In-Person Experiences
on Friday, September 27
Please note that in the morning of the In-Person Day, attendees will have the choice to either participate in an Institute for the morning experiences (2.5 hrs.), or to participate in two consecutive Morning Sessions with a break in between. Click Here for a printable PDF version of the session offerings for the In-Person Day.
For the best viewing experience you should use a desktop or laptop to view this page.
Options for Institutes | 9:30am - 12pm
Another way IS possible: Organizational recruitment and retention in alignment with racial justice values
Offered by:
Courtney Reed Jenkins & ananda mirilli
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
FEATURED GUEST PRACTITIONER
Organizations are grappling to bring their systems and culture into alignment with their racial equity values. Achieving workforce justice means dismantling systems of whiteness in recruitment and hiring, and it means the deliberate interruption of microaggressions, fostering a universally welcoming environment for all personnel, and equipping staff to champion justice, equity, and inclusion within their program domains.
During this interactive session, participants will shift from ideological commitment to practical action as leaders for equity. We will explore how whiteness shows up in recruitment protocols and address specifically the new landscape of "affirmative action." If you are primed to effect meaningful change in recruitment and retention practices, this session is for you!
Palestine: A Moral Compass for Transnational Solidarity
Offered by:
Mouna Algahaithi, Syovata Edari, Tony DelaRosa & Erika Rosales Garcia
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Embrace the radical tools of writing through the exploration of reflections and creativity to make space for your own perspective while cultivating calm and clarity. Participants will be guided in journaling, poetry, song writing, and a variety of expressions of creative writing with an emphasis on pause and mindful presence. This workshop embraces the long legacy and contributions of radical writers such as adrienne maree brown, James Baldwin, Roxane Gay, and Chinaka Hodge.
Options for Morning Sessions
Options for 1st Morning Block | 9:30am - 10:15am
LIFT Wisconsin (Legal Interventions for Transforming Wisconsin) is a collaborative initiative to increase economic wellbeing in Wisconsin by streamlining access to justice through technology while reforming court systems and public policies. Since 2019, LIFT has been working alongside individuals and community partners to tackle common civil legal barriers, like criminal and eviction records, driver’s license suspensions and revocations, child support modifications, and consumer debt collection. Far too many folks cannot afford the assistance of an attorney to help them address their civil legal issues and LIFT is working to fill that gap.
The presentation will focus on the civil legal barriers and the disproportionate harm this system causes for low-income and BIPOC Wisconsinites. Through innovative technology, education, community collaboration, and direct support for the individuals impacted by our legal institutions, LIFT strives to decrease the justice gap and democratize the data our state agencies provide to the public, which impacts all aspects of life, from employability, financial independence and stability, to health, safety, and wellbeing.
Our presentation will include a live demonstration of how technology can advance justice. Participants will leave the session with tangible tools to employ in their work and share in relevant community spaces - immediately contributing to bridging the access to justice gap.
Options for Afternoon Sessions | 1pm - 2:30pm
Experience healing, connection, and inspiration in this workshop where participants will learn about lessons from art that can be applied to our racial justice practices. Through peer support and behavioral activation, participants will create a collaborative poster board that will be viewed through a kaleidoscope at the end. Each participant will create an image of what they believe a racially just world looks like with an emphasis on nurturing ideas that others deem impossible. During this time participants will also discuss reflection questions about finding creative solutions to dismantle racial injustice. The primary takeaways are for participants to understand the power of creativity in liberation and to feel empowered to imagine a world beyond the current systems we live under.
This session is “crosslisted” with the “Muslim and Jewish Voices on Islamophobia and Antisemitism” session, as well as the “Safety Through Solidarity” session. All are welcomed to join this interactive, generative dialogue session in which Jewish community members will process our thoughts and feelings about being Jewish in this historical moment and at this year’s summit, with the support of non-Jewish friends and community members. Possible questions for exploration will include: What do Jewish traditions say about social justice? What is antisemitism, and how does it fit into our social justice analysis? How have things changed in our social justice coalitions since October 7? What opportunities does this yearʼs summit provide to share, learn, and grieve on these topics?
During this session we will facilitate discussions on healing from financial trauma and destigmatizing money conversations with family and friends. We will also take a moment to explore how historically and systematically communities of color have intentionally been denied access to funds and means to acquire generational wealth. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to gain a clear understanding of 1) how financial resources have been systematically kept out of communities of color, 2) acknowledge the underutilized resources available to them and 3) walk away with clarity on what it takes to succeed financially and plan for their future. This will be accomplished through the introduction of effective savings and budgeting frameworks, as well as hands-on activities where participants map out their goals and current budgets. Ultimately, participants should leave feeling in control of their finances and equipped with actionable steps toward achieving generational wealth.
Technology, Community, and Education: Innovative Strategies for Eliminating Wisconsin’s Justice Gap
Offered by:
Jessie Lutter-Long, Alberto Prado and Erica Nelson
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Participants will explore the history of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, co-exploring the difference between performative actions and those that drive real change. The session will begin with a historical overview to identify both performative and impactful DEI actions. It will then transition to an interactive segment where we analyze 2-3 DEI initiatives that were successful in appearance but fell short in achieving true equity. Participants will collaborate to reimagine strategies that ensure the progress of DEI work over the past decades translates into meaningful, lasting equity.
In this pivotal session, we will delve into the importance of Palestine as a moral compass for global justice movements. Using the kaleidoscope metaphor, we will Reflect on the historical and contemporary struggles of the Palestinian people, fostering self-awareness and empathy (Reflection/360 Rotation). Through shared stories and experiences, we will explore the profound connections and relationships (Mirroring) that bind us across borders, emphasizing the necessity of transnational solidarity. Finally, we will Translate these insights into actionable strategies, recognizing that each movement towards justice contributes to a new and emergent whole. Join us to understand how the Palestinian cause serves as a guiding light for intersectional racial justice and collective liberation worldwide.
Educator Call-in: Implementing Social Justice in the Classroom
Offered by:
Dr. Micah-Jade Stanback & Mya Rodriguez-Williams
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Experience healing, connection, and inspiration in this workshop where participants will learn about lessons from art that can be applied to our racial justice practices. Through peer support and behavioral activation, participants will create a collaborative poster board that will be viewed through a kaleidoscope at the end. Each participant will create an image of what they believe a racially just world looks like with an emphasis on nurturing ideas that others deem impossible. During this time participants will also discuss reflection questions about finding creative solutions to dismantle racial injustice. The primary takeaways are for participants to understand the power of creativity in liberation and to feel empowered to imagine a world beyond the current systems we live under.
We will show that it is no coincidence that people of color and immigrants experience the highest rates of wage theft and misclassification (when employers classify employees as contractors in order to avoid paying taxes and workers' comp insurance). We show ample data to demonstrate how Latinx immigrant workers in particular are targeted for this practice. But it doesn't end there. We also show how, through consciousness raising, collectively standing up for their rights with the public support of community allies, workers, and immigrant workers in particular, have the power to challenge these systematic injustices. We provide examples and illustrations throughout the presentation.
This is a time for us to come together as a Black, BIPOC and Special Needs community, supporting each other in building and uplifting our own communities. We will share ideas and strategies, split into small groups to share our wisdom, and support one another in maintaining and growing the communities we have built.
Options for 2nd Morning Block | 10:30am - 12:00pm
This session will focus on educators and how they can implement social justice in their classroom. Groups of educators will circle through stations that will help them think about/revamp their own praxis and reflect on student feedback.
Have you ever experienced the exhausting internal dialogue: 'Am I doing enough? Am I good enough? I'm going to show you I can do this.' Have you experienced pressure from others to: 'do more, be more, sacrifice yourself?' In this session, we hope to create a communal space for authentic, raw, and unscripted dialogue exploring how competition manifests within healing and liberation spaces and can impact our personal livelihood, relationships we're in, and, ultimately, movement goals. We'll practice tending to the needs of our own nervous systems while understanding more deeply our place within the greater ecosystem. We hope to create spaciousness for new storylines with rich and complex meaning that can offer possibilities for a shift to happen. As Gery Paredes Vásquez so beautifully shared, "to experience the beauty of the whole--which is our shared humanity--we must move differently."
