Dr. Arlene Ford
Dr. Ford speaks on topics related to:
building our capacity for equity and justice, communicating
and engaging across cultures, common barriers to equity work, race relations, and racial justice. She presents in both keynote speaker format and in the conversational format of a “fireside chat”
with another person.
The Vision
To help create a world where everyone is valued regardless of what they look like, who they love, who they worship, whatever their background.
Dr. Ford’s approach is to take a “calling in” and “calling forward” approach. She believes each of us has the potential to build a more equitable, just, and inclusive society. She believes that
capacity must be intentionally built especially given our long history of segregating resources. But that we must build that capacity.
She incorporates analyses of history and familiar stories from today and provides a framework
based on her experience and experience facilitating learning experiences developing and expanding our capacity around justice, equity, inclusivity, and justice.
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What are the issues that are top of mind for your group right now that involve creating spaces of belonging for all members of your team?
Is it about fear of making mistakes?
Is it that some in your organization are resistant to equity and justice work?
Is that they want to do the work and are afraid of making mistakes?
Is it that they need inspiration to keep going after making some mistakes?
Speaking
Topics
Honing Our Voices for Equity and Justice!
Equity: Where Do We Go from Here?
Is Racial Equity Still Needed?
What are the Barriers to Equity and Justice Work?Tools for Cross Cultural Engagement
Most of us live in bubbles sequestered by race or class or even religion. When we find ourselves in workspaces or in social situations, we can find it challenging to engage with each other in productive ways. We hold stereotypes from our history that get reinforced by the media and politicians. Social media has provided us the means to be even more siloed. We have to find ways to overcome the biases that we have been taught so that we can all grow together to more unified society and one that supports each of us. We can do this. Dr. Ford provides some toolsfor building the demeanor, the skills and ultimately expand our capacity for engaging more productively together.
Dr. Ford helps create spaces to speak and hear the truth, to address the emotions that come with engaging across the unknowns of our different cultures, the biases we may have, the misunderstandings we may create, to build the resilience we need to stay in the game and even to address our fears and take the necessary risks to move forward together.