SELECTED WORKSHOPS

MONUMENTAL DECISIONS
It’s time to reevaluate the old monuments, the artwork, the named streets and structures that surround us in the built environment – those relics of a past where a ruling class decided whose stories were worth honoring and whose should be disregarded. So, how, in a more diverse and inclusive society, do we decide what stays and what goes? And, in doing so, how do we avoid making the same mistakes as our predecessors?

POLICY OVER PLATITUDES
Has Black Lives Matter become the new Thoughts and Prayers? In the wake of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, a multiracial, multigenerational uprising emerged and called upon us to reimagine our systems and address with greater urgency the longstanding, existential threats of racism and colonialism faced by Black and Indigenous communities and other communities of color. This session will be an opportunity to take stock of the progress our organizations have made since 2020, to consider where we’ve fallen short, and to explore how targeted shifts in policy can lead to meaningful change for those who need it most.

THE ANTIRACIST COLLEGE (a higher ed take on Policy Over Platitudes)
Amidst the righteous uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd, college leaders drafted letters which made promises not just to enhance existing DEI efforts but to become actively antiracist. This session explores how colleges have operationalized those commitments and engages participants in ideation and dialogue about what it means for a college to be truly antiracist.

SCHOOL SEGREGATION AND THE RACIAL DIALOGUE GAP
Nearly 70 years after the landmark Brown v. Board decision, many of our K-12 school districts are still racially segregated. This has impacts for students of color who are more likely to be concentrated in under resourced and under performing schools and for white students who on average have the least access to diverse peers. This ongoing segregation of our schools widens the racial dialogue gap – our ability to talk about race across race – and hinders our efforts to close educational, economic, and other gaps based on race. This session explores the history and current state of school segregation and engages attendees in a discussion on the impact of racial isolation on our capacity to dialogue across difference.

STAKES IS HIGH: MEETING THE URGENCY OF THE MOMENT
A nation battles back a global pandemic while reckoning with centuries of systemic racism and a politics which threatens to tear us apart. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but this is our reality. For some, the impacts of the last few years have been mostly viewed through our phones and televisions. However, for others, the pain is much closer to home and the stakes are much higher. This workshop focuses on how we as individuals and collectively through our work can meet this moment with the urgency that it requires, especially for the people who are counting on us most.

CHALLENGING IMPLICIT BIAS
This session is focused on how our personal identities and experiences impact our view of the events and people around us and our work. Participants will explore the concepts of positionality, implicit bias, intersectionality, and allyship and will learn from each other by sharing their own experiences, successes, and missteps. Participants will develop a firm understanding or their role and responsibility in advancing justice through practice and policymaking.

ANTIRACIST CLASSROOMS
What does an antiracist classroom look like? Antiracist professor Dr. Raul Fernandez will guide you in understanding what antiracism means in education and how you can update your pedagogy to be more inclusive, democratic, and antiracist.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
For our students, proper use and pronunciation of preferred names can mean everything. Join Dr. Raul Fernandez for a brief talk on the social and cultural history of names and a conversation on the role of educators in creating inclusive, affirming environments.

ALLYSHIP
Attendees will learn: The difference between microagressions and macroagressions. The connection between macroagressions and structural inequities. The differences between targets, bystanders, and allies. Effective strategies for allies to address micro- and macroagressions. I’ll also share some stories about allyship – when it went right and when it went wrong.