Register for Your Racial Justice at Work Summit Press Pass 

As an ASJA member, you have an opportunity to broaden your understanding of the diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) issues driving so many crucial conversations this election year. Whether you’re looking to cultivate a more diverse network of sources or want to learn more about equity and inclusion in different industries such as health care, higher education, retail, and finance, you can access live presentations related to these topics and more by registering for your free press pass to the virtual Racial Justice at Work Summit on April 23, 24, and 25.

Can’t make all those dates? Registration includes three months’ access to recorded sessions, so you can catch up on more than 80 hours of enriching content from a range of speakers, including bestselling authors, DEAI experts, and thought leaders from around the globe.

This year’s theme is ‘Justice for All’

This year’s summit celebrates the 40th anniversary of The Winters Group, Inc., a global diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice consulting firm, with the theme “Justice for All.” The event is based on the book Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change by Mary-Frances Winters and The Winters Group Team.

Authors Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Minal Bopaiah will open the summit with a keynote that addresses the African concept of Sankofa, a core value of racial justice work that encourages the development of historical consciousness. Other headliners include authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Minda Harts, Mary-Frances Winters, and Dr. Ruha Benjamin, as well as activists who are making a difference in their communities and reimagining their industries, such as Phluid Founder Rob Smith, blind content creator Molly Burke, and recent newsmaker Jane Elliott of “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise fame.

Programming throughout the three-day event features more than 80-plus sessions on inclusion related to race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, disability, intersectionality, religion, legal implications of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, and more.

There will also be a Passover Seder led by author and lifelong social justice advocate Howard Ross open to attendees of all faiths or none, plus panel discussions on DEAI in different industries, including media, finance, health care, education, and retail. Self-care and well-being, particularly as it relates to setting healthy boundaries to do this work, is another big theme, with daily yoga sessions and a deep dive on strategies for building resilience.

Resources for writers

Content creators looking for inspiration and practical advice to apply to their work are invited to build individualized agendas, with highlights including:

• Speaking Our Truths: Social Justice Storytelling to Ignite Change, a workshop led by Tayler Simon of Liberation is LIT on the art of storytelling and how it can be used to inspire conversations on antiracism.
• Decentering Whiteness in Photography Choices with Acacia Betancourt of Brevity & Wit exploring how to select photos for your organization in a deliberate and thoughtful way for advancing antiracism work. 
• The Power of Storytelling in Enabling Inclusion and Empathy in the Name of Justice, a session by Asheli Mann-Lofthouse of Cultural Outreach and Racial Equity Collective NFP featuring anthropological and ethnographic methodologies of cross-cultural storytelling to evoke empathy and support social justice efforts. 
• Tell Your Story: The Power and Psychology of Storytelling in Building Equitable and Inclusive Leadership, with Ashley Rivenbark of MindGym on how the psychology and practice of storytelling in the corporate learning and development space can be used to foster empathy, debunk discomfort around discussions of DEI, and build power within underrepresented communities.
• The Art of Feedback: Transformative Conversations for a More Just World, an interactive workshop led by Viva Asmelash and Michael Gregor of Liberation Labs on giving and receiving feedback while considering how power dynamics and identity impact communication at work.
• Equity in the Headlines: Working on the Frontlines of the Culture Wars, a panel discussion on the state of DEAI in media that I am honored to moderate, featuring ASJA Secretary Lottie Joiner, Senior Editor of NPR’s Code Switch Leah Donnella, and Founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists Katherine Reynolds Lewis. 

The fine print

The Racial Justice at Work Summit is produced by The Winters Group in partnership with Event Specialists, a Black woman-owned event management and production company. Sponsors include Merck, Under Armour, Tapestry, Bank of America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cushman & Wakefield, Mount Sinai, Town & Country Markets, Piper Sandler, Kaiser Permanente, H&M, Intercultural Development Inventory, and Amazon. To register for your press pass, including 90 days of access to session recordings, please email me at gabby@wintersgroup.com with the subject line “ASJA Member.” A digital review copy of Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change is available upon request. 

Gabrielle Gayagoy Gonzalez (she/her/hers) is a Filipina American writer and was named to Diversity Woman Media’s Power 100 List. She is a co-author of Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change and a co-host of The Inclusion Solution LIVE podcast from The Winters Group, Inc., a Black women-owned global diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice consulting firm. Her writing has appeared in Shape, Self, Women’s Health, and Seventeen.