BINGHAMTON – “Talking about what divides us is hard to do, but it's the only way to begin to understand how we got here and how we go forward as a community,” said 52nd State Senate District candidate Sharon Ball at an anti-racism discussion on Tuesday evening, Oct. 25.

The panel discussion and webinar at the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton was entitled “Building Bridges: Let's Talk About Racism,” and the Democratic and Working Families Party candidate Ball commended the organizers of the public discussion, stating, “Events like these are pivotal. The community is coming together to address race on a personal level. Solutions are not straightforward, and begin with relationships.”

Ball, who lives in Whitney Point, is challenging incumbent Republican Fred Akshar. She is a retired director of the Broome County Arts Council and a former award-winning broadcast journalist.