Becoming Courageous

As we think about coming back together after a year of physical distancing, what have we learned about ourselves and our social needs? What have we lost? What new things have we noticed? What might we leave behind? Zina & Jess welcome Nancy Burgoyne, Ph.D., chief clinical officer at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, who led one of our first and favorite Courageous Conversations sessions, "The Art of Listening." Revisit the video & recap: CourageousCommunity.us

After our inspiring evening with Valarie Kaur, civil rights lawyer and author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, Zina & Jessica welcome Orlando Bailey of Urban Consulate in Detroit for a conversation about the relationship between truth, accountability, forgiveness & reconciliation as we heal the wounds of inequality and injustice in our nation. To watch Valarie's talk, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

"The inequity in our nation finally burst the doors open. And we have to keep them open by continuing the conversation." In this episode recorded after the inauguration, Zina & Jessica reflect on what they've learned over the last year and a half of Courageous Conversations — and why truth and accountability are essential to have any shot at healing and unity. To learn more, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

"Absent grappling with race in predominantly white communities, we will never get to the point of really addressing these issues and will continue to repeat history." In this episode, hosts Zina Jacque & Jessica Green talk with Nate Rouse, the first Director of Equity, Race & Cultural Diversity Initiatives for Barrington 220 School District. What is he discovering as he steps into this role? They discuss the need for empathy, the value of allies, and the gift of "unsettledness" in moving from awareness to action. Recorded December 2020. To learn more about Courageous Community, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

To build more inclusive & equitable communities, we will need to repair trust with fellow citizens and regenerate hope within ourselves. How do we do this? In this episode, Zina Jacque, Jessica Green & Claire Nelson reflect on wisdom shared by civic evangelist Eric Liu of Citizen University immediately following the 2020 Election. Among our charges: questioning our certitude, leaning into curiosity, being trustworthy, and rehumanizing each other. To watch Zina's conversation with Eric, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

"We won't make real progress on racial justice until those who are unaffected are as moved to action as those who are," says guest Grant Elliott, co-founder of Be The Change, a coalition to improve the culture around race in Barrington schools. So how does this happen? Grant talks with hosts Zina Jacque & Jessica Green after welcoming guest Courtney E. Martin, author of The Examined Family and The New Better Off, about what they are learning as they pursue equity & inclusion for future generations. Grant shares the 3 "C's" he is discovering in this work: consistency, complacency & comfort. To join future Courageous Conversations, or watch video from past sessions, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

Inspired by visionary Bryan Stevenson who calls us to "get proximate" to better understand different lived experiences, Zina & Jessica share some ways they are learning how to practice curiosity, generous listening, and standing in another's shoes to build more inclusive communities. Zina tells the story of how three magic words—"help me understand"—helped her unpack her own "suitcase of stereotypes" in cross-racial relationships. Jess shares a great list of resources for anyone looking to make curiosity a life practice, including dialogues offered by Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT), Interfaith Youth Core, Telos Group, Braver Angels, and Urban Consulate. As Winston Churchill said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” To join Zina & Jessica in their own series of courageous conversations, visit CourageousCommunity.us.

Meet Zina Jacque & Jessica Green, co-hosts of a series of courageous conversations in Barrington, Illinois. Hear what they're learning—and unlearning—as they invite their community to look inward and forward together. Produced by Claire Nelson. Audio engineering by Ed Bornstein. Original music by Ben McFadden. To learn more, visit CourageousCommunity.us.