COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS

Leadership Ellsworth County

-is proud to present-

Continued

AN ONLINE SERIES ON

RACIAL EQUITY

Sunday, October 11 | 2pm | The Art of Empathy

Presenter: Aliah Mestrovich Seay, MA, LCMFT

K-State Research & Extension 4H Youth Development

Staley School of Leadership Studies

Develop foundational interpersonal listening skills during polarizing times that position empathy as a leadership skill that can be cultivated over time with committed practice.

Sunday, November 8 | 2pm | Storytelling for Social Justice

Presenter: Tess Hobson

Staley School of Leadership Studies

Everyone has a story to tell. The more we learn about our own stories, the more we can better understand the stories of others and how to create positive and transformative change in the world.

Sunday, January 10 | 2pm | Unpacking Whiteness

Presenter: Tess Hobson

Staley School of Leadership Studies

Learn how to demonstrate support for and solidarity with People of Color as long as overt racism and modern racism are prevalent in our communities and in our world.

Sunday, February 21 | 2pm | Why I'm Not Okay

Presenter: Aliah Mestrovich Seay, MA, LCMFT

K-State Research & Extension 4H Youth Development

Staley School of Leadership Studies

Learn how to more deeply listen to the stories of People of Color to practice inclusive intercultural leadership.

Sunday, March 14 | 2pm | The 4 A's of Anti-Racism

Presenter: Dr. Lorenza Lockett, PhD, MSW, BSW

Kansas State University, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work

Learn how to show up, understand, and respond to racism in our community and world following the 4-A’s of Anti-Racism (Awareness, Acknowledgment, Analysis, & Action)

Sunday, April 11 | 2pm | Now What?

Through the series, what have we learned? How does it apply to us? What is our role or responsibility?

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Ground Rules for Discussion

FAQs

What is the purpose of this series?

Part of leadership means surfacing important issues for discussion in the community. This series is being provided for education, awareness, and civil discourse. The sessions are being provided by our resource partners with expertise and education in the topics provided. All sessions will be structured and facilitated by third party professional facilitators with specialized training. We understand that establishing a trustworthy process for a discussion is part of the framework for learning.

May I attend one session?

You may attend one session, several sessions, or all. Each session is designed to be a stand-alone session; however, any series with continuity will also include building blocks of knowledge and learning. We encourage participation in all sessions, but understand that availability and comfort levels are a factor in your decision.

How long will each session be?

Each session will be approximately 60-75 minutes.

How is this series relevant to Ellsworth County?

Let's talk about this together. Are there social injustices in Ellsworth County? Does Ellsworth County have responsibility for national concerns? What is our part of the mess, or do we have a part of the mess? Can we learn from others on this topic?

Social injustices can occur anywhere and aren't limited to racial inequity. Other matters of concern in inclusion might be sexuality, gender, disabilities, social status, etc. Are these issues present in Ellsworth County?

If a small community such as ours can come together as one, then other communities will see that and from there, it's a ripple effect. Sometimes we have to start small to create big changes and progress.

Is there a cost to attend?

There is no cost to attend. This is a courtesy program offering by Leadership Ellsworth County and our volunteer presenters.

Meet Our Presenters

Tess Hobson

Tess Hobson is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Staley School of Leadership Studies at Kansas State University. She teaches a course about inclusive leadership called Culture and Context of Leadership and coordinates the Edgerley-Franklin Leadership Scholarship Program, that seeks to shape the next generation of social justice leaders. She received a Master’s degree in College Student Development and a graduate certificate in Social Justice Education from Kansas State University, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Student Affairs and Higher Education at K-State. Her research interests revolve around the power of storytelling as a pedagogy in facilitating learning on topics of social justice.

Dr. Lorenza Lockett

Professional: Dr. Lorenza Lockett is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Kansas State University. Dr. Lockett retired from the US Army after twenty years of active-duty service in 1994. He then completed a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work (BSW; 1999) at Kansas State University; a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW; 2006) at Arizona State University and most recently, a doctoral degree (PhD; 2015) in Family Studies at Kansas State University. He currently teaches in an undergraduate social work program at Kansas State University. His teaching motto - “People Matter!” never changes. Dr. Lockett is deeply committed to community activism that promotes an inclusive “common good” ideal for all members of society.

Aliah Mestrovich Seay

Aliah Mestrovich Seay, LCMFT #855, is an Extension Specialist for the Department of 4-H Youth Development at Kansas State University, a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and also works as an Instructor at the Staley School of Leadership Studies.. She holds a B.S. degree in Clinical Psychology in French from the Université de Caen, Basse-Normandie, France and a M.A. Degree in Counseling Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University in Orange County, California. She is currently a doctoral student in Leadership Communication at the K-State Staley School of Leadership Studies. With over 20 years of cumulative experience in K-12, higher education, and the not-for-profit sectors, Aliah’s professional and research interests involve intercultural coaching and training techniques that focus on cultural identity development, listening, mindfulness, and finding innovative ways to engage with difference differently.

Thank you to our resource partners, presenters, and facilitators for making this series possible.

K-State Research & Extension Midway District

K-State Research & Extension 4H Youth Development

Kansas State University

Staley School of Leadership Studies

Institute for Civic Discourse & Democracy