Community Conversations: Reclaiming Democracy, Building Belonging

Community Conversations: Reclaiming Democracy, Building Belonging

OMCA’s Spotlight Sundays is excited to introduce “Community Conversations,”  a new series in partnership with The Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI). This new series of conversations will create a space to foster public dialogue and engagement around emerging community topics. 

The program’s first installment this January will explore the topic of Reclaiming Democracy, Building Belonging. he panel will include john a. powell, Director of OBI and Professor of Law, African American and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Ernestine Nettles, President of the League of Women Voters, and Olivia Richardson Feldman who is the Co-Chair of the Oakland Youth Commission. The panel will be moderated by Ashley Gallegos who leads the Places of Belonging work at OBI. 

This interactive experience will encourage audience participation and will be grounded by an opening performance by the Belonging Residency Company that will orient the space toward our shared humanity through the arts.

Get 15% off a signed copy of john e. powell’s book, The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong when you purchase a ticket to the event online. Limited supply. 

Presenters

john a.powell is Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and Professor of Law, African American, and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He was previously the Executive Director at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at the Ohio State University, and prior to that, the founder and director of the Institute for Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota. John formerly served as the National Legal Director of the American Civil  Liberties Union (ACLU). He is a co-founder of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council and serves on the boards of  several national and international organizations. john led the development of an “opportunity-based” model that connects affordable housing to education, health, healthcare, and employment and is well-known for his work developing the frameworks of “targeted universalism” and “othering and  belonging” to affect equity-based interventions. john has taught at numerous law schools including Harvard and Columbia  University. His latest books are Belonging Without Othering, How We Save Ourselves and the World, and The Power  of Bridging, How to Build a World where we all Belong. 

Ashley Gallegos leads the Places of Belonging work at the Othering and Belonging Institute. Her work focuses on advancing belonging in collaboration with people, groups, and institutions through a place-based approach with global connection. Ashley believes in the power of belonging and is inspired by its ability to invite people and places to build for the betterment of ourselves, our communities, and our shared world.

Accessibility

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.