Diversity Awareness Partnership

In a collaborative effort, Diversity Awareness Partnership and NCCJ St. Louis have worked together to develop Dialogue for Change. These sessions are designed to foster vulnerable, growth-minded dialogue about race and racial justice by creating space for all voices and facilitating conversations that many are not accustomed to having. In the wake of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others, it is as necessary as ever to resist the urge to remain silent. These conversations are difficult but critical in order to understand this global outcry and radically shift the status quo.

Dialogue for Change sessions provide people of color a safe space in which to process, without the all-too-common external pressure to educate others, while simultaneously providing space for white folks to discuss the things they are finding challenging and support one another in their own learning and understanding. Through situating our individual lives and social identities as inextricably linked to the forces that created white supremacy and have upheld it in our culture and institutions, Dialogue for Change 2020 seeks to illuminate and challenge bias as well as create an urgent call to action – committed, accountable, concrete work, despite the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These online sessions represent a very real community where broader transformative change and connection can take root.

THE KEY OBJECTIVES FOR DIALOGUE FOR CHANGE ARE TO:
• Make room for all voices to be heard
• Recognize the value in doing work with people who have a similar racial identity
• Identify how racism hurts each of our racial groups
• Identify ways to begin deconstructing the racism that exists within yourself and within your institution
• Practice working across differences to begin dismantling racism

HERE IS WHAT YOUR SESSION WILL LOOK LIKE:

We encourage you to turn on your video so that we can all see one another as we engage in dialogue. We understand that there are circumstances that may prevent some folks from turning on their camera, and that is also okay.

Dialogue for Change: Agenda
(Total: 2 hours)

Dialogue for Change is designed with the intention of having all participants engage in a courageous conversation on the topic of race and racism. We find that it is important to discuss race and racism both with people who look like us and with people who don’t look like us. This session provides opportunities for both.

• 10 minutes: Intro, goals, norms
• 10 minutes: What brings you to today’s session?
• 45 minutes: Caucus Group Dialogue
  In caucus groups, participants will have an opportunity to engage in conversation with only participants that hold the same or similar racial identity
• 45 minutes: Full Group Dialogue
  In the full group dialogue, participants will engage in conversation that includes everyone and builds on the conversation they had in their caucus groups
  **This part of the conversation is not meant for black and brown participants to share about all of the negative experiences they have had while white participants silently listen. The expectation is that ALL participants will contribute to the conversation, lean into discomfort, and allow for vulnerability / “messing up”
• Begin discussing what action steps can be taken to improve the racial climate at your organization
• 5 minutes: What next? Spotlight the importance of the conversation not ending today.
• Resources to continue learning, engaging in dialogue, and sign up for additional trainings/workshops/dialogues
• Thank you! Adjournment

For more information or to schedule a session, please contact DAP Executive Director Melissa Brickey at mbrickey@dapinclusive.org or 314-257-0798.