Urban League of Rochester<https://www.urbanleagueroc.org/> is planning its first INTERRUPT RACISM Summit, to be held virtually October 20-21, 2020. They are currently soliciting proposals for presentations and workshops, and would love for students and/or faculty to consider applying. The theme of the inaugural Summit is “Unmasking and Dismantling Racism.” They invite proposals on any related topics to help the Urban League of Rochester, as a nationwide community, begin to isolate action steps on our path toward healing and equity. Accepted presenters will receive complimentary admission to all sessions, including those of keynotes by civil rights leaders to be announced in the coming days.
Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, September 10, 2020.
SUMMIT OVERVIEW
The Urban League of Rochester, Inc. seeks quality proposals that incorporate interactive components for engaging presentations with subject matter experts on race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Creative use of media and innovative thinking are encouraged. Learning formats may include speaker presentations with Q&A, panel discussion with Q&A, case studies, experiential learning activities, and more. We are also seeking to engage youth voice and encourage student proposals and youth organizations to apply.
The 2020 Virtual INTERRUPT RACISM Summit is scheduled for October 20 – 21, 2020 from 9 am-3 pm EST.
2020 Summit theme and mission
The theme of our inaugural INTERRUPT RACISM Summit will be “Unmasking and Dismantling Racism.” The Summit will be an online immersive learning experience designed for youth and adults to participate and come together to:
- Develop a deep understanding of what work needs to be done to dismantle racism
- Develop a common language and understanding around systemic racism
- Discuss solutions to dismantling racism
- Understand the concept of accountability for racist practices
- Understand race-related health disparities stemming from a “double pandemic”
- Develop a pathway for learning and healing from race-related matters
Target audience
The Summit is open to all individuals, businesses, and communities looking to develop a pathway to healing and a strategy for equity, diversity, and inclusion to interrupt and ultimately dismantle racism. As the Summit is being conducted virtually in light of COVID-19, we encourage persons from across the country and world to apply, including
- Individuals
- Nonprofit and business professionals
- Technology organizations
- Small businesses
- College students
- Community and faith leaders
- Media professionals
- Mental health professionals
- Healthcare professionals
- Legislators
- Educators
- Law enforcement personnel
Background on the Urban League of Rochester
The Urban League of Rochester, NY, Inc. (ULR) was founded in 1965 in the wake of racial unrest and riots that crippled the Rochester community. Our mission is to assist African Americans, Latinos, the poor and other disadvantaged to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, and civil rights. Today, ULR provides direct services through over 25 programs in the areas of youth education and development, workforce development, family and children services, services for individuals with developmental disabilities, housing, and business development. ULR serves 4,000 individuals each year through direct services and an additional 6,000 individuals through information and referrals, workshops, presentations, and other community events.
INFORMATION FOR PRESENTERS
ULR is seeking proposals for approximately 15-20 workshops and presentations. The Summit agenda will consist of two days of 45-minute block presentations.
Below are examples of possible workshop topics. (Please note these examples are not exhaustive of the INTERRUPT RACISM Summit topic areas.)
- Understanding Racism 101: What does this all mean?
- Equity vs. equality
- COVID-19 and its impact on communities
- Systemic racism and coronavirus
- Why it’s not up to Black people to create a workplace diversity plan
- Diversity vs. inclusion
- Creating a culture of inclusion
- Whiteness and white supremacy
- Whiteness and digital imagery
- Racial wealth divide
- What is allyship?
- “Racist” is not a dirty word
- Micro-aggressions
- Racial pay gap
- Am I leading with racist practices?
- Whiteness and workplace culture
- Youth advocacy and civic engagement: Why aren’t adults listening to us?
- Mass incarceration
- Sustainable change as a pathway to equity
- Education and equity
How to submit a proposal
Proposals must be submitted online at http://www.urbanleagueroc.org/summit. The submission form will open on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 12 PM EST. Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, September 10, 2020.
All submissions must comply with the following guidelines. Failure to observe these requirements may result in submission errors or rejection of the proposal submission during the review process.
Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered. Proposals submitted via methods other than the proposal form will not be considered. Please do not submit a proposal on behalf of anyone other than yourself and/or your organization.
Proposal components
Successful proposals will contain all of the following:
- Workshop/Presentation Details:
- Title
- Abstract (for promotional materials): <300 words
- Learning Outcomes: i. What are the learning outcomes of this workshop/presentation? \
- How will attendees apply what they have learned during your session? After your session?
- How will you encourage active rather than passive learning?
- Resources: i. Do you plan to recommend resources or suggested follow-up to attendees? If so, what?
- Do you hope to promote the sale of any items, including books, during your session? If so, what?
- Length of Session: 45 min. or 90 min.
- Ideal Audience for Session: <50 words
- Q&A: i. How will you manage Q&A in an online format?
- How much time do you plan to allot for attendee questions?
- Are you willing to attend a virtual meet-and-greet with VIP ticket holders?
- Have you presented or facilitated on this topic in the past? If so, please list when, where, and, if available, provide a link to sample content.
- Presenter details (required for each presenter):
- Name
- Phone number
- Organization or affiliation (if applicable; unaffiliated individuals or groups are welcome to submit proposals)
- Bio: <100 words in third person
- Photo or headshot
- Consent statement for online distribution of your presentation and supplemental resource material(s) for the event (The Summit will be recorded.)
Review schedule:
Submissions will be reviewed by the INTERRUPT RACISM Summit team, and all applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals by Friday, September 18.
Additional information:
Please feel free to submit any questions about the INTERRUPT RACISM Summit and/or the proposal submission process to William Rivera-Bloodworth, Marketing, Communications, and Digital Engagement Officer, at wrivera@ulr.org.
We welcome you to encourage others to also submit a workshop proposal and help ULR promote participation in the INTERRUPT RACISM Summit on your social media platforms.
We look forward to receiving your proposals by September 10.