This is an interactive workshop where participants can dive into the "Archaeology of the Self" using the power of writing and listening as tools to remix realities and imagine new possibilities, both in and beyond the classroom.
You will engage in a few writing and listening activities that resonate with the rhythms of reflection, connection and creativity. By digging and expanding on personal stories, beliefs, and experiences, you will see how listening enhances criticality, which can build collaborative energy, which leads to co-creating fresh narratives about relationships between educators and students from all walks of life.
We hope you will walk away deeply encouraged to honor your creative potential in order to build richer, more inclusive learning environments. We hope you use the space to unearth the stories that shape us while envisioning the worlds we can build together.
Bad River: A Story of Defiance is a new documentary film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty. The story, narrated collectively by members of the tribe, unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience which includes a David vs. Goliath battle to save Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in America. As Eldred Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Elder declares: “We gotta protect it… die for it, if we have to.” Watch the Trailer Here.
Important Note: This will only be a screening of the film. There will not be a facilitated or dialogue component to this afternoon expereince as there will be in the morning screening.
This session will be a a guided community discussion about managing stress and manifesting what we want as Black women for ourselves. We will be exploring the intersectional experiences that Black women are currently, and have always had, in this country. As Kamala Harris is running for president, while Sonya Massey was just murdered by Illinois police, we will be discussing what we envision for Black women. We will be asking: What it looks like to thrive as Black women in the U.S.? The session will close with a meditation practice about envisioning what we want for ourselves and each other in community.
In this session, we will create a holistic justice framework using and exploring intersectionality, sharing the history and tradition of R.J. and challenging existing barriers. We will examine data from our state to create an actionable plan for progress and intergenerational mobilization. During our time together, we will find joy, ujima, and healing that will stay with us long after our time together. Our struggle for reproductive justice is fire that burns brighter than ever. It is time to expand our scope of reproductive justice!
This session will explore the histories of both Islamophobia and Antisemitism as a source of insight for how we can ground ourselves in a practice of solidarity to fight both of them. This will be an opportunity to track the patterns and similarities in the mindsets that lead to these violent practices, as well as to explore the distinct realities of their manifestations today. Through this exploration, participants will gain a clearer sense of how to show up in the fight against both Islamophobia and Antisemitism.
"You are part of a long chain of struggle that was here long before you were here and is going to be here long after you're gone. And that gives life a meaning." — Anne Braden
So many of us who are white at this summit have committed ourselves to racial justice as it relates to our own personal growth and our political work in the world. Yet so often, when we pause and look inward, we are met with feelings of emptiness and shame as well as a confusion about our own stake and role in movements for social change. Like all human beings, we who are seeking to step away from the harmful “white” racial role we have been given need to find a meaningful lineage to hold on to, one that ties us to life-giving “movement ancestors” that can offer us wholeness and political direction to sustain our spirits as we engage in this work for the long-haul.
This session will offer white summit attendees an opportunity to form a meaningful connection to a hidden yet unbroken legacy of multiracial resistance in this country. This is a tradition of ancestors of all colors who stood firmly against oppression and bias while affirming all people's profound stake, role, and belonging in shared struggle. It is a tradition of those who organized with clarity about the centuries-long connection between racism and the corporate domination of the entire 99%. It is a radical tradition that white southern revolutionary, Anne Braden, called her "spiritual home."
Together, we will learn about many of the movements and individuals present within this historical legacy. Participants will be guided to reflect on how they can find both belonging in this lineage as well as profound political insight for their activism in the world today.
This session will include a grounding practice, lecture, and group reflection as well as curated study materials to prepare for our time together.
Note: This workshop is meant to compliment David’s morning session titled, “Radical White Anti-Racism: Rooting ourselves in a politics of solidarity, collective belonging, and class struggle,” though it can also be a very meaningful experience for those who choose to take a different morning offering.
Housing equality will always be a fight to achieve as long as housing is primarily treated as an investment vehicle rather than as a basic human right. Participants will hear raw stories and experiences from those most impacted by this reality: from families that deal with obtaining and maintaining safe and secure housing to the people who work the backline (case workers, coordinators, veteran and section 8 workers etc.). Join us for a simulation that will help you get a deeper understanding of the real-life situations many families have to balance while trying to manage their housing needs.
Worlds of Care: Exploring Disability Justice tools for Collective Liberation
Offered by:
Garret Denning and Nancy Yang
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
This session explores aspects of Disability Justice (DJ) and how principles and practices can guide our racial justice work, from accountability to care. We will start with grounding and community building, moving to discussions of how DJ is present in our daily lives. Utilizing reflections of some of the principles of DJ, we will explore care webs and other practices as tools we can use in movement work and our collective liberation journeys.
In this session, Dekila Chungyalpa and Kristin Klingman will discuss the psychological, social, and planetary impacts of the environmental and climate crises and how these impacts have marked us and our communities. They will explore the latest scientific research on ecological emotions and examine how different identity groups experience environmental and climate impacts and reflect on how contemplative practices and especially Indigenous wisdom traditions teach us to reconnect with Nature as both the goal and the method towards coping and even thriving in a time of collapse. Following the presentation, they will lead us through a contemplative nature-based practice and a meaning making ritual for creating wild medicine.
I would like to offer a 1-hour Sound Therapy session with crystal sound bowls. The vibrations produced by these instruments create a meditative and therapeutic atmosphere, promoting deep relaxation and a sense of well-being. The sound waves help balance the body's energy, providing both physical and emotional healing.
The experience of the Racial Justice Summit can be a big, beautiful blur. Join us for a pause at the beginning of the in-person day to ground yourself in quiet reflection about what you're learning and unlearning and how you'd like to integrate these experiences into your practice. We'll use YWCA Madison's Racial Justice Summit booklet as a journaling guide and get ourselves ready for not just the final day of the Summit, but for all the intentional, complex and joyful work that comes after.
Healing With Sound
Offered by:
Sarah Branch of Earthly Temptation
Audience:
Black Women
Screening of Bad River Documentary + Dialogue with Contributors
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Serving in Symmetry
Offered by:
Soumya Palreddy & Ian Lowe
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
DEI Unplugged: Moving from the Performative to the Impactful
Offered by:
Krystal Johnson
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Radical White Anti-Racism: Rooting ourselves in a politics of solidarity, collective belonging, and class struggle
Offered by:
David Dean
Audience:
White or Euro-American
A Yoga Flow for Black Women
Offered by:
Angelica Euseary & Ahleea Zama
Audience:
Black Women
Let’s play a game! This game is referred to as Dignity Ball. Each ball represents an aspect of dignity to be respected, protected and fulfilled for every person. Dignity is a sense of mutual self worth shared between yourself and your community. Participants in this session will engage in a physical game that acts as experiential learning to deepen these concepts.
Offered by:
Koren Dennison & Lex Rhodes
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
UBUNTU's Dignity Ball
If You Can Imagine It, It’s Possible: Applying Lessons From Art To Our Racial Justice Practices
Offered by:
Cassandra Xiong
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Wild Medicine: Earth Practices for Deep Resilience
Offered by:
Dekila Chungyalpa & Kristin Klingman
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
A Guided Discussion & Meditation about Self-Care & Wellness for Black Women
Offered by:
Angelica Euseary & Kayla McGhee
Audience:
Black Women
Come into the space ready to explore and create as we will gather for a circle and after the opening ceremony, take some time to form some sort of poetry, spoken work, song, rap, etc. to share with the circle along with a story of what it means to you. We will gather in circle and begin with introductions and what motivated us to attend the space. We will then spend some time with utensils and things to write on to formulate our creations. Whatever comes from that, whether it be spoken word, rap, song, poetry, or even just a beat, will be available to present to the circle if desired. After presenting your creation to the circle, again if desired, a short story can be shared as well to accompany your creation. If everyone is able to share before our time is over, we can bring all of the stories and creations we heard over our time together back for a larger dialogue and conversation on what inspires us to create.
