Victoria Alexander

Anti-Blackness, Beyond a Hashtag

Many US institutions and organizations continue, on a system level, to perpetuate anti-Blackness, period. This program focuses on personal reflection and growth opportunities to combat internalized anti-Blackness and its manifestations on various levels of our society and organizations. Victoria uses research, data, and narrative to guide folks to recognize, challenge and change anti-Black attitudes and behaviors in the world around them and even deep within themselves. Even if uncomfortable, we can’t solve a problem we won’t admit exists. Here, it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

Organizational Impact:

• Increase their levels of awareness of deeply internalized anti-Black bias and its manifestations within colleges and universities
• Be empowered to identify, challenge, and change implicit and explicit cultures of anti-Black bias within themselves, their organization, and their community
• Be equipped with a toolkit of knowledge, background, vocabulary, and strategies to combat anti-Black bias and support marginalized members and communities as active allies.
• Understand how the concept of intersectionality impacts those Black folks who have multiple marginalized identities

Implicit Bias, What We Don’t Think We Think

Everyone has implicit biases. Implicit bias is part of how our brains are wired BUT that does not mean we can’t change for the better! Victoria uses research, data, and narrative to guide folks to recognize, challenge and change bias in the world around them and even deep within themselves. Even if it can be uncomfortable to