The Racial Justice Summit, formerly known as the Summit Against Racism, is a flagship event for Pittsburgh organizers. The Summit creates opportunities for attendees to learn, connect, and act on behalf of racial justice. This year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, all Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit events will be held on Zoom.

Workshop: IT TAKES MORE THAN A DAY: CREATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS

This workshop is for orgs and individuals who want to be more actively anti-oppressive but are stuck. Maybe you hired a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant for a few trainings but the work ended there. Or, you’ve attended a few workshops but don’t know what to do now. We’ve developed a holistic process to address systemic oppression for orgs and individuals. We’ll share case studies from our experiences as DE&I consultants and you’ll have a chance to reflect on which phase(s) you are currently in, walking away with ideas to enact transformational change that lasts beyond a day.

FACILITATORS
Liz Foster-Shaner (She/her/hers) – Theatre of the Oppressed Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Inclusant
Mary C. Parker (She/her/hers) – Just Collaboration LLC

Mary C. Parker identifies as an African-American cis-gender woman and is an international applied theatre practitioner, dialogue facilitator, and comedic actor. She holds a MA in Applied Theatre from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a BA in Sociology from Emory University, and is a Certified Professional Coach through Duquesne University’s Palumbo Donahue School of Business. Mary has worked with community based organizations to create diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, address inclusion with boards of directors for nonprofits, and led several workshops on implicit bias. She also has seven years experience virtually facilitating dialogue sessions so folx can learn how to approach differences constructively and lead with empathy, to thrive in an interconnected world.

Liz Foster-Shaner is a White, cis-gendered woman, educator and civic artist. She holds a PhD in Theatre Research from UW-Madison where she studied applied theatre for social change. With funding from Heinz Endowments, the Three Rivers Community Foundation, and Remake Learning, Liz is developing programs that reimagine our opportunities for change as active citizens of our communities and places of practice. Liz is a DE&I consultant for Inclusant, a Teaching Artist with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and founding member of Theatre of the Oppressed Pittsburgh. Recently, Liz facilitated workshops for the URA, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.