Black Masculinities: Sing, Rap, Speak, and Shout
Offered by:
Isaac Trussoni
Audience:
Anyone who is Black and relates with masculinity no matter how they present themselves or are perceived
A thoughtful discussion between parents and children from multiracial families delving into the relational dynamics of Black and Brown children with White parents. This dialogue aims to foster the liberation of our minds and establish an authentic support system for our children.
“The Other America”: How white people can step into a tradition of multiracial struggle for a better world
Offered by:
David Dean
Audience:
White People
From the Civil Rights movement to community organizing, Very important conversations started at the kitchen table. It is a place where you can bring your concerns and solutions while hearing the perspective of others. This workshop will allow us to be in community and discuss topics that impact us directly and ways we can support each other as a community.
In this session, BIPOC teens and young adults will engage in a dynamic and empowering experience that equips them with practical tools to navigate and address racism and microaggressions using restorative justice. Through interactive activities, real-life scenarios, and peer-led discussions, participants will learn how to foster healing, hold others accountable, and advocate for themselves in both school and work environments. The session will create a safe, supportive space where participants can share their experiences, build confidence, and leave feeling empowered to use restorative justice principles in their daily lives.
In recent years, a version of anti-racism (and activism more broadly) has come into the mainstream that creates major barriers to the change our society needs.
Based in a punitive culture and oversimplified understandings of privilege, it prioritizes call-outs over the hard, relational work of coalition-building. It allows the powerful to co-opt our movements while carrying on their exploitation, racial violence and genocidal militarism. It pushes many white people into counterproductive roles as fearful, deferent, “allies” who put people of color on dehumanizing pedestals, tear each other down, and have little consciousness of their own stake in social change. And it leaves other white communities vulnerable to those offering belonging in reactionary, nationalist movements.
This workshop is meant to help those of us who are white let go of this dysfunctional model of activism. In its place, participants will be supported to cultivate a transformative politics of solidarity, collective belonging, and class struggle.
In order to do this, we will begin by unveiling the centuries-long relationship between white supremacy and the corporate domination of the entire 99%. Participants will encounter early histories of European-Americans being socialized to leave behind their cultural and political traditions and adopt a “white” racial role essential to the growth of global capitalism. And they will witness later stories of these populations being re-socialized to further suppress cross-racial resistance.
We will then draw from these historical insights a different way of engaging in activism, an organizing strategy we will call “radical anti-racism” that was present in many movements of the past but that has been reduced in our modern era. Participants will explore how this practice can allow us to show up as grounded, purposeful partners in the work of social change and drive us to build powerful forms of solidarity capable of challenging white supremacy and the economic system it serves.
This session will include a grounding practice, engaging lectures and group reflection as well as a few study materials to prepare for our time together.
Note: Participants in this session are also welcome to take David’s afternoon workshop, “The Other America: How white people can step into a tradition of multiracial struggle for a better world,” which builds upon this content by uplifting a hidden yet unbroken legacy of radical anti-racist movements that we can find belonging in and carry forward.
Bad River: A Story of Defiance is a new documentary film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty. The story, narrated collectively by members of the tribe, unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience which includes a David vs. Goliath battle to save Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in America. As Eldred Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Elder declares: “We gotta protect it… die for it, if we have to.” Watch the Trailer Here.
The screening will be followed by a dialogue with some of the people featured in the film. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the current status of the fight to protect our water, and will learn more about how we can all take action now for our future generations.
Inspired by Jamila Dugan’s powerful insight, “What we want for our students, we must provide for our educators,” this session invites participants to explore the theme of symmetry in spaces where they serve—whether in schools, healthcare, community care settings, or workplaces. We will examine how cultivating agency, nurturing relationships, and supporting healing are vital not just for those we serve, but also for ourselves. Join us to engage in meaningful dialogue to examine how to increase symmetry in the care extended to those we serve and ourselves.
Honoring the theme of reflection, connection, and transformation, we invite high school youth and K-12 educators to participate in a mixed media art co-creation that focuses on how self-reflection can be transformative in educational justice. The concept of self-reflexivity, or the capacity to examine one's thoughts, feelings, and actions, is often used in Restorative Justice circle processes to build community. We will be utilizing several forms of media such as written poetry, self-portraiture, beading, and more to co-create a collage-like mural that showcases how even though on an individual level we are all different, when we come together, we can create an intricate and beautiful community together, very similar to a kaleidoscope.
Keena Atkinson will be hosting a mini wellness retreat. Participants will spend time on the following most requested support areas. Nutrition, Hormonal, Advocacy/Assertiveness, Mothering, Breathwork, Aromatherapy, Emotional Release, KCC (Kindness, Compassion Care), with time for Journaling prompt(s) &/or discussion. Much of this practice stems from understandings of generational experiences passed down in Black history and culture. These are all packaged in an interwoven journey so that participants can experience, embody and understand the way that each of these connect and affect the other. There is no separation. Participants will learn holistic ways in which they can consistently take good care of themselves in each of these areas/ways and how they and the people around them will be affected.
White dominant, culturally-conditioned responses can limit our capacity to show up for ourselves, for one another, and for our communities. Somatic awareness, practiced within relationship, can support the unwinding of these default patterns and build resilience for showing up with care and accountability. We will move within small group connections to explore how the wisdom of our bodies can support unlearning white conditioning, and build capacity and vision for deeper connection, belonging, and compassionate action. Come ready to gently connect with your somatic experience within the context of relational, small-group practices.
The experience of the Racial Justice Summit can be a big, beautiful blur. Join us for a pause at the beginning of the in-person day to ground yourself in quiet reflection about what you're learning and unlearning and how you'd like to integrate these experiences into your practice. We'll use YWCA Madison's Racial Justice Summit booklet as a journaling guide and get ourselves ready for not just the final day of the Summit, but for all the intentional, complex and joyful work that comes after.
This space will be provided for transracial/transnational BIPOC adoptees to connect with one another through the circle process. BIPOC adoptees will respond to prompts to share their experiences with one another as well as build bridges. The circle process allows the participant to decide how much or how little they would like to share. The hope is that this space will create connection, a community of transracial/transnational BIPOC adoptees, and participants will feel seen, valued, and heard.
Come to this beginner-friendly yoga session ready to flow! In this practice, we will be in community as Black women flowing and focusing on connecting our minds and bodies through yoga. Come dressed ready to flow, bring your yoga mat, blocks, blankets and water to flow with us. We will spend time stretching on the floor, flowing through standing poses, and getting a little sweat in with some power poses. We can't wait to meet you on the mat!
This is a time for our community to come together, relax, and heal. Let us transition into a spiritual realm, soaking up the healing sounds to rejuvenate ourselves from within. As you relax and receive sound therapy, you will leave the space feeling more uplifted than when you arrived.
The experience of the Racial Justice Summit can be a big, beautiful blur. Join us for a pause at the beginning of the in-person day to ground yourself in quiet reflection about what you're learning and unlearning and how you'd like to integrate these experiences into your practice. We'll use YWCA Madison's Racial Justice Summit booklet as a journaling guide and get ourselves ready for not just the final day of the Summit, but for all the intentional, complex and joyful work that comes after.
