Parenting in the Resistance
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Friday, Aug. 11 9:00 AM (Eastern)
Ends: Friday, Aug. 11 10:15 AM (Eastern)
Parents are an important but often overlooked center of political and economic power, but parents and other caregivers face unique challenges in movement building and resistance work. How do we talk with the children in our lives—particularly children of color—about current events? What does self-care look like for parents in a rapid-response culture? How can we mobilize parents to take back political power and center the stories and experiences of American families? How do we raise a new generation of anti-racist, anti-sexist people? This panel is not just for parents, but for anyone currently caring for, guiding or loving children in their lives.
Moderator
Amanda Kloer
I am an independent consultant with particular expertise in storytelling, strategy, and training. I’m also Co-Executive Director of FutureShift — an organization at the intersection of speculative fiction and social change.
I most recently worked for Change.org, where I helped initially build and later scale several digital organizing programs. Before that, I spent a decade leading advocacy campaigns on human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, genocide, and LGBT rights.
When I’m not making change I’m dressing my 12 month old daughter up in nerdy outfits, drinking wine, and scuba diving.
Panelists
Melissa Giraud
Melissa Giraud is the co-founder/director of EmbraceRace, a community of adults supporting each other to raise a generation of kids who are brave, informed and proactive on matters of race and racial justice.
Melissa is a first-generation American, biracial (black/white) daughter of a French Canadian mother and Dominican (Dom-in-EEK-an) father, (as in: from the island of Dominica, NOT the Dominican Republic). She is often read as white or ethnically ambiguous (“what are you?!?”) and cannot remember a time when she wasn’t aware of her undeserved white/light privilege compared to others in her family and neighborhood.
Professionally, she has been most interested in supporting learning and life outcomes for underserved students and families, especially immigrant girls and girls of color. Those driving concerns have shaped her work as an educator, NPR producer, education technology strategist, foundation consultant, and now as a co-founder of EmbraceRace.
Melissa is mom to super reader and planet lover Lola (9) and storyteller and singer Lena (6), and partner to and co-parent with Andrew Grant-Thomas, who also has many talents and interests! Racially, Andrew is black American and the girls are socially identified as black or bi/multiracial. So far, they call themselves biracial.
Tamara Johnson-Shealey
Tamara, a Candidate for the Georgia State Senate, District 40, is poised to secure a victory in 2018! Tamara ran for this seat in 2014 and garnered 37% and ran again in 2016 and garnered almost 44%.
Tamara is the Founder and President of The Concerned Beauty Professionals, an organization that addresses the need to protect the health and safety of Licensed Beauty Professionals and the clients that they serve.
Tamara is also the Founder and Senior Advocate of Politics Beauty, an organization that engages and encourages Licensed Beauty and Barber Professionals to participate in the political process.
Other sessions: Nuts & Bolts Live: Down Ballot Campaigns 3.0
Randall Smith
Randall Smith is the founder of PowerLabs, a consulting firm that supports organizations to create leaderful, open source campaigns that change the political weather and win. He specializes in training, coaching and strategic planning support to build the capacity of organizations, leaders and networks.