ABOUT EVENT

Throughout the 20th century, communities in many parts of the United States used racial covenants to codify neighborhood segregation, a structural legacy that continues to drive inequities in health and economic success today. In this Think Global panel, experts with backgrounds in history, education and social justice will explore how communities are confronting the ongoing impacts of this often-hidden history, a process that can be a powerful tool in building stronger communities that are better able to flourish and respond to adversity. 

Panelists will describe the community engagement process of Mapping Prejudice, an internationally recognized research project that works with communities across the United States to mobilize volunteers to identify and map racial covenants. The discussion will explore how this process has created collective understanding and led to policy change in places such as Minneapolis, and how a trauma-informed approach is essential to empowering communities. Through exploration of this model, the discussion will offer insights on how to effectively engage students and communities in productive discussions about how racial inequities are perpetuated, while minimizing emotional harm and fostering resilience.

SPEAKERS

Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, PhD (moderator), is a Research Professor of Global Health and Director of the Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research (CHPIR). She is a community psychologist and intervention researcher who will briefly share CHPIR’s updated vision and emerging understanding of multisystemic adaptation, resilience, and strengthening across disciplines.

Kirsten Delegard, PhD, is a public historian at the University of Minnesota and one of the cofounders of Mapping Prejudice, an award-winning research project that has mobilized more than 15,000 volunteers in communities across the US to identify and map racial covenants. ​Delegard holds a PhD in history from Duke University. “The process is the product” is the mantra that guides this team, which cultivates both the personal agency and community strengthening necessary to dismantle the structural legacies of these discriminatory deeds.

Rebecca Gillette, MA, is the Associate Director and Community Engagement Lead for Mapping Prejudice. She leads community engagement efforts by building partnerships across educational, faith-based, activist, and nonprofit communities. Through presentations, facilitated dialogue, and community mapping sessions, Rebecca invites participants to engage directly with primary sources to foster a deeper understanding of structural racism through experiential learning. A veteran community engagement professional, Rebecca centers and elevates the voices and lived experiences of those most impacted by racial covenants, ensuring their stories remain at the heart of Mapping Prejudice's work. She holds a BA from Boston University and an MA from the University of Minnesota.

Arielle Grant is a practitioner, writer, coach and consultant. She is the lead teacher and curriculum developer of Our Histories Are Healing in partnership with Mapping Prejudice of the University of Minnesota. She is a certified Restorative Justice Circle Facilitator, certified Enneagram practitioner, and student of the ICF Accredited Neurosomatic Intelligence Program. She founded Render Free in 2020, as a brick and mortar in Minneapolis to disrupt racial trauma by promoting whole-body wellness for Black and Brown women. Now, she works with clients across the country to incite interpersonal and innerworld resources by inviting somatic awareness, acknowledging internalized stories of survival, and realizing responsive value-aligned practices in pursuit of liberation.

This is a hybrid event with both in-person and remote attendance options. Attendance in person is encouraged. Lunch will be available.