Healing Together: Shifting from Competition to Collective Empowerment
Offered by:
Afra Smith & Ginger Francis
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
The Archeology of the Self: Writing and Listening Our Way Into Creating New Worlds
Offered by:
Vera Naputi Justin Russell Gigi Rodriguez Jessica Ceballos
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Screening of Bad River Documentary
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
The Art of Self-Reflection: A Youth-Led Art Co-Creation Centering Racial Justice In Education
Offered by:
Mya Rodriguez-Williams & Dr. Micah-Jade Stanback
Audience:
Youth/All - Open to Everyone
Mini R'oujie Wellness Retreat
Offered by:
Keena Atkinson
Audience:
Intentionally designed for Black, Indigenous, & Latinx Women, Men, Youth, Parents, Caretakers; Welcoming to People of the Global Majority
If You Can Imagine It, It’s Possible: Applying Lessons From Art To Our Racial Justice Practices
Offered by:
Cassandra Xiong
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Spiritual Soundscape: for people of color who experience disability in themselves or in their loved ones
Offered by:
Shanice Baquet
Audience:
BIPOC people with experiences of disability
Unity Circles: for people of color who experience disability in themselves or in their loved ones
Offered by:
Shanice Baquet
Audience:
BIPOC people with experiences of disability
or in their loved ones.
Transformative, Transracial Parenting
Offered by:
Katey Nelson, Sara Alvarado, Nikki Conklin, Kayla Conklin, Janiya Dillard, & Jazmynn Appleton
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Housing Equality: "Telling the Story"
Offered by:
Leticia Hockenberry, Clarice Lightning, Jeremy Schmidt
& Becky Binz
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Kitchen Table Talk for Black Folks
Offered by:
Alex Booker
Audience:
Black, Afro-Caribbean, African or African American, LGBTQIA+, Men, Nonbinary & Gender Nonconforming, Plus Size, Larger Bodied, Trans, Woman
FEATURED GUEST PRACTITIONER
Reflect, Connect, Create New Worlds: Quiet Reflection and Journaling Practice
Offered by:
Sarah Shatz
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Building Community through Somatic Practice: Visioning from the Wisdom of Our Bodies
Offered by:
Heather Sorensen & Emily Hagenmaier
Audience:
White or Euro-American
Reflect, Connect, Create New Worlds: Quiet Reflection and Journaling Practice
Offered by:
Sarah Shatz
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Writers for the Revolution
Offered by:
Ali Muldrow
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
The Intersections of Worker, Racial, and Immigrant Justice
Offered by:
Rebecca Meier-Rao & Socorro Cortez
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Intersectional Social Justice Affinity Space for Jews and Allies
Offered by:
Shahanna McKinney-Baldon
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Reflect, Connect, Create New Worlds: Quiet Reflection and Journaling Practice
Offered by:
Sarah Shatz
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Shattering Stigma: Money as a Tool, WE must use Properly!
Offered by:
Elijah Holmes
Audience:
People of the Global Majority (Non-white participants)
Muslim and Jewish Voices on Islamophobia and Antisemitism
Offered by:
Shahanna McKinney-Baldon & Nafsaniath Fathema
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Beyond Choice- Expanding the Scope of Reproductive Justice
Offered by:
Ayomi Obuseh
Audience:
All - Open to Everyone
Rethinking the Clapback: Facing Racism with a Restorative Mindset
Offered by:
Nanceny Fanny
Audience:
BIPOC Youth and Young Adults
Transracial/Transnational Adoptee Connection Space: Building bridges with each other through the Circle Process
Offered by:
Emily Peterson
Audience:
People of the Global Majority (All Non-White Identities/BIPOC), Transracial or Transnational Adoptee
View the Summit schedule and plan your experience.
In-Person experiences will take place at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center located at 1 John Nolen Dr, Madison, WI 53703.
Ticket Eligibility: Everyone registered with an In-Person Day Only Ticket or a Combined Virtual and In-Person Ticket will have access to these sessions.
Sign-Up Required: Most In-Person Summit experiences will require attendees to sign up in advance, with the exception of the Closing Generative Dialogue, the Rooftop Party and the exhibit areas. We will regularly update this page with more information about these offerings. Attendees with a ticket that includes the In-Person day will receive an email in early September with a survey to make their selections for their choice of in-person experiences.
Some in-person experiences will be offered in identity-based communities and indicate so in their description and access details.
Our Practitioners ↘
YWCA Madison’s Racial Justice Summit is co-created with local practitioners, educators, artists, facilitators, and community organizers who curate virtual and in-person sessions that engage participants in community dialogue, practice, and action-envisioning.
Mouna Algahaithi
Keena Atkinson
Shanice Baquet
Becky Binz
Alex Booker
Jessica Ceballos
Jazmynn Appleton
Sara Alvarado
Sarah Branch
Dekila Chungyalpa
Kayla Conklin
Nikki Conklin
Socorro Cortez
David Dean
Tony DelaRosa
Garret Denning
Koren Dennison
Emily Hagenmaier
Leticia Hockenberry
Elijah Holmes
Nafsaniath Fathema
Syovata Edari
Janiya Dillard
Ginger Francis
Erika Rosales Garcia
Courtney Reed Jenkins
Kristin Klingman
Krystal Johnson
Ian Lowe
Kayla McGhee
Alberto Prado
Ian (pronunciation: EE - uh n, he/him) is a Wisconsin-based educator with over 15 years of classroom teaching experience. As a school-based Restorative Justice practitioner, Ian helps weave Restorative Practices into myriad aspects of teaching and learning environments. Ian’s pedagogical approach is also heavily influenced by his experience with interdisciplinary instruction and project-based learning. His work in developing collaborative, interdisciplinary, and project-based work with students was captured in Wisconsin Public Radio’s Classroom Frequency, which aired in June 2019 and was awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Education.
Becky is the Housing and Equitable Development Planner in the City of Sun Prairie where she is focused on expanding housing opportunities and justice through city planning, policy analysis, and program development. With prior experience as a planning consultant, Becky has spent most of her career collaborating with Midwest communities on a variety of initiatives, spanning from comprehensive housing studies to zoning code improvements.
Clarice Lightning
Jessie Lutter-Long
ananda mirilli
Ali Muldrow
Erica Nelson
Katey Nelson
Heather Sorensen
Afra Smith
Micah-Jade
Coleman Stanback
Cassandra Xiong
Coming Soon…
Justin Russell
Jeremy Schmidt
Isaac Trussoni
Nancy Yang
Ahleea Zama
Mouna Algahaithi (she/her) is the proud daughter of a Yemeni immigrant and Muslim-American convert. She grew up around the world, experiencing multiple modalities of learning including homeschooling, unschooling, private and public schooling, while learning the most from experiencing and immersing herself in the cultures of the places she was raised in. Today, she is an educator, facilitator and community builder and organizer. She is a resource mobilizer and is passionate about cultivating spaces of belonging. She has taught in Senegal (West Africa), Pittsburgh, Boston and Madison and in her current role, travels around the state and country training educators and caregivers. Mouna studied criminal justice and education policy at UW-Madison.
Sara Alvarado is a white woman married to a Mexican man with two multicultural, bilingual children. She is a writer, speaker, and fierce advocate for racial equity in real estate. Sara co-leads Own It: Building Black Wealth, a groundbreaking initiative to increase generational wealth in Black and brown communities through homeownership. Sara published her first book, Dreaming In Spanish in 2023, the Racial Justice Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals, a Guide for Change Agents, and numerous articles and essays. Sara and her husband, Carlos, own Alvarado Real Estate Group and feel most at home in Madison, Wisconsin, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She is a board member of Centro Hispano, All Things Alzheimer’s, and she’s a named founder of Step Up, Badger Rock Middle School, and Nuestro Mundo Community School. Sara is a lover of love, spirit, dance, and adventure (with the music turned up) and enjoys family fun, traveling, challenging the status quo, and writing.
Jazmynn Appleton, who grew up in Madison, WI, is a multifaceted entrepreneur, career woman, and devoted mother to her son, Jaedyn.
