Building Racial Awareness: A Reflection on Socialization & Race
Friday, Dec. 8
6-7:15PM ET
virtual event; open to all mentors, peer-to-peer mentees, and Girls Write Now staff
In today’s rapidly evolving and complex world, it is imperative that mentors and professionals understand the concept of race and the origin of racism in the United States. Throughout our lives, we have absorbed racist messages all around us. From loved ones to TV shows, we have learned stereotypes and stories rooted in harmful racist messages. To address this critical issue, we ask you to join us in unpacking our past, and present, to explore the racist messages that live within us and empower ourselves with essential knowledge and
insights to combat racism.
This comprehensive Mentor Professional Development session will engage mentors with a reflective process and practice in self-awareness while giving them the tools and knowledge to work to combat their own harmful thoughts and behaviors. Experienced facilitator, Elise Jayakar, will guide us through the historical context of race and its implications, examining how these ideas have shaped societal norms and individual beliefs. We will engage in self-reflective activities to identify our own racial socialization and explore how our upbringing, experiences, and surroundings have influenced our perspectives on race. By understanding how racism operates in the world and within our minds, and diving into the mechanics of systemic and individual racism, we will enable ourselves to critically assess and challenge our biases.
This session will provide a supportive space for individuals to explore, reflect, and grow. Together, we will embark on a journey of self-discovery, intellectual growth, and expanded social consciousness. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your mentorship, professional, and personal skills.
Meet the Teaching Artist
Elise Jayakar
Elise Jayakar (she/they) is a facilitator, strategist, and consultant working towards creating the anti-oppressive world we all wish to live and thrive in. For 7+ years, she has supported organizations and individuals in their growth toward liberation through a lens of identity-affirming dialogue. In their work, she centers healing from -isms, through popular education facilitation, intergroup dialogue practices, community organizing principles, restorative practices, and social justice mediation. through workshopping, holding space, strategizing, and curriculum development. Their specialty is in social justice, anti-racism, social identities and identity development, and unlearning -isms. Elise is a formally trained dialogue facilitator from the Program on Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan. She also holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. Additionally, they are certified in Social Justice Mediation through the Social Justice Mediation Institute and have completed training on restorative practices and conferences through the International Institute for Restorative Practices.
This event is open to:
all mentors, GWN staff and peer-to-peer mentees