Listen to Learn & Lead: Stories from our Black Community

The social unrest in our country isn’t anything new. It has been there along. We don’t have nearly enough spaces where the black voice can be highlighted, uninterrupted and not be dismissed or discounted. With heightened tension on social media and digital platforms we can become desensitized to the injustices that have plagued the black folks in our community for years. Unfortunately, there are still too many people in our community who are unwilling to take off their personal lens of life, so they gain clarity from another perspective. Our hope is that people walk away with a growth in empathy and understanding from a black person’s point of view.

This is why we are creating a space… to listen, to learn and take action. VanTalks has partnered with Ready to Rise to provide a platform for 4 Black community members to share their stories of being Black in Vancouver/Clark County, WA. This will be an uncomfortable dialogue for some, and that is okay.

We need to take time to marinate in the stories of others so we can gain perspective and empathy from folks that don’t share our same lived experience. This conversation will be guided by the premise of storytelling, sharing unfiltered experiences and telling the truth of 4 Black Lives who live, work and are pillars of change and empowerment in our community.

We will be hearing from these four storytellers:

Rashida Willard: Rashida Willard is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Clark College. Throughout Rashida’s career, she has been able to develop and oversee initiatives that help promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Nathan Webster: Marketing professor and consultant who has grown up in Vancouver. Nathan has a long history of community impact and being a voice for change.

Erykah Weems: Recent college graduate from Central Washington who is passionate about supporting and elevating the voices of girls and young women of color who have been impacted by adverse childhood experience.

Tyler Monk: Tyler is our host for this event and also will be sharing his story as well.

We ask that you invite a friend or family member to join us. Ask that friend or family who hasn’t taken the time to learn the perspective from a Black person. We encourage you to soften your heart, open your ears and listen, so you can learn and take the appropriate action to be a part of the solution for positive change in our Vancouver community.

PLEASE NOTE: This will be a zoom online event. There is no cost for this event. You only need to register for each device you will be using (not for each person who may be watching).

[Zoom Link]