Jazmynn serves as the Chief Director of Entrepreneurial Growth and Innovation at the Progress Center for Black Women, an organization dedicated to uplifting Black women and families through entrepreneurial training, professional development and comprehensive support.
She is the co-founder of FOCUS, an entrepreneurial training accelerator that has gained recognition from local media outlets. Jazmynn has been instrumental in guiding entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, facilitating their growth, securing storefronts, boosting media visibility, and expanding their businesses successfully.
She has been a panelist at several local events including Forward Fest, a speaker at the 5th Annual Black History Education Conference and hosts regular Networking for Introverts workshops in Wisconsin including at Marquette University. She was also named one of 2024’s Brava Women to Watch.
Keena Atkinson, the visionary founder, and CEO of R'oujie Wellness, is a versatile wellness professional specializing as a nutritionist, wellness coach, dance fitness instructor, and a 500hr trauma Informed social justice yoga instructor with an Ayurveda perspective. With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from UW Madison, Keena has journeyed from homelessness to homeowner. She was a 15 year old teen mom, who gave birth while in the foster care system. As a domestic violence survivor Keena raises her two sons intentionally. Keena is the creator and host of the R'oujie Wellness RetreatTM, she also created and hosts a monthly book club, Action Academy for EntreprenoirsTM, Money Meet MondayTM which is a wealth building mentorship community for Black single mothers in business and also leads a powerful 12 week life transformation program for women who have experienced domestic violence. Keena partners with numerous organizations and businesses to bring lasting generational improvements to wellness and wellbeing of people in the community.
A writer, speaker, and poet, Keena hosts podcasts including "R'oujie Ruminations and Revelations" and "Good Bad Breakthru," found on all streaming platforms. Her YouTube channel @keenasfa offers a playlist of over 80 free on-demand yoga classes that she has taught and more. Keena's holistic approach emphasizes parenting, emotional well-being, personal development, women’s menstrual and hormonal health. Keena’s passions for positive psychology, social, emotional and brain health, development, literacy and liberation from the inside, out. Please find her on all social media at keenasfa or on her website at http://www.roujiewellness.com
Shanice is the founder and CEO of Mommy's Beautiful Sunrise Inc, a Milwaukee-based organization dedicated to empowering African-American families, including those with children with special needs. With over 15 years of experience in community work and as a Community Health Worker (CHW), Shanice is a passionate advocate for self-care, family bonding, education, and rights. She also runs AJA Healing, a spiritual holistic practice offering yoga, meditation, sound therapy, Reiki healing, and herbal remedies.
Under Shanice's leadership, Mommy's Beautiful Sunrise Inc has launched successful programs like United As One (Family Fun Day), Noir Parenting Unity (Parent Night), Our Kitchen (Family Fun Day Cooking), and NIA (Purpose) Garden. Outside of work, Shanice enjoys crocheting, cooking, baking, wine making, and is actively involved in fighting infant mortality, doula work, and grief support cpr training and more. Connect with Shanice on facebook Mommy Beautiful Sunrise Inc and instagram AJA.Healing or visit Mommy's Beautiful Sunrise Inc - Our Services to learn more.
Coming Soon…
Entrepreneur, poet, and mental wellness advocate. Sarah Branch is the owner and founder of Earthly Temptation Wellness based in Madison Wisconsin.
Founded in 2020 after noticing the benefits of a holistic lifestyle paired with aromatherapy, crystal therapy, and sound.
Sarah provides knowledge and tools to encourage a life of self-care. To disrupt self sabotage and negative thinking. Encouraging the community to heal mind, body, and soul through a practice of self love.
Jessica Ceballos is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Kinesiology and Physical Therapy. Her passion for health and wellness led her to play an integral role in the Health Apprenticeship Program, where she gained valuable hands-on experience. Deeply committed to her family who originate from Zacatecas, Mexico, she is a first generation college going scholar dedicated to the principles of equity. Jessica was a curriculum writer on the student team for The Peace Chronicles. She is excited to be a part of the upcoming Racial Justice Summit, where she hopes to further her impact in promoting social justice and equality with youth.
Dekila is the Founder and Director of the Loka Initiative. Known as an innovator in the environmental field, she has over two decades of experience working on resilience building, faith-led environmental and climate partnerships, biodiversity landscape and river basin strategy design, and community-based conservation. Dekila has designed and launched four unique faith-led initiatives, Khoryug; an eco-monastic movement in the Himalayas, Sacred Earth at the World Wildlife Fund, YETI at the Yale School of Environment, and now Loka at UW-Madison. Dekila has worked all around the world, including in the Amazon, East Africa, the Himalayas, the Mekong, and the US. She originally hails from Sikkim, a Buddhist-kingdom-turned-Indian-state in the Himalayas and is of Bhutia origin. As an environmental professional plagued with eco-anxiety, Dekila began applying Tibetan Buddhist meditative practices to regulate her own emotions in 2007 and since then, has created and offered several contemplative practices that can be found online, and in print including the recent book, A Future We Can Love by Susan Bauer-Wu. She is a sought after public speaker and has spoken at the American Museum of Natural History, Bioneers, Harvard, Mind and Life, National Geographic, Stanford, and Yale, and sits on the board or advisory committee for several organizations including Green The Church, the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, Midwest Environmental Advocates, and the Society of Conservation Biology’s Religion and Conservation Working Group.
Originally from Chicago Suburbs, Kayla was brought to Wisconsin by the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she attended and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice. With a deep passion for creating pathways of equity and empowering underserved communities, Kayla remained in Madison after college and worked in Human Services supporting those who were formerly incarcerated and youth experiencing extreme crisis. She furthered her education at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater where she obtained an M.S. in Communications, and shortly after obtained her SHRM-CP. During this time, Kayla transitioned her career to Human Resources, focusing on recruitment and retention of top talent, and holding financials accountable to equitable hiring practices.
Currently serving as the Talent Acquisition Manager at Summit Credit Union, Kayla implements innovative talent strategies to bring top talent to the credit union and create an inclusive experience for candidates through the hiring process. While she formerly served in nonprofit, case management roles, transitioning out of human services did not stop Kayla from being a force in her community. She currently serves as the President of the Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals, and sits on the Board of Directors for Urban Triage. Kayla was also an inaugural member of Madison’s cohort of Forward48, a premier leadership development group across the state focused on inclusive leadership principles. Through her commitment, community impact, and advocacy work, Kayla was recognized in 2022 by Madison365 as one of Wisconsin’s most influential Black leaders. Though accolades are not the reason she does this work, receiving this achievement from her community so early in her career was empowering and motivating. In her free time, Kayla enjoys being an Auntie, boating with her family, shopping, and having game nights with friends. Additionally, one of her favorite things to do is provide respite to a youth in Madison whom she’s been working with for many years. Kayla truly believes in being a change agent and building a foundation for those who are underserved to secure economic self-reliance, parity, and power. To do this, we can remember what Malcolm X said, “For tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” This serves as a reminder for Kayla and the community to collaborate, be prepared, and get out and vote this year!
Hey y'all my name is Nikki Conklin, I'm a mother to 3 children, I am a first-generation college graduate with two- college degrees: Associate and Bachelors in Human Services. I would consider myself a leader, advocate, and organizer. Currently, I am the Alder of the 9th district for the Madison Common Council on the far west side. But, most importantly I'm a bi-racial woman who identifies as a Black woman. My mother is white and my dad is Black. I grew up in Montello, WI, a predominantly white community with less than 1,500 people. I moved to Madison in 2003 and have lived here ever since.
Excited to be able to share my lived experiences and sit among other folks who have had similar upbringings and/or different experiences. Thank you for this opportunity.
Coming Soon…
David Dean is a political educator, writer, and speaker seeking to support the growth of transformative alliances in our social movements – solidarity that undoes the centuries-long project of reactionary elites to divide and rule.
