October is here with shorter days and sweater weather! This month also continues a busy fall for Inclusive Communities: We've welcomed another new team member. Our first two Lozier Omaha Table Talk Events drew large crowds (see below for other upcoming OTTs...). Just yesterday, our LeadDIVERSITY Advocates met for their second session. And next week over 50 individuals will gather for IncluCity, our intensive 4-day camp promoting respect and inclusion.
Also this month, we're holding our first Queer Table Talk in Lincoln, discussing the intersection between LBGTQIA2S+ identities and faith. We're excited to partner with OutNebraska on this event and look forward to developing our reach into other communities.
We continue to stand steadfast in our vision of a society that is strengthened by diversity, inclusion, respect, and justice for
all
people. Please continue to support Inclusive Communities by participating in our programs, following our progress, and working to make Omaha a stronger community!
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Maggie Wood, Executive Director
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Welcome to New Program Associate Colin McGrew!
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Colin McGrew joined the Inclusive Communities team in September 2019. Originally from the small ski town of Frisco, Colorado, Colin came to Omaha to further pursue an academic career at Creighton University. After graduating with a bachelor's in biology and a minor in sustainability, Colin was looking to apply his energy in creating a more just and equitable society. Colin has always had a drive for nonprofit work and got his first opportunity to partner with a nonprofit working with Film Streams here in Omaha, thus, making his new position at Inclusive Communities an even more exciting partnership.
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While pursuing his B.S., Colin had the opportunity to be a part of several student-led organizations focusing on diversity, reproductive rights, and environmental justice. Colin also functioned as a student researcher in an interdisciplinary study of place in the Nebraska Sandhills.
As a NASA Nebraska EPSCoR funding recipient, Colin assisted with the ethnographic, biological, and film-making research of the Nebraska Sandhills to gain a cultural understanding of rancher relationships to a geographically significant place.
Colin also served as the Move-In and Transportation Executive for Creighton University’s Welcome Week 2017, where he was responsible for coordinating new student move-in and transportation to ensure efficiency and provide a comfortable transition for all new students.
Colin currently lives in downtown Omaha with his partner Julia, a medical student, and border collie named Ryder. He has a deep love for music, the outdoors, and food. When not contributing to Inclusive Communities programming, you can find him plotting his next adventure or scribbling notes about his favorite albums of the year.
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The 2019-2020 Omaha Table Talk season is underway - but there's always time to join the conversation! Join us at these upcoming events:
Race, Really: The Myths and Realities of Racial Differences
October 15, 2019 | 5:00-7:30pm | Durham Museum
Includes Durham exhibit access before event!
Registration is now open!
One Person, No Voice: Voter Suppression 2020
October 31, 2019 | 11:30am-1:00pm | CEC
Registration is now open!
Omaha Table Talk is free and open to the public, with registration required by visiting
www.inclusive-communities.org
. Registration opens one month prior to each event. American Sign Language interpreters are available at all OTT events.
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LGBTQIA2S+ and Faith Identities
October 24, 2019 | 6:00-7:30pm
The Foundry Community
211 N. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68508
Registration is now open!
Faith and LGBTQIA2S+ is one of the most contentious identity intersections talked about. When the person you are conflicts with the deity you praise, it can lead to a life full of internal, as well as community, conflict.
An estimated 40% of homeless youth identify as
LGBTQIA2S+
. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center estimated that between 5-10% of LGBT youth, depending on age and sex groups, have attempted suicide, a rate 1.5-3 times higher than heterosexual youth.
What factors contribute to statistics like these? Is there a responsibility for organizations centered around faith to assist in the lives of
LGBTQIA2S+
people? Is faith a solution to these issues or a cause, or can it be both?
Join us as we talk about this and more. This event is co-hosted by OutNebraska.
Queer Table Talk is free and open to the public, with registration required by visiting
www.inclusive-communities.org
.
American Sign Language interpreters are available.
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Say Whaaat?!
Amber Ruffin Returns for FriendsGiving 2019!
Sunday, December 1st, 2019
Noon-2:30pm
The Slowdown
Join us for our annual friend-raiser featuring the hilarious Amber Ruffin, Omaha native and TV personality known for her work on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
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LeadDIVERSITY is Happenin'!
We held our first LeadDIVERSITY session in September and to say that we are overjoyed to be in community with these 25 leaders is an understatement!
We spent the morning reflecting with Melissa Kopplin on how to prepare for difficult conversations, recognizing what defensiveness looks like and ways to deescalate it. We learned from friend of Inclusive Communities Dillard Delts that Leadership does not mean Authority and that leaders come in all varieties from a graveyard shift stocker at Hy-Vee to a CEO. We finished out our day playing games and having civil discourse conversations led by Liz Kerrigan with Leadership Omaha.
The main themes that came from the day were collaboration, vulnerability, growth and connection. But don’t take our word for it,
check out this video
by LeadDIVERSITY Advocate Amelis Long who did a Facebook Takeover during the session.
Our second session was October 9
th
and we had another LeadDIVERSITY Advocate taking over our Facebook page. For an inside look at the fun, learning, and collaboration that took place, go to Facebook by
clicking here.
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Annual Report - Check It Out
Our 2018-2019 Annual Report is out -
Download a copy here
to find out about all our activities and events over the past year!
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Inclusive Communities is proud to partner with the University of Nebraska Omaha to present the UNO Dialogue Project, formerly known as Sustained Dialogue. The goal of this project is to create a space for the UNO community to engage in productive and civil dialogue around uncomfortable or somewhat controversial topics. It's a space where all points of view are heard and respected, and where students, faculty and staff can develop the skills needed to become thought leaders in the community.
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