The Consulting
(Hard Truths)
Let’s face it. Talking about race in an authentic way, especially across race, is hard, complicated, and uncomfortable. It surfaces our socialization, which is often hard-wired and invisible to us, and it comes with emotions. To do this work efficiently, my co-facilitator is always a skillful white antiracism consultant with whom I have worked for many years. Currently, my partners are Ryan Virden and Jenna Chandler Ward.
Meet My Consulting Team
Ryan Virden
Ryan Virden is an accomplished educator, author, and cultural advocate based in Minneapolis. With a keen focus on nurturing inclusive environments, Ryan collaborates with individuals and organizations to cultivate mindsets and skills for effectively building relationships and communities across diverse contexts.
Ryan’s extensive experience includes working with organizations nationwide, guiding them towards establishing restorative cultures within their environments. Notably, he held the role of Restorative Justice Coordinator for Minneapolis Public Schools and currently serves as a professor in the peace and justice department at St. Thomas University.
Jenna Chandler-Ward
Jenna Chandler-Ward is the The Co-Author of the book, Learning and Teaching While White, (Norton 2022) and the Co-founder of the popular professional development site and podcast, Teaching While White. Jenna has been an educator in non-profits, schools, and colleges for over 20 years, working with students from kindergarten to college level. A former middle school English and drama teacher outside of Boston for over ten years, she was also a founder and co-director of the Multicultural Teaching Institute, which produces workshops and a conference for educators on issues of equity and inclusion. Currently, Jenna lives in Providence, RI on the Ancestral and Traditional land of the Nahagansett and the Wampanoag People. She is a diversity consultant, specializing in professional development for educators on issues of whiteness and its impacts on teaching, curriculum, and leadership. She holds an M.Ed. from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Marlboro College.
Here are just a few of the possible tools we might use, depending on your needs:
- Institutional racial equity assessment
- Leadership/Management coaching
- Racial affinity groups
- Common Framework/Vocabulary (to discuss issues of race and racism & build racial literacy)
- Emotional Intelligence
- Self Care as Community Care
- Cultural arts (art, music, poetry, fiction, video)
- Community building
- Restorative practice
It’s important to understand that this kind of work requires facilitation that is strategic and precise. Know that I have been a successful strategist for over 30 years for young people and adults, and I have seen how committing to mediated, delicate conversations, especially when they’re messy, builds the relationships necessary to drive racial equity in an organization. Are you ready to make that commitment?