Blackboard Jungle 13 Symposium
Reimagining an Inclusive Community
March 23 - March 26, 2021

Personal Racial Consciousness Precedes Professional Cultural Relevance: Crafting One's Racial Autobiography through Courageous Conversation™

Seemingly on a daily basis, we are reminded of the impact of race in our society. While it is critical to engage community members in conversations about the impact of race on our lives and in schooling, how do we achieve this? In this session participants will discover how personal racial consciousness sets the foundation for professional and organizational effectiveness in leading for racial equity and is central to the development of cultural relevance. By unpacking their “racial autobiography” participants will be guided through engaging, sustaining and deepening a Courageous Conversation about Race™ as a foundational strategy for re-culturing and transforming systems to deliver to interrupt disparity in experience and achievement that is predictable by race.

Speaker: Luis Versalles

Hosts: Dr. Sherwood Smith and Paul Yoon