Courageous Conversations
Join us the 4th Monday of month for a conversation. Courageous Conversations explores issues of race in Rock County. Topics are selected each month based on current events and the issues people of color are currently facing both locally and nationwide.
The conversations are moderated by members of YWCA Rock County’s racial justice team as well as members of the Diversity Action Team of Rock County.
Courageous Conversations are currently being held virtually via Zoom. Courageous Conversations is held the fourth Monday of each month from 5:30pm – 7 pm. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.
(Please note, Courageous Conversations will be recorded and placed online. Members of the media are also invited to attend. If members of the media are present, an announcement will be made at the beginning of the meeting.)
APRIL UPDATE: Because many of us would like to attend the funeral services for Billy Bob Grahn, our friend and companion at Courageous Conversations, our conversations for this month have been cancelled. We will resume next month. Meanwhile, we will post on the Rock County YWCA website the video clips and questions that would have gone along with this month. Here is the link to Billy Bob's obituary: https://www.apfelwolfe.com/obituaries/William-Billy-Bob-R-Grahn?obId=42213552
May Courageous Conversation
Topic: Progress and Push Back
Monday, May 26, 2025
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/sQgQrm1uRKWnZXqPuDjxnA
May’s Courageous Conversation: Progress and Push Back in the Black Community examines the recurring pattern of backlash against Black progress throughout U.S. history. From the end of enslavement, each significant advancement for Black people has been met with resistance and setbacks. Our conversation will explore key historical moments such as Reconstruction, when newly freed Blacks faced violent opposition from groups like the Ku Klux Klan. The Civil Rights Movement, which fought for racial equality, encountered fierce pushback in the form of violent segregationist policies and social unrest. More recently, the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 marked a moment of immense progress, but also ignited a wave of political and social pushback, highlighting the persistent racial divisions in the country. This conversation seeks to analyze how progress for the Black community has often been met with efforts to suppress or undermine it, and the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.
June Courageous Conversation
Topic: Celebrating Black Music Month
Monday, June 23, 2025
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/sQgQrm1uRKWnZXqPuDjxnA
This Courageous Conversation will explore the profound influence of Black culture on various music genres, celebrating Black Music Month by highlighting the historical roots and contributions of Black artists to the development of Rock, Country, Popular music, Reggae, Soul, Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, and Rap.
June’s discussion will focus on the role of Black musicians in shaping the sounds and cultural movements multiple musical genres. From blues and gospel traditions that laid the foundation for Rock and Soul, to the pioneering of Hip Hop and Rap by Black artists, the conversation will examine how Black music has served as a powerful form of self-expression, resistance, and cultural identity. Ultimately, the conversation will emphasize the indelible mark that Black musicians have made across all music genres, and how this creative expression continue to shape and define the music industry and the world today.