May 2025 Issue 2
- 20 hours ago
- 5 min read
Advancing DEIBelonging Workshop Series
If you received our last newsletter, you know that we have a new workshop offering: Advancing DEIBelonging: Understanding Resistance, Cultivating Belonging, and Finding Hope. This workshop series is an opportunity to explore ways we can continue nurturing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in ways that are thoughtful, human-centered, informed, and responsive to the current political moment.
PART 1: Understanding the Political Climate of Resistance
6/12/2025 at 9:00am-12:00pm PT / 12:00-3:00pm ET
PART 2: Radical Self Care and Community Connections
6/19/2025 at 9:00am-12:00pm PT / 12:00-3:00pm ET
PART 3: Finding Hope in Uncertain Times
6/26/2025 at 9:00am-12:00pm PT / 12:00-3:00pm ET
Take one, two, or all three at a discount. Visit the link below to read full workshop descriptions and to register.
Have you Joined our Brave Space Builders List?
The second edition of our book, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, that we use for our Train the Trainer workshops is being released later this year/early next year. The new edition called Facilitating Conversations on Race has several new sections including:
facilitating virtually,
land acknowledgments,
racial dynamics,
anchor questions,
and much more!
We are excited to share some of what we learned over the past 10 years since our last edition was released. Until this next edition is released, we'll be sharing sneak peeks with our Brave Space Builders list, which you can join by simply replying to this email or contacting Judy at judy.lee@culturesconnecting.com.
In the meantime, we're selling our current edition for $25. Visit the DEI book page on our website to purchase your copy.
My Name Story Exhibit 2.0 at Lucky Envelope Brewing
If you've been a subscriber to this newsletter for a while, you know that our Project Manager Judy Lee had a large exhibition for her project My Name Story in Pioneer Square last May. She is bringing her exhibit back at a much smaller, more casual, and fun scale at Lucky Envelope Brewing to celebrate both AANHPI Heritage Month and the brewery's 10th anniversary.
Lucky Envelope creates Asian inspired craft beer and we'll be raising money for NW Immigrant Rights Project during the exhibit's opening weekend (16th-18th). $1 will be donated for every 16 and 18oz beer purchased. Come see the project and hang out with Judy on opening night:
Friday, May 16th at 6:00-8:00pm at Lucky Envelope Brewing at 907 NW 50th St.
If you aren't familiar with the project, you can watch the 5-minute short documentary below or local news coverage on King5 or internationally on CGTN. The project website is here.
Culturally Responsive Practices for Black Students Pt. 2
In our April newsletter issue 2, we shared part 1 of a conversation between our co-founders Ilsa Govan and Dr. Caprice Hollins where Ilsa interviewed Caprice on culturally responsive practices in the classroom to support Black students and their families.
In this clip, Caprice talks about what educators need to understand about families to better serve Black students. Missed part 1? You can watch it on our blog here.
Ways to Take Action for Change
Effectively Engage in Conversations about DEIBelonging
Scot Nakagawa of The 22nd Century Initiative and The Anti-Authoritarian podcast recently shared a Substack post "Don't Give Up on DEI." He lists 5 talking points for engaging in conversation on DEI, explaining each point, providing examples of what you could say, and how to frame in conversations. The points are:
DEI is critical to the fundamental purpose of government: just and equitable governance.
DEI benefits everyone, not just people of color
Push back against the "meritocracy" myth without alienating people who value hard work.
DEI is a guardrail against majority rule turning into majority tyranny.
Visit Scot's Substack to read this and other posts. It will take you to a sign up page which you can bypass by clicking skip.
Gather Together to Practice Self and Community Care
Embodying Racial Justice with Dara Silverman is offering a free workshop called Building Belonging, Dignity & Safety: Key Skills for this Political Moment. This is a free 3-part somatic series that focuses on "building the key nutrients we need as living breathing beings to meet this moment." The May 8th workshop has passed but there are still two more on May 22nd and June 5th.
Visit the event registration page for details and to register.
Care for Our Immigrant Community
NW Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) is offering a webinar on Wednesday, May 21st to share key immigration updates and what they mean for all of us. The webinar will be presented in Spanish and English as follows. You can register here to attend.
Spanish: 12:00–12:45 pm
English: 12:45–1:30 pm
Focus on Six Components to Move Forward with DEIBelonging
Dr. Caprice Hollins was the keynote speaker at the Lens of Equity Summit and gave a talk on how to move forward with DEIBelonging. She spoke about six elements we should focus on featured in the graphic below.
Come Together: Stay focused on belonging and connection to work together.
Center on Our Values: Staying grounded in our values helps to guide our actions and stay committed.
Stay Focused: It's easy to get distracted or feel hopeless. Staying focused on our why and the work will help us get through these times.
Understand Ourselves and Each Other: Social justice starts with ourselves. The more we understand ourselves, the more we can make space to understand others.
Show Our Collective Power: Feeling alone and isolated doesn't help the cause. There is value in collective power so find your community and move forward together.
Celebrate Wins: It's important to celebrate our wins to uplift each other and help energize us, knowing we are continuing to do the work.
Upcoming DEIB/Social Justice Events
For details on these and other events, workshops and conferences happening in the social justice space, visit our Events Calendar. If you have an event you would like us to share, please reach out to us!
5/15: SURJ Abolition Action Hour
5/15: The Tender Work: An Ongoing Affinity Circle for People Identifying as White
5/15: She Marches in Washington Screening and Q&A at Wing Luke Museum
5/15: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group
5/16: The People's Institute: Undoing Racism
5/16: NWIRP Gala 2025
5/16: My Name Story Exhibition 2.0
5/17: Black Farmers Collective Yes Farm Volunteer Day
5/17: Columbia City Night Market
5/18: Radical Attention: Extraordinary Mindfulness for Social Justice
5/18: Aware LA: Third Sunday Dialogue
5/20: Families of Color Seattle Open House
5/20: NAMI BIPOC Support Group
5/21: Free Speech Movement Teacher Workshop
5/21: Actualizaciones Migratorias de NWIRP
5/21: Immigration Update from NWIRP
5/22: Freedom Lifted: Shared Power in Supervision
5/22: Teaching for Black Lives Study Groups
5/22: Building Belonging, Dignity & Safety: Three Key Skills for this Political Moment
5/23: FOCS Community Care Virtual Gathering
5/24: NAAM: In the Classroom
5/28: Community of Practice, Grief Circle
5/29: Black & Brown Men's Mental Health in Education Symposium
5/29: Facilitation Skills for Youth & Young Adults
5/29: VPS: Planning to Action: Why We Need Community Power in the Implementation of Solutions
...and so much more! Visit our Events Calendar to see the most up-to-date full schedule.