He gives particular focus to supporting white people to engage in multiracial movements with emotional strength, political clarity, and fierce purpose. David leads independent trainings and is also a contributor and former Associate Director at White Awake, a racial and economic justice education center where he has taught courses for more than 5000 people and trained activists throughout the country.
Read David’s full biograph on our featured keynotes, facilitators, practitioners and artist page.
Coming Soon…
The kind of guy who would overthink the simple task of writing a bio (who am I really?), Garrett is a white, queer, multiply mad, disabled, and neurodivergent trans man living in La Crosse. He currently works as a grant writer at Western Technical College, sits on the boards for The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection and Disability Action Network (DAN) and serves on a Human Rights Committee for clients at two disability organizations. He is also a co-founder and co-coordinator of La Crosse DJ Collective, a grassroots disability justice group. Garrett is a passionate advocate for his own identities and a strong believer that his own liberation is bound to others (to paraphrase Lilla Watson) and without questioning and challenging whiteness, no one can be free. While on a constant journey of growing and learning, he regularly advocates for approaching issues from an intersectional and racial justice lens in the spaces he occupies, with focuses on accountability and community connection. In his (increasingly rare) free time, he enjoys dream making/building with friends, watching movies, karaoke, and hanging out with his main girl: his cat Frankie.
Koren, joyous Black radical change maker, defies statistical odds to achieve success and currently works as a Managing Evaluation Strategist at Ubuntu Research and Evaluation. She is committed to displaying to other Black youth the power they possess to write their own narrative and consequently change others' lives.
Koren is a first-generation, double-alumnus of Marquette University where she studied Corporate Communications, was heavily engaged on-campus through dance and leadership, and consistently exposed the dominantly-white student body to Black Girl Magic wherever she went.
She's acquired the skills to combat white supremacy and anti-Black ideals by serving the Black community through collaboration and constructive consultation. This allows Koren to take steps toward creating the world she and other Black people deserve to live in.
Koren's personality can be described as infectiously energetic, candid, eager to learn and try new things, philanthropic, and uproarious. Her motivators are setting an example for her siblings, making her family proud, and inspiring Black youth. She is ardent in her pursuit of breaking generational curses and establishing generational wealth.
My name is Janiya Dillard, and I am a junior at West High School. I spent part of my childhood in the DC Metro area and later in Madison, Wisconsin during my late elementary years. I am a People Scholar with a deep passion for choir and musical theater. I also have a beloved dog named Yogi Bear, who means a lot to me.
Coming Soon…
Emily Hagenmaier (she, her) is a clinical social worker and somatic therapist in Madison. Emily is on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mindfulness Program where she developed a play-based mindfulness class for young children and their caregivers. Her work explores how creative mindfulness practices can support attunement and connection. Emily also teaches Mindful Self Compassion to adults and is an advisor to Sesame Workshop supporting the integration of mindfulness and compassion on Sesame Street. Emily is interested in how creativity can interrupt and transform white supremacy culture. She enjoys eccentric crafting, cheese, and visiting trees. She is a parent of 13 year old twins and a 10 year old.
Leticia Hockenberry is a Housing Case Manager for the Early Childhood Zone at Sunshine Place in Sun Prairie. With over six years in non-profit work, including roles in shelter management and housing navigation, she brings both professional expertise and personal insight into issues like homelessness and food insecurity. Her own experiences with these challenges fuel her dedication and trauma-informed approach, making her a vital advocate for her community.
Coming Soon…
Dr. Marian Wright-Edelman said, “Service is the rent we pay for being.” Courtney has “paid her rent” through two decades of work in the nonprofit and government sectors – always with a clear focus on eliminating institutional barriers to success for underserved students. She started her career in education as a paraprofessional in a segregated school for students with disabilities, which literally paid for – and informed the focus of – her legal training. Since then, she has conducted legal investigations under federal and state civil rights laws for the State of Wisconsin; managed systems-change state initiatives focused on gender and racial equity in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin; and served on the senior management team of a national civil rights organization. She currently works on the Special Education Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Courtney focuses on justice in education in honor of her mother, who grew up white in the segregated south, and her daughters, to whom she wants to leave a fairer world.
Krystal Johnson (She/Her/Hers) is an activist and dedicated change agent with a lifelong commitment to justice and equity. She holds a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and is currently pursuing a master's in Environmental Health and Safety. Her expertise is further underscored by certifications in Emergency Management and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Krystal’s community involvement is extensive. She serves on the Sun Prairie Library Board and its DEI Committee, is the Board President of the KLJ Movement, and leads the Public Relations Ministry at her church. Additionally, she is the Advocacy Chair for the Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals. With over a decade of experience in leading diverse teams and strategic development, Krystal excels in creating inclusive workplace cultures and reshaping organizational practices. During the pandemic, she launched a consulting business aimed at fostering equity within global organizations.
Krystal's drive for social justice and environmental equity was ignited as a teenager by the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina and a subsequent visit to Washington, DC. This early exposure to humanitarian issues has fueled her ongoing research into environmental gentrification and systematic equity. As the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist for the Village of McFarland, Krystal continues to champion equity and inclusion with unwavering dedication.
Kristin has served as program assistant and is part of the Indigenous-led creative team for the Loka Initiative’s Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth project since 2021. She recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a MS in Human Ecology. Kristin is a member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band (LVD) in what is currently known as Watersmeet, MI and an apprenticing Anishinaabe weaver in traditional fiber arts. She works with culturally specific materials including cedar, basswood, bulrush and birch bark in addition to her handmade paper to weave in the ways of her ancestors, and to employ new techniques, poetically embedding new ideas, observations and concerns. Kristin is a gardener, a forager and a medicine maker, and the mother of three wonderful children.
Clarice Lightning serves as the Housing Coordinator for the Early Childhood Zone located on the Northside and Leopold area in Madison, Wi. She has over 5 years experience teaching young children, as well as over 4 years of experience in casework for families that deal with housing insecurities. She has overcome personal obstacles that revolve around the challenge of obtaining safe and secure housing. Her passion, skill and drive will always be to ensure that everyone understands that the fight for fair housing is a true need in our community and one that we all must work together to achieve.
Jessie Lutter-Long is the Access to Justice Coordinator with LIFT Wisconsin and an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin and the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bankruptcy Court. She obtained her B.F.A. from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and graduated with her J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 2019. After graduating, Lutter-Long worked at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability where she assisted low-income Milwaukee County residents obtain valid driver’s licenses and remove barriers to family-sustaining employment. Outside of work, she enjoys art, animals, and gardening.
Kayla McGhee is a deep thinker, advocate, and connector who is passionate about collective healing and rectification. Kayla spends much of her time dreaming up worlds that de-center coloniality and creating space for diverse individuals to inquire and thrive as their authentic selves. Currently serving as the Associate Director of UW–Madison's Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives, Kayla has the privilege of working with First Wave Scholars and advocating for their holistic support. Having lived in CT, GA, TX, IL, and now Madison, WI, as a queer, black, gender-bending woman, Kayla has been able to connect with, experience, understand, and learn from many different identities and walks of life. It is this ongoing journey that reminds Kayla how important it is to constantly center and amplify the voices and experiences of the world's most vulnerable and to be a brave and warm resource to the communities she is a part of.
Shahanna McKinney-Baldon (she/ her), is Clinical Program Co-Director, Evaluation Implementation Specialist, and Co-Principal Investigator for Shalom Curriculum Project at the UW’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research. She has held leadership positions focused on racial equity for large public education institutions, including MMSD Chief Diversity Officer. In addition to her work for racial equity in public education, Shahanna is also a longtime thought leader on racial and ethnic diversity in the American Jewish community. In this role, she leads Edot Midwest Regional Jewish Diversity and Racial Justice Collaborative and the Jews of Color and Allies Advisory for the Reconstructionist Movement, one of the major denominations of the Jewish faith. Shahanna’s community activities include sitting on the Board of Governors for Reconstructing Judaism and a research and performance project on Madame Goldye Steiner, the pioneering Wisconsin African American vocalist who sang Jewish liturgical music in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She lives in Madison.
