DEI Updates: Week of 01.10.22
Email questions and concerns to KG Kujjo (They/She) at kg.kujjo@gscolorado.org
Upcoming: LGBT 101 LIVE Training
We still have open slots for the upcoming LGBT 101 training with Inside Out Youth Services on January 25. Sign up and encourage other volunteers to register. For staff, you will need your personal email that’s on file in Salesforce to register through the gsEvents link above. If you don’t remember your membership account password, you can click “forgot password” to reset your login credentials.
If you participated in any of the DEI events I’ve shared in our Weekly DEI Updates, please complete this quick form to tell us which event you attended to help us better understand staff interests and to track the number of professional development hours our GSCO team has spent on learning about DEI topics. Your input also helps with understanding how much to budget for staff development based on training costs. You can submit this form for in-person events or workshops, virtual learning opportunities, recorded webinars and trainings, self-paced virtual courses, and more.
Black History Month 2022
If you’d like to be part of planning or co-facilitating Black History Month celebrations, please email me.
Call to Action
RaceTalk among White Families Post-Floyd. Now What?
If you missed this webinar offered by EmbraceRace, hereis the posted recording.
Who wants to be a diversity champion?
Test your DEI knowledge using this trivia resourcecreated by Educational & Community Strategies.
Highlighted Resources
Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities Trainings
MHDD National Training Center has over 10 courses that are all free, virtual, self-paced and bilingual to help allies and adults who work with youth learn about: Autism, intellectual disability, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD and more topics. Challenge yourself to engage with these courses to learn some foundational definitions and terminology, associated history and rights, societal barriers, and ways to be an ally. Check out their classes here.
The Micropedia of Microaggressions
Check out thisresource to learn more everyday microaggressions based on: LGBTQ+ identity, age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, Indigenous identity, race, and religion.
Upcoming Opportunities
Asian Allies Community Meeting
Every Tuesday at 6:00 PM MST. Join a group of citizens who believe in supporting Asian Americans and stopping acts of violence against Asian communities. This group meetings online weekly and allies work on various projects, campaigns and tools to promote inclusion and advocate against anti-Asian hate. Click hereto sign up for the next weekly meeting.
Echoes of the Holocaust Featuring Rachael Cerrotti
January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day which is a time to remember and honor the millions of victims who were killed – Jews, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and more. Join Facing History & Ourselves for the Echoes of the Holocaust series, a communal conversation focusing on the voices of contemporary scholars, writers, and artists as they reflect on the relationship between Holocaust history and the present. The first session is on Tuesday, January 11 and will feature Rachael Cerrotti, an award-winning author, photographer, and audio producer of “We Share the Same Sky.” Click hereto sign up.
PFLAG Connect: Black/African American Support Meeting
Tuesday, January 11th at 7:00 PM MST. Meetings are an hour long and are facilitated by members of the Black/African-American community in order to participants who are Black/African-American members of the LGBTQ+ community or as family members of Black/African-American LGBTQ+ folks. Sign up here.
Learning to De-Center the Dominant Narrative
Wednesday, January 12 at 4:30pm MST. In this webinar, learn with Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries and CARE Executive Director Maureen Costello as they discuss dominant narratives, show you how to identify them, and share techniques you can use immediately. Click hereto reserve a spot.
Advancing Social Justice Through Storytelling
Thursday, January 13 at 11am MST. Join Points of Light for their next conversation, “Advancing Social Justice Through Storytelling” with Wil Haygood, acclaimed biographer, Pulitzer finalist, award-winning author and Reporter, and Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., New York Times bestselling author and chair of Princeton’s department of African American studies, to learn how a storied past continues to shape our national identity and common values. Sign up here.
Passing: A Film Discussion with Director/Writer Rebecca Hall and Actresses Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga
Thursday, January 13 from 5:00-5:40pm MST. Join the National Museum of African American History & Culture for a virtual discussion with Netflix film Passingscreenwriter and director Rebecca Hall, alongside actresses Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. Based on Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name, Hall’s directorial debut explores not just racial identity but gender, class, the responsibilities of motherhood and the performance of femininity from the perspective of two Black women who choose to live on opposite sides of the color line in 1929 New York. For Rebecca Hall, creating Passing was a deeply personal journey, stemming from the discovery of her own family history. NMAAHC Curator Aaron Bryant will moderate the discussion. This program will be pre-recorded, and there will be no live Q&A. Passing is available now on Netflix. Sign up here.
Workshop: Gender Diverse Youth in Classroom Spaces
Saturday, January 15 at 12:30 PM MST. Talking to Storms is pleased to host this workshop on Gender Diverse Youth in Classroom Spaces with Kailin Oarei. Sign up here.
MLK Jr.: The Last Five Years
Monday, January 17 at 11am. Honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with living history interpreter John W. McCaskill as he chronicles the last five years of King’s life and shares other stories of the individuals who fought to end racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. Watch the livestream here.
MLK Day Event: The Security of Justice
Monday, January 17th, 4:00 – 5:30 PM MST at The Newman Center, Denver. Join University of Denver’s Inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrating the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. They will have Representative Leslie Herod join as a speaker for this event. Alongside conversation, there will also be a myriad of performances; including DU’s Multicultural Choir. In collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, this event will promote a community service component that will include a book donation drive. The books will be distributed to unhoused children in the local Denver community. Sign up here.
Addressing Mental Health & Wellness with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities during Transition to Adulthood
Tuesday, January 25 at 12:00pm MST. This presentation will focus on the assessment of mental health in youth who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities during the transition to adulthood years (12-26). Sign up here: MHDD Webinar flyer 1-25-22 (constantcontact.com)
2022 LGBTQ Entrepreneurial Classes
Thinking of starting a new business for the New Year? The Denver Office of Economic Development will be hosting another set of Entrepreneurship Classes starting in February. This in person, eight-week course starting on Wednesday, February 16th is ideal for anyone who wants to create their own business. Participants will engage in an in-depth curriculum exploring what they need to form their own business. Course elements include an overview of business types, the steps needed to research and start a business, and assisting participants in developing their own business plans. Classes include support from the Denver Office of Economic Development and ongoing access to class materials. For more information, contact Sable Schultz at sschultz@lgbtqcolorado.org.
Tuesday, January 25 from 1pm-2pm MST. The Anti-Colonialism Collective (ACC) invites you to join our book club, graciously hosted by the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health. ACC Book Club meetings take place on the last Tuesday of the month. For our January meeting, we will be reading Not a Nation of Immigrantsby Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The event link is provided after receipt of interest form. Email amcsorley@ucla.edu for more information.