Presenting and Learning at the Overcoming Racism Conference

This past Saturday I attended the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative’s Overcoming Racism Conference in Saint Paul, Minn. and presented a workshop, Engaging Youth in Addressing the Achievement Gap based off of NYLC’s Smart. Youth Solutions to the Achievement Gap. This initiative was proposed by NYLC’s Youth Advisory Council a few years ago. The YAC saw a particular nation-wide need – ameliorating the achievement gap – which they thought ought to be addressed through more specific programming. The Smart Handbook for Students and Facilitator Guide were developed by NYLC in response to this request to describe activities and suggest discussion questions regarding the achievement gap. The workbooks also include extensive resources explaining how to make a service-learning project related to the achievement gap in your community.

It was a diverse crowd at my workshop. There were many educators, youth leaders, and a few college-aged participants. We did an activity from the Smart Facilitator Guide, which participants agreed is a great way for youth to visualize the achievement gap. The activity is called The Human Race and is based around a series of questions to which each participant must respond by stepping forward or backward. The questions center on factors in the individual’s life which are out of his or her control. Take one step forward if both of your parents went to college, take one step back if English is not your native language, take one step forward if you have ever travelled to a foreign country, etc. The participants start shoulder to shoulder in a line, but by the end of the 50 questions, the participants are spread out all over the room.

The exercise provokes discussion topics starting with simply “How did you feel ending up behind or ahead of others?” to “What are these positions metaphorical of?” There was extensive discussion amongst the participants – I spoke for a small portion of the workshop, and the rest of the time was taken up with participant discussion. Throughout the workshop I was able to cite examples of exemplary projects implemented by our Youth Advisory Council, enliven interest in trainings with NYLC, and entertain questions about possible National Youth Leadership Training attendance next summer!

Throughout the day there were courageous conversations going on within the diverse conglomerate of conference attendees. I went in to the conference confident in my expertise on racism, and when I left I realized I knew much less than I thought I did. The conference endowed me with a deeper understanding of the systemic racism we talk about in our Achievement Gap workshop, but also gave a greater context for any interaction relating to a racial issue, whether at home, in public, or in the workplace.