Coming Soon…
Coming Soon…
Vera Naputi is a descendant of indigenous Chamorros from Guam, raised in California, and now resides in Madison, WI. She is currently in a dual role at Madison East High School teaching AVID classes and serving as an instructional coach. She is active in co-creating curriculum and instruction w/youth for shared power in learning and assessment. As a dedicated Hip-Hop educator, Vera takes the mentoring from some of the dopest hip hop scholars and operationalizes their theories by integrating artistic expression, academics, and activism across content areas in the classroom and community. As a rock climber, Vera consults on equity initiatives to help management teams of indoor climbing gyms interrogate themselves and their practices around inclusivity and belonging. Current projects include curriculum development with a student team for the book Love from the Vortex and The Peace Chronicles, by Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, and co-facilitating a group called Students Unlearning Racism in an effort to develop racial literacy among young people. Publications range from a co-authored book of poems titled Delivered, an interlude in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Hip Hop Pedagogy, and NCTE articles. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech & Language Pathology and a Masters of Science in Education from the University of Utah, and 30 years of teaching in Salt Lake City, UT and Madison, WI.
Alberto is the Outreach Coordinator at LIFT, where he excels in fostering strong partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, and non-profits. He plays a key role in training community service providers, librarians, students, and volunteers on the use of LIFT’s Legal Tune Up tool. Additionally, Alberto organizes regional pop-up clinics designed to assist participants in restoring their driver’s licenses.
When he's not assisting clients, Alberto enjoys walking around town with his Australian Blue Heeler, Leo, and his Golden Retriever puppy, Sam.
Lex Rhodes was born and raised on the eastside of Milwaukee, WI. She is a first generation, low-income college graduate of Marquette University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Interdisciplinary Africana Studies, with minors in Social Welfare & Justice, Educational Studies, and Sociology in 2020. She is also a proud Alumna of Marquette University’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP).
In 2022, Lex earned her Master of Education in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (EPOL) with a concentration in Social Science and Education Policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also became an Alumna of Public Allies Milwaukee Class of ‘22. Lex completed her service with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) and was offered a full-time role as Program Support Coordinator in the Opportunity MKE Program, where she assisted families with Housing Choice Vouchers access affordable housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee County.
Lex is a Sociologist by nature. She enjoys studying race, class, and identity, and its intersections with education, inequity, and opportunity. She loves film and art, and uses it as mediums to facilitate learning, build civic responsibility/accountability, stimulate social consciousness, and dialogue as an educationist and facilitator. She enjoys travel and immersive experiences to foster exchanges of new knowledge of culture and identity and its relationship to social reproduction in schooling and educational settings.
As a Black woman from a low-income background, Lex embraces her dichotomy as a first-generation scholar and Associate Strategist at UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, who advocates for educational opportunity as a pathway to mobility, self-discovery, social awareness and exploration for students from disenfranchised and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Gigi Rodriguez is a first-generation freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Kinesiology with a focus on Physical Therapy. Born to two immigrant parents from Honduras, she has always been driven by a strong sense of purpose and determination. Gigi was an active participant in the Health Pathways Apprenticeship and Internship Program, where she applied her passion for health and wellness. She was a curriculum writer for *The Peace Chronicles," and an illustrator for a book of poems called, Delivered, blending her love for art and social justice. A dedicated scholar, Gigi enjoys thinking about and taking action on issues related to equity, always striving to make a meaningful impact.
Mya Williams (she/her) is the Community Restorative Justice Coordinator at the YWCA Madison. She works with youth ages 12-17 in weekly Restorative Justice Clubs within community centers in the Madison area. Her work focuses on community building, conflict resolution, non-violent communication, and the collective sharing of experiences and stories of youth in Madison. She is passionate about creating more spaces for youth to have their voices heard within our communities, social justice, and restorative justice. In her freetime, Mya loves writing, photography, urban gardening, and art.
Yo my name is Justin aka JEXIZIS and I grew up in Madison. Born on the south side, I came through the foster care system and finally got adopted at age 7. With hard work and dedication, I am now on a full ride scholarship to UW Madison through the first wave program. I am also Madison's youth poet laureate and a former student of Vera Naputi.
I have served as the Housing First Manager at Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc., a caseworker for the Transitional Housing Program for 5 years and Housing Manager for 4 plus years. I currently supervise programs from Section 8, SSVF, and Recovery Voucher Program to house individuals and families that are struggling with homelessness. I have been trained as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, Trauma Informed, and Motivational Interviewer. Prior to my work at CAC, I was in the military from 1990-2014 as a Unit Supply Sergeant monitoring unit level inventory of non-expendable and sensitive equipment, traveling all around the world which started in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. I have 6 adult children ranging from 20 years old to 28 years old that all live close by in Watertown, WI. I am married to my wife Shelly, who is my rock and great support network for our whole family.
Sarah Shatz (she/hers) has been in relationship with the YWCA Madison for 15 years as a volunteer and as a facilitator. She co-creates with the UW Health Mindfulness Program and the YWCA in an initiative called Mindfulness for All.
Sarah is currently employed as a community based social worker with Dane County Human Services and as an instructor with the UW Health Mindfulness Program.
She lives in Madison with her partner Claire and their two very naughty cats.
Afra Smith is the Founder & CEO of The Melanin Project, which aims to eradicate wealth disparities for women of the Black and African diaspora. Through advocacy, personal empowerment, and financial wellness coaching, The Melanin Project helps women build generational wealth. Afra's journey from financial struggle to success fuels her mission to guide others toward financial freedom. Additionally, Afra serves as a manager for the integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office at UW Health and the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, where she extends her commitment to equity work.
ananda de oliveira mirilli is unafraid and unapologetic in their commitment to, and centering of, racial justice from a global & intersectional space, that evokes creativity and innovation in tackling deep seated inequities. They are a native of Brazil, and have a long history of working with communities in the U.S. and abroad. At age 14, ananda engaged in social justice movement & advocacy. After moving to the U.S., ananda became an educator and found their passion facilitating learning spaces for individuals, groups and organizations engaging in transformative work. As a skilled facilitator, ananda has engaged with thousands of youth and diverse professionals, building coalition and solidarity. ananda is a beautiful storyteller, a deep listener, and a thoughtful, experienced practitioner who centers love and restorative principles in the work that they do. ananda is a doctoral student at Alverno College, centering their work around co-creating belonging in learning spaces. They hold a master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Psychology. In Madison, Wisconsin, ananda is a former member of the Board of Education of the Madison Metropolitan School District, Nuestro Mundo Bilingual School and Unidos Against Domestic Violence. Lastly, ananda is a proud and dedicated mother to their 21-year-old daughter Breana.
Shahanna McKinney-Baldon
Vera Naputi
Hello everyone! My name is Heather. I identify as a white, cisgender woman, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, far from my roots and family in California. I'm a parent and partner, and love to hike, write, and create.
I’ve long been drawn to how our inner worlds weave with the collective, both in trauma and in healing. I’m continually learning more about the ways white supremacy creates violence on every level–inside us and around us. I’ve learned to trust that when we slow down and listen to the body, heart, and mind, we can take that next step toward healing in our relationships and in the larger culture. I’m so grateful for the beautiful human beings who have invited me into racial justice practice, and am committed to extending that invitation in the work that I do.
A licensed clinical social worker, I’ve worked for over twenty years in clinical and community settings with individuals and groups. I've completed training in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based, organic approach to trauma healing. I am a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Instructor with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies. I am a practicing psychotherapist, and I facilitate mindfulness meditation and embodied racial justice groups with the UW Health Mindfulness Program and the YWCA Race and Gender Equity Team.
