Newsletter: October 2026 Issue 2
Dr. Caprice Hollins and Ilsa Govan at Town Hall Seattle
Join co-authors Dr. Caprice D. Hollins and Ilsa Govan of Faciltating Conversations on Race: Strategies for Leading Group Discourse for an evening of conversation at Town Hall Seattle.
At a time when conversations about race and racial justice are increasingly difficult to navigate, knowing how to stay engaged matters.
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Drawing from the latest edition of their book, Caprice and Ilsa will share stories from their experiences facilitating conversations on race, lessons they have learned from the moments that did not go as planned, and practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations without avoiding the hard stuff.
Thursday, December 3rd
7:30-8:30pm
Wyncote Northwest Forum at Town Hall Seattle
The conversation will be moderated by Ruchika T. Malhotra, author of Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success and Inclusion on Purpose.
Train the Trainer: Leading When You're Activated Coming Up Soon!
Our Train the Trainer Lunch and Learn series is coming up quickly, with weekly sessions starting on November 3rd and ending on November 24th. This series will teach participants how to navigate tense conversations.
All sessions meet at 12:30-1:30pm PT / 3:30-4:30pm ET on Zoom. Choose however many sessions you want or attend them all!
November 3: Leading When You’re Activated
Emotional activation is a natural part of facilitating conversations about race. The challenge is not avoiding activation but learning how to recognize it and respond in ways that support learning, connection, and accountability. Attendees will explore practical strategies for staying grounded when emotions arise, responding with intention rather than impulse, and navigating challenging moments without losing sight of the larger purpose of the conversation. Drawing from Chapter 11 of Facilitating Conversations on Race, this session provides concrete tools you can use to remain engaged and effective when conversations become difficult.
November 10: When You Disagree
Disagreement is inevitable in conversations about race. People will sometimes share perspectives that are incomplete, inaccurate, resistant, or fundamentally different from your own. In this Lunch & Learn, we will explore practical strategies for responding when we disagree so you can better lean into the tension and promote reflection rather than division. Drawing from Chapter 14 of Facilitating Conversations on Race, participants will learn how to stay engaged with curiosity and purpose while navigating some of the most challenging moments in courageous conversations.
Visit the link below to read about November 17th session: Asking Questions with Genuine Curiosity and the 24th: Diving into the Tension. Learn more and register!
Cultures Connecting at Bridge Conference 2026
School's Out Washington is holding their annual Bridge Conference on October 26 & 27th this year, with the theme "The Art of Being Water." The theme "invites us to embrace the power of adaptability, resilience, connection, and collective flow. Like water, we learn to move with purpose—reshaping our path, filling spaces with possibility, and finding ways forward where none seemed possible. This theme calls on the expanded learning field to remain grounded while fluid, balancing action with reflection and honoring both movement and stillness."
Members of Our Cultures Connecting team are presenting at the conference, which you can read about below. Visit the conference website to learn more and get tickets.
The Art of Facilitation: Leading through Emotions in Discourse about Race by Dr. Caprice Hollins and Ilsa Govan
Schools are not neutral spaces. Every day, educators are asked to lead, mediate, and hold space for conversations that carry the weight of generations. The current political context contributes to heightened emotions and racial tensions. And you, no matter how experienced, bring your own history too. When a student says something harmful, a colleague dismisses a lived experience, or a systemic issue needs examining, the most powerful thing you can do is to know yourself well enough to stay present and grounded, even when every instinct tells you to fight, flee, or freeze. Through honest storytelling, self-reflection, and hands-on practice, you'll learn to recognize what activates you, strategies to respond instead of react, and ways to hold space for the emotional responses of others.
Weaving Without Erasing: Equitable Enculturation for Diverse Communities by Richard Kim
What does it look like when a community truly makes room for everyone — not just at the edges, but at the center? This session explores the principles and practices of equitable enculturation: the intentional work of forming communities where diverse peoples are not merely welcomed but genuinely woven into the fabric of shared life.We'll examine how power, identity, and belonging intersect in community formation, and offer practical frameworks for leaders navigating the complexity of cultural integration without succumbing to assimilation. Participants will leave with concrete tools for fostering dignity-centered community cultures that honor difference while building genuine cohesion.
Unspoken Truths Gallery at Dexter Horton Building
Our colleague, Mr. Delbert Richardson, will be featuring his American traveling exhibit at the Dexter Horton Building. Through artifacts, storyboards, and storytelling, he traces the African American journey from Mother Africa, through Chattel Slavery, to the Jim Crow Era, and finally to Afrofuturism. Public gallery hours are Wednesdays in October, with November 4th and 18th. Additional dates will be added. Visit the Unspoken Truths website for more information.
Resources for Election Day this November 2026
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026 is election day and here are some resources to help you and your community show up, starting with articles about your voting rights and what to be aware of:
Getting Involved:
VoteFwd is partnering with Stand Up America for a letter writing event with activist, organizer, and author Jess Craven. This event will provide personalized, in-depth information about what to write when participating in letter campaigns to encourage people to vote. Register for this free virtual event on October 15th at 5pm PT here.
No Kings Day Vote Early events are localized marches and voting fairs organized by MoveOn. The events are designed to celebrate voting and to encourage people to make a plan to vote early. These fairs are nonpartisan and designed to increase participation for all voters. Visit their website to find an event near you.
Watch "Young White Men: Scared, Entitled, and Cynical"
Dr. Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman is founder and director of imani strategies, llc and a change leader for equity. Nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Chapman wrote an article, "Young White Men: Angry, Scared, Cynical—A Deadly Combination," which she converted into a video essay which you can view below. You can watch the forward to this video here and the afterword here. It's an important message relevant to what is happening today.
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!
10/15: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group
10/15: Vote Forward x Stand Up America Letter Writing Event
10/16: Resistance Fridays at Common Power
10/17: No Kings Day: Vote Early
10/17: Duwamish Alive! Caring for Duwamish Sacred Sites: Call for Volunteers
10/18: Riff Raff League for Political Action
10/19: Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living
10/20: Facilitating Popular Education Methods in Virtual Spaces
10/20: NAMI BIPOC Support Group
10/20: Tsuru for Solidarity Monthly Co-Create
10/21: Unspoken Truths Exhibit at Dexter Horton Building
10/21: ToP Facilitation Methods
10/21: Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Action Hour
10/22: Beyond Self-Care: Sustainable Boundaries & Restorative Team Norms
10/24: ACE Academy's 4th Annual Gala
10/24: Family Fun at the Longhouse HALLOWEEN PARTY
10/25: Sankofa Circles Start
10/26: Bridge Conference
10/27: Race Forward Cultural Week of Action
...and so much more! Visit our Events Calendar to see the most up-to-date full schedule.
*Cultures Connecting workshop.
