It's Time to Talk Sparks Brave Conversations about Race, Identity and Taking Action Every Day

On October 25, over 1,000 community members gathered together in the spirit of compassion, curiosity and solidarity to have brave conversations about race and racism at It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race^TM. This year’s keynote address featured the captivating, Caroline Wanga, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Vice President of Human Resources at Target Corporation, who spoke to her own personal formula for activism and the worth of each person’s lived experience. “Who you are is non-negotiable,” said Caroline. She advised people to work on being comfortable with their own selves first, because if you don’t, she says, “you are going to make everyone else deal with that.”

“I want everyone to be whatever unicorn they are.”

Then, she said, take action. You can’t do everything, but do something. And while you are at it, leave self-preservation out of the equation, which Caroline says is people’s biggest barrier to activism and taking action. Caroline ended on an optimistic aspiration for each person there: “I want everyone to live as liberated as I currently am. I want everyone to be whatever unicorn they are.” In the circle dialogues, YWCA facilitators guided conversations at the tables, starting with reactions to Caroline’s presentation, and asking if participants had their own formulas for activism.

Continuing the Conversation

Thank you to everyone who joined us this year! To continue the conversation, view a list of actions to take here. New this year is the opportunity to participate in It's Time to Act!, a four-act forum series starting in December where participants will hear from experts on nuanced themes, delve into deeper conversations and take actions as individuals or as part of a cohort.Save the date for next year's It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race on October 2, 2019.Learn more about It's Time to Act!Learn more about YWCA Racial Justice and Public Policy