Unconscious Bias: Interrupting the Cycle Part II

Whether you were a part of last year’s program or want to jump in now, all are invited to join us.

Unconscious bias (or implicit bias): prejudice or unsupported judgments in favor of or against one thing, person, or group as compared to another, in a way that is usually considered unfair. — from Vanderbilt University’s Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

We will continue to look at recognizing and acknowledging that we all have biases and that we contribute to the problem. We will examine our unconscious biases, understand how to have conversations with others around this topic, and learn tools to use in our daily lives to counteract this.

The series begins with an overview of unconscious bias and how to perceive the topic as a whole with Dr. Paula Martin. Each subsequent presentation will build on that topic, covering race, gender, and class/culture issues, and end with a discussion on how to take what we’ve learned and apply it. We hope you will join us, and our knowledgeable presenters, in better understanding this important and timely topic.

Let’s explore how the messages taught and caught through the media can adjust the lens through which we see the world; thus molding the ways in which we think. What impact has the media had on your life?

In this workshop, we’ll explore why LGBTQ-inclusive thinking is important for all members of our community, with a focus on safe, age-appropriate ways adults can enter into conversations with children and each other about gender and sexuality. We’ll review all that is incorporated in LGBTQ+ terminology, spend time grappling with the difference between “safety” and “comfort” as it pertains to dominant groups facing marginalized experiences, and brainstorm ways to welcome LGBTQ+ folks into our community.

To understand cultural appropriation, we have to understand the significance of a group’s culture and our own power and privilege. This workshop will explore ways cultures can interact, from acculturation to assimilation, and how cultural appropriation is not an equitable exchange of ideas.

During the final presentation, Dr. Martin will bring us together again to talk about barriers that keep us from facing and having courageous conversations and acquire concrete strategies to help us have the conversations we need to have, not only about race but all the other “isms” we are faced with. These strategies will be universal in that anyone can use them. We will also have the opportunity to practice the scripts that help us to engage in these various conversations. Having the conversation is the beginning – not the end.

The first session will together on Wed, Oct 14 from 7-9 pm.

After the first session, we will meet in two different sections, morning or evening:

We will conclude together on Wed, Jun 2 from 7-9 pm.

Fee: $150