Building a Desirable Movement: Inviting Individual Strengths and Collective Power for Organizational Change

When we strategize about building an intersectional movement for justice, often we get stuck in narratives about “who’s not in the room” and our invitations to participate focus on discomfort. What if we shifted the focus to building a desirable movement? One that considers the talents of those who are in the room and how they work together to build collective power. This session will pull from social-behavioral change theory and successful movements for justice to highlight that change has always been made possible by a non-majority group of committed people. We will examine the predictable phases of equity work within an organization and how to help move your organization further along the continuum. Participants will explore theoretical frameworks, tangible strategies, and group-based discussions on building individual and collective power for their own organizational contexts. 

Speaker Bio: kristy kumar (she, her, hers) is an experienced social justice organizer working to co-create joyful and equitable communities. She currently serves as the City of Madison’s inaugural Equity and Social Justice Manager for the Department of Civil Rights. kumar and her team oversee a wide-ranging portfolio including the Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative, Disability Rights and Services, Neighborhood Resource Teams, Language Access, and Environmental Justice. kumar provides leadership and strategic guidance to the Mayor, legislators, and all City departments in normalizing intersectional equity, organizing staff to work together for transformational change, and operationalizing new practices, policies, and procedures that help everyone experience wellbeing.

Her work experience includes leadership in community and youth-organizing, higher education, coalition-building, interpersonal violence prevention, and community care. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and has worked with several organizations on anti-human trafficking efforts. kumar received her M.A. in Human Rights focusing on race, gender, and equity from the University of Denver and a B.A. in Political Science and Global Poverty and Practices from the University of California, Berkeley. She’s a proud first-generation immigrant whose passions include gleaning wisdom from her ancestors’ non-recipes, daydreaming about her next meal and who she can share it with, making art, and enjoying nature with her partner, toddler, and dog.

Event Details

12:00 pm Lunch and Networking
12:30-1:30 pm Program 

Location: Madison College- Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry St, Madison, WI 53713

Cost

$20/ AFP Member

$30/ Non-member

Scholarship: Utilize this ticket during your registration if the cost of attending this event is a barrier.

Parking: You can utilize the parking lot at Madison College or park on the street around the campus. Park Bank also offers overflow parking. Park Bank is located across the street on Park Street.