For years society has encouraged colorblind ideology without taking into consideration the impact it has on people of color. Through video, interactive activities and discussion of the research, participants learn tools for engaging in courageous conversations about race and are challenged to examine implicit bias, stereotype threat and its effect on relationships and ethnic/racial identity development. As a result, participants deepen their appreciation of challenges facing people of color and grow in self-awareness.

Objectives—Participants will:

1. Recognize their own stereotypes
2. Grow in their understanding of the impact of stereotypes
3. Understand how stereotypes inform our bias

Will this Workshop be Recorded? No

Intended Audience: This workshop is appropriate for library staff at any level or position.

About the Instructor: Ilsa Govan is co-founder of Cultures Connecting. Ilsa has more than 15 years of experience as a facilitator, consultant, writer and social justice activist. She has led conversations about racial equity at workshops and conferences across the country and helps coordinate the white caucus at the annual national White Privilege Conference. Prior to Cultures Connecting, Ilsa worked as an Equity and Race Specialist for Seattle Public Schools where she was tasked with addressing institutional racism in a large organization.  She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from Western Washington University and her Master's Degree in Bicultural Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. Ilsa is deeply invested in examining how her own identity influences her interactions with others, particularly through the lens of privilege and oppression. Ilsa is the co-author, with Caprice Hollins, of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Strategies for Facilitating Conversations on Race.