Mark your calendars for Wednesday evening, February 23rd from 7:00-8:30pm!

In March 2021, the Diversity + Community Engagement committee (D+CE) hosted a conversation open to the whole TNSM community that focused on what it means to strive for racial literacy. We watched an inspiring TED Talk given by two young women, Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo, who spent their senior year in high school trying to understand how teachers and parents can close the gap in racial education. We then participated in a guided conversation and reflection around these themes and topics. 

Reflecting back on our virtual gathering, a few thoughts and memories bubble up:

  • The sense of community and connectedness was strong, even while being virtual.
  • Gathering as a community to discuss important topics and support collective growth and development truly helped me feel more connected and bring a much-needed sense of community as many of us have not had the opportunity to be in person for our time at TNSM.
  • I walked away from that 90-minute time learning something new and hearing voices and opinions that have helped me grow as an individual and as a parent. 

I am thrilled we are offering another community conversation on Wednesday, February 23 where members of our community will be sharing and discussing the research and psychology around our desire (or even obsession) with being a “good person” and how that often stands in the way of our growing and being better people. There will be actionable tools and takeaways for us to use in our daily lives and, of course, valuable conversation among the group around navigating conversations with others when we experience or witness bias (whether intentional or not). 

A few weeks ago, D+CE member Hope Miller wrote a post that Rachel Lwin dubbed a “succinct and empathetic roadmap to being present for others.” Hope references research from social scientist Dolly Chugh, who is also behind the content that will be shared at the February 23, 2022 community conversation. If you haven’t already, Hope’s post is not only a great resource but a nice starting-off point as we go into the community conversation. 

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday evening, February 23rd from 7:00-8:30pm!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *