The Racial Justice Conference brings together community members, leaders, educators, and advocates to engage in meaningful dialogue.
For generations, YWCA Rock County has worked to create communities where everyone can belong, thrive, and live with dignity. Our Racial Justice Conference brings that mission to life by bringing together community members, leaders, educators, and advocates for meaningful learning, honest dialogue, and connection across differences.
This year, we invite you to Build Belonging, to deepen your understanding of racial justice, reflect on personal experiences, challenge the barriers that divide us, and explore how each of us can help create more equitable and inclusive communities.
Together, we will learn from experts, engage in courageous conversations, explore solutions, and consider what it takes to move beyond awareness toward meaningful action. Because belonging does not happen by accident, it is something we build together.
Day 1 Online Conference 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM: Welcome
8:50 AM - 10:50 AM: Morning Speaking: Needed: A bunch of Belonging, NOT a bunch of Boloney:Greg Ware
Presentation will center around examining the theme, and focusing on empowering participants to utilize self-advocacy in practicing/managing the art of Belonging. Personal testimonies sharing, interactive components, and “tools you can use” will be embedded in the implementation.
10:05 AM - 11:05 AM: Literacy and Justice For ALL: Reading Between the Lines of UBUNTU: Iris Patterson
True community inclusion requires opening doors that have historically been closed to populations of people who have experienced multiple marginalizations. Today, over two-thirds of our children face systemic reading barriers that directly disrupt their sense of safety and value, altering the entire trajectory of their lives. This interactive session explores why we must collectively confront this crisis by building an intergenerational ecosystem of community advocacy. Attendees will discover how learning about the literacy divide is the first step to transforming reading from an isolated school duty into a powerful vehicle for social justice. By bridging community support with school spaces, we can ensure every single child is given the linguistic tools to have their voice heard and experience genuine academic belonging.
11:10 AM - 12:20 PM: The Discipline of Civil Discourse: Strategies to Debate Without Dehumanizing: Dr. Rick Daniels
This session offers a framework for engaging in debate and dialogue without dehumanizing the person on the other side. Participants will examine four core practices that transform conflict into clarity, curiosity, and connection. Through applied examples and reflective discussion, the session emphasizes how disciplined communication fosters mutual respect, strengthens institutional culture, and advances collaborative problem-solving in complex environments.
12:20 PM - 12:30 PM: Closing