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Overcoming Racism: Why IS It So Hard?
A Conference for Advancing Antiracism Leadership and Practice
November 6th, 5 - 8:45 pm (Registration opens at 4:30)
November 7th, 8 am - 6:30 pm
William Mitchell College of Law
875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN
Featured speakers and keynoters Zeus Leonardo, Victor Lewis, and Heather Hackman will head an agenda created to specifically examine and identify:
• How still-prevailing racial domination in the US inhibits us from talking about race, maintains racist practices and notions of white privilege, impedes efforts for racial justice, and perpetuates itself through culture, ideas and institutions.
• The challenges and benefits from engaging honest conversations about systemic racism, white privilege and white supremacy and the development of skills and tools to facilitate the difficult conversations needed to counter them.
• The unique resources already available to those educators, youth workers, school staff, religious leaders, antiracism facilitators, managers, supervisors, human resource personnel, grassroots community leaders and others in attendance in their own settings while identifying which personal skills and tools are needed to advance antiracist transformation.
Dozens of workshops presented by local leaders, educators and organizations will provide a wide-ranging wealth of opportunities for learning, discussion and strategizing.
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Zeus Leonardo is now an Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Studies in Education at the University of California, Berkeley. His books include Ideology, Discourse, and School Reform (2003), Critical Pedagogy and Race (Editor, 2005), and Charting New Terrains of Chicano(a)/Latino(a) Education (Co-Editor, 2000). Professor Leonardo has published numerous articles and book chapters on critical education and social theory with special attention to issues of race, class and gender. His recent book is Race, Whiteness, and Education (Routledge, 2009).
Participants are encouraged to read a piece by Zeus Leonardo in advance of his keynote. Download it here.
Victor Lewis, Director of the Center for Diversity Leadership and Coordinator of Curriculum Development for Speak Out, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of anti-oppression diversity work and alliance building. As an educator, trainer and activist, Lewis has conducted keynote speeches, seminars, workshops and "train the trainer" programs throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is best known for his award-winning race relations documentary, The Color of Fear (and HERE). Lewis is co-author, with Hugh Vasquez, of Lessons from The Color of Fear, a four volume curriculum to be used in conjunction with the film. This is an indispensable resource for educators, diversity trainers and facilitators. Lewis also conducts trainings using the curriculum.
Heather Hackman is a professor at St. Cloud State University where she teaches “Human Relations for the Teacher,” “Heterosexism and Homophobia” and “Human Relations and Race.” Prof. Hackman’s research involves training in-service educators on how to challenge and ultimately dismantle issues of race, racism, white privilege and white supremacy. Heather is committed to LBGT issues, school reform, anti-racist work as white educators and social change. (VIDEO)
See full conference agenda and workshop descriptions
Download readings and resources provided by conference speakers and presenters