Let's Create A Better World!
Events - Current
Purple Feather Press welcomes you to more offerings to help create a better world!! Let's Work Together!
*ANNOUNCING FOR 2023
Friday-Sunday, February 3-5, 2023 (weekend workshop ) at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
- “Exploring and Restoring Our Path to Healing: An Homage to Black History Month with LaVerne McLeod
Workshop Information and Registration
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Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 2:00pm, I led an online zoom workshop for the Monterey Public Library’s “Book to Action” program. It was FREE to all participants. The title of the workshop: CREATING A WORLD FOR EVERYONE – a means to examine pathways leading to equity and belonging by way of visions. (This particular workshop is not a self-facilitated one).
Welcomed to the public online event. The workshop objectives:
• Dissect ideal visions and turn them into action items
• Create additional visions with possible actions
• Practice speaking positive visions for change
The idea for LaVerne McLeod’s creation of Bridge Building to Equity Workshops in 2013 eventually grew into online Webinars during the 2020 & 2021 pandemic. The inspiration deepened this venture by the publication of Corn Hollow as she continued to interactively present dramatic presentations to organizations, businesses and community groups. The first workshop came as an answer to the call by audience members who wanted to know, “what’s next” in the realm of social justice. A progressive flow then followed and became virtual as mentioned with a self-facilitation format (Scroll below for information about these series and how to register for the self-facilitated workshops) from the 2020 and 2021 series.
CURRENTLY- Bridge Building Programs are offered in-person.
Current Virtual Event:
Racial Pandemic Webinar Series
Open for Registration
YOU CAN ATTEND ANY TIME ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE
During a course of time that may be referred to as an “Awakening,” I felt an urgency to create a series of virtual webinars. It was also a time of “shutdown” due to a viral pandemic called COVID-19. Although I had been creating and facilitating Bridge Building Workshops since 2017, it was George Floyd’s horrific death that compelled me into action to create the racial pandemic side of things. Thus, I formulated the name the Racial Pandemic Webinars. I choose to continue to use the term “webinar” as now this series is self-facilitated rather than in workshop fashion that was previously presented live with participant interaction.
You will see and hear in this self-facilitated webinar series the facilitator, LaVerne McLeod, as well as any guest presenters in a pre-recorded format. Instead of open discussions and breakouts, there are slides of exercises and activities that you can complete on your own. You are not restricted to a time limit in this series.
Please be prepared to write the instructions from the activity and exercise slides so you can respond to these at the end of the recorded webinar. You are welcome to email LaVerne McLeod info@lavernemcleod.com with any questions or remarks regarding any activity or exercise.
Webinar List & Descriptions
The Racial Crisis & Inner-Actions to Help Heal Our Wounds”
This session might be the hardest to face as it uncovers what we don’t want to see about the past. It also connects us to our wounds through enslaved persons or enslaved owners. Not being willing to reveal and face this piece of American history is what has led us to the current crisis point.
Objectives:
- Talk about the racial crisis
- Show background history of the crisis and how it perpetuates today
- Give suggested inner-actions to help heal our inner hurt and wounds
Uncovering Systemic Racism Involving Criminal Justice & Pathways to Help Create Change
This session reveals the unjust and severe flaw of consciously incarcerating mostly Black and Brown males, thus separating them from society. The time has come to re-habilitate and release human beings who have been victims of petty crimes and serving unjust sentences. Solutions will be offered to help create change in this system.
Objectives:
- Examine how black and brown people are funneled into the criminal justice system
- Talk about mass incarceration
- Give suggested action plans to help create a new paradigm
Systemic Racism in the Health Care System & Exploring Possibilities for Equity
Systemic racism shows up in the Health Care System in subtle ways that has now been brought to light particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This has created a double-death blow considering the racial pandemic. The focus in this session is find solutions for the inequities in a society that lacks compassion where death statistics have increased. Methods will be discussed to bring forth a new paradigm that can lead to fairness, regardless of the color of one’s skin.
Objectives:
- Examine what systemic racism in health care looks like
- Look at racial health care inequities as it relates to other systems of inequity
- Explore various avenues for health care equity
Disarming Racial Fear
Racial fear is a device to avoid connection with the unfamiliar. It’s time to break the bubbles and dissolve the walls of fear so we can recognize our differences without the emotional phobias that keep racial trauma alive
Objectives:
- Look at thought processes about fear
- Talk about how racial fears are played out
- Review practical exercises throughout each part of the session to help dis-arm racial fear
Finding Ways to Reduce Racism by Examining Privilege
Privilege is defined as an advantage, a benefit or special right. Who is entitled to it? Are those who are privileged even aware of it? Is it something to be ashamed of? Proud of? Or What?
In order to remove the elements that separate races, it is important to listen and have conversations with one another. Let’s settle this issue about privilege so we can get on with the work needed to challenge the systemic inequities to help bring equity to all people.
Objectives:
- Discuss the meaning of privilege and how it shows up in regards to racism
- Listen to privileged and non-privileged activists who are restoring their own humanity
- Examine visions to benefit all races and help to eradicate racism
Building Relationships with Persons of Different Cultures (The Foundation for Community Building)
In light of the racial upheaval caused when George Floyd was murdered, have you ever wanted to reach out to a person-of-color and let them know you stand beside them in their struggle for equity? Have you ever wanted to be a friend to someone of another culture but were afraid of what your own race might think? How can I get closer to a community that I live in or one I don’t live in as an advocate to help that community?
Objectives:
- Establish ways to relate to persons of another culture
- Examine elements of community building with different cultures
- Maintain personal and professional relationships in communities
Can Workplace Equity be Achieved for All Races?
With the necessary changes that must take place in order that all races play on a level playing field, diversity, equity and belongingness must be established in the workplace. This is one of the most important issues that challenge companies during this great movement or turning. Surely the 8 minutes and 46 seconds of watching a racist execution in 2020 is not where the state of mind can remain. It is vital to move from this place of inequity and heinous abuse of power to re-structure the various areas of systemic racism. One of these areas of systemic racism is in the workplace. We shall focus on shifting or re-structuring the workplace for persons-of-color and to also include women.
Objectives:
- a) Examine an overview of workplace inequity and racial diversity
- b) Explore the work to be done in the workplace with microagressions
- c) Suggest solutions & benefits of hiring diverse populations
How are Millennials and Younger People Affected by Racial Inequities? What Do They Plan to Do About it?
Generation Alpha, considered the first group of Millennials’ children, is the youngest current day generation born with little or no knowledge of what existed before the smartphone. Each generational set have viewpoints on racial and ethnic issues and what can be done about them. Each generation discussed will bring forth their set of racial issues and what they feel can be done to solve them. As they are the continuing link to progress and towards racial equity and continually dissolving systemic racism, it is of upmost importance that they take the stage.
Objectives:
- Introduce the generations and the country’s status with regards to racial issues
- Examine why the younger generations care about dissolving racism by sharing their process
- Suggest solutions to help deal with systemic racism
Examining Restorative Justice
In the name of justice, there are avenues in the United States of America that all-but draw vulnerable, poor Black and Brown kids and adults towards jails and prisons, dividing their world from society. Other pitfalls can be found in health disparity, employment, social services and other arenas. This realm of unjust divisions will be examined and suggestions given towards restoration.
Objectives:
- Examine what is Restorative Justice
- Give examples of how we can restore justice in unfair systems
- Explore the connection to bridge the inequity gap with suggestions of restoration
Creating the Reality of Non-Discrimination & Equity
To talk about an equitable society is to talk about all human beings playing on the same level playing field. In this session we look at what our ideal society shall be, rather than the issues that have been extensively covered in many other sessions. Let’s take a deeper look at focusing on the dream and start living the solution.
Objectives:
- Examine avenues leading to an awakening society
- Analyze structures and areas of concern to create change
- Share visions of equity and belongingness in an ideal society
How to Register
You can register for any or all or any particular webinar session or sessions.
The donation for each session is $35 or $50. Use the PayPal donation button below. Note that PayPal also accommodates credit card users not registered with PayPal. Please indicate which webinar you are registering for on the PayPal note or send an email to info@lavernemcleod.com indicating this.
Donate
After your donation is received, you will be sent a confirmation letter and a link to the webinar session(s) you registered for.
Your donation is for webinar production and scholarships for those unable to donate and want to attend webinar sessions.