Micah-Jade Coleman Stanback is an Assistant Professor of English at The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Their research explores how cultural notions of childhood innocence rooted in the 19th-century impacted representations of Black childhood in antebellum American. They further explore how the legacies of these representations still affect how we discuss and care for Black children in our contemporary moment. Their work is broadly invested in confronting how constructions of innocence have been used to adultify Black children as a means of limiting their access to nurturing support, education, and other resources.
Lex Rhodes
Mya Rodriguez-Williams
Gigi Rodriguez
Sarah Shatz
Erica Nelson (she/her) has been working to advance social, racial, environmental and economic justice for over 20 years. Her work includes advancing practice and policy reform in child welfare and youth justice as well as leading efforts to address the systemic and structural drivers that perpetuate and compound racial and economic inequities. She is a visionary, strategist and social entrepreneur whose love language is transformative policy change and who is deeply committed to increasing access to justice for under-resourced individuals, families and communities.
Erica began her career as an attorney at the Center for Family Representation representing parents involved in New York City’s child welfare system. After moving to Wisconsin in 2010, she founded and directed the Race to Equity project, served as Advocacy Director at Kids Forward and is currently Executive Director of LIFT Wisconsin.
Nelson is a graduate of UW-Madison and Rutgers Law School. Before entering law school, her first career was as a contemporary ballet dancer in New York City. She has two amazing children, an overly energetic Labrador, and strives to be proficient at mountain biking, surfing, and sailing among many other things.
Emily Peterson (she/her/ella) was born in Seoul, South Korea. She enjoys going back to her home country to visit. Her family is her top most priority and her 2 children are her legacy. Emily has worked in the field of education for 19 years as a classroom teacher, bilingual resource teacher, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Learning Coordinator, Family, Youth & Community Engagement Coordinator, and is currently an External Culture & Climate Coach. She is also an adjunct instructor at Madison College. She earned her Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Social Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Emily is dedicated to anti-racist and abolitionist teaching not only in the K-12 sector of education but also in higher education in order to prepare pre-service teachers to be anti-racist, abolitionist educators. Her passion is analyzing, developing, and creating systemic change to create equitable opportunities for those who have been, and continue to be, marginalized and excluded. She believes strongly in co-liberation and supporting BIPOC women.
Katey is a tireless champion for housing justice, dedicating over 15 years to empowering and advocating for communities. Her journey from housing provider to passionate advocate has equipped her with a deep understanding of the challenges and solutions in housing. As the Director of Operations at YWCA Madison, Katey is committed to enhancing communities through education, activism, and leadership, always focusing on building genuine connections with the people she serves.
Outside of her professional life, Katey is a devoted mother of three kids, each with their own unique personalities. Her love for live music ranging from hip hop and soul to alternative R&B reflects her vibrant spirit. When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys the great outdoors and long bike rides. Katey’s drive to broaden her community activism fuels her mission to make a lasting impact in Madison.
Soumya (pronunciation: SOH-myuh, she/her) is a licensed psychologist, restorative justice practitioner, and national trainer on mental health literacy. Her journey facilitating changes in communities started with planning and implementing prevention programming at a rape crisis center. Currently, Soumya provides consultation to organizations and schools to help implement mental health literacy programming, restorative justice, and relationship-centered spaces. Prior to consulting, Soumya served as an Associate Director at Mental Health Services at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
Ayomi Obuseh
Rebecca Meier-Rao
Soumya Palreddy
Emily Peterson
My name is Isaac Trussoni and I practice and work in Restorative Justice at the YWCA of Madison. I have been in Madison since 2015 when I came to attend UW-Madison. I have a passion for music, culture, and discussions around social ecology. This is what drew me into studying Human Development and Family Studies before moving onto African American Studies in graduate school. I especially love to imagine ways Hip Hop can be continuously used as a revolutionary tool while also exploring the barriers both natural and artificial to that goal.
Growing up in rural Wisconsin made me aware of my identity very early on and helped shape my perspective on racial experiences. I practice Restorative Justice through expanding my perspectives and committing to change and philosophy that centers the wellbeing of people in both practical and conceptual ways. I hope to continue my practice of Restorative Justice while also imagining ways to expand into the intersections of Hip Hop and Restorative Justice.
Cassandra (she/her), a second-generation HMong-American from Wausau, Wisconsin, struggled with accepting her Hmong identity while growing up in a predominantly white city. However, over the past few years she has begun the journey to deconstruct her internalized racism and reconnect with her HMong identity. Studying sociology in college opened her eyes to her experiences and inspired her passion for social justice. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Her approach to social justice centers on using creative arts for collective healing and liberation. She believes creativity is important not only for healing but also for envisioning the world we want to build. As an artist of life, Cassandra finds healing through writing poetry, making zines, creating collages.
Nancy Yang (they/them) is a community advocate committed to disability justice and transformative justice. Nancy is a Mad and autistic, queer and nonbinary, Hmong person who loves going to coffee shops and being around people. They are currently the Project Coordinator at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and are also active with the La Crosse Disability Justice Collective as well as AmplifyMN: A Disability Justice Collective.
Coming Soon…
Angelica Euseary
My name is Angelica Euseary and I am a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA). I have a passion for storytelling and sharing information with public audiences. As a journalist, I’ve written for The Detroit Free Press, The Cap Times, and The Center for Public Integrity. I have been practicing yoga for three years. I love reading, writing and spending time with my dog, a chihuahua terrier mix named Leonard.
Nafsaniath Fathema, Ph.D. MBA, is researcher and evaluator. She studies technology adoption and its impact on teaching-learning processes. Her other areas of research explore technology based innovative teaching practices in higher education with special focus on STEM education.
Being a mixed method researcher and evaluator, Dr. Fathema utilizes quantitative, qualitative or mixed methodology to study different research phenomenon. She taught a wide variety of graduate and undergraduate educational research methods and business courses in the US and abroad for over ten years.
Dr. Fathema holds a Ph.D from the Auburn University. As a Fulbright fellow, she earned her MBA in MIS and e-commerce marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Erika Rosales Garcia (she/her) expresses her love for existence as a multidisciplinary artist and serves the world through her immigration rights and human rights activism, somatic practices and connection to others. She has been a cultural dancer for the past 20 years sharing her radiant Mexican and Latin American cultural traditions. Her art also focuses on abstract painting and collaborative local mural projects. As a DACA beneficiary and an undocumented person in the U.S. Erika is also passionate about supporting BIPOC folks with their healing and decolonizing journey through a community-centered approach. She is a Consciousness Guide and Somatic Healing Practitioner, weaving her practices, mind-body knowledge, spirituality and social justice expertise to support others through their healing and expansion.
Currently, she works at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research leading organizational social justice work. She is also the co-founder of MISOL (Mexico International Study Opportunity for Learning), an organization that supports DACA beneficiaries to travel back to Mexico through an education program. Recently, she served as the Director of the Center for DREAMers at UW-Madison where she supported undocumented individuals throughout the state of Wisconsin through a grant. Additionally, Erika is a 4W Director of Immigration and Human Rights at UW-Madison.
Ginger Francis, MSW, CAPSW [she/hers] is the owner and psychotherapist with Shifting Current, LLC, a private mental health practice located in Madison. As an equity-focused social work professional, she embodies an active commitment to dismantling racism and other intersecting forms of oppression and their impacts on mental health and wellbeing within her spheres of influence. She has over seventeen years of broad social work experience ranging from intensive support services to complex program and policy administration, multi-disciplinary team development and facilitation, personnel management, strategic planning and implementation to leading anti-racism training and organizational change management efforts. Working at a multitude of levels over her career has strengthened her ability to see individual experiences within the greater context of societal structures. Ginger is a healer, change agent, and lifelong learner who believes in cultivating the potential in people and harnessing the power of the healing process. To learn more, please visit: https://www.shiftingcurrent.com/.