they've failed children, youth, families, and communities—especially Black communities. The mission is to empower decision-makers to act now so that everyone can thrive.
Speakers & Panelists
Founder, President & CEO of A Second ChanceDr. Sharon McDaniel
Keynote address: We Must Be the Bridge Builders: Reclaiming Family, Reimagining Child Welfare
Sixto Cancel
Going Beyond Engagement: Integration. This intimate Red Table Talk will explore what it takes to move lived experience from being heard to being integrated into policy reform.
Founder and CEO of Think of Us
Past Pres, NASW NYC Chapter, founder of AntiRacist AllianceSandra Bernabei, LCSW
Undoing White Supremacy: Addressing the racial inequities embedded in professional practice impacting children, youth, and families we serve.
Advancing the “Beloved Community”
We must continue to focus our collective wisdom on improving outcomes for Black children, youth, and families. This summit is about more than conversation. It is an urgent call to action to bridge divides, remove systemic barriers, and build pathways to opportunity and equity.
Ronald Chisom, legendary antiracism organizer and co-founder of the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, speaks about the Summit.
Local leaders discuss the nationwide impact racial equity veteran Joyce James is having on communities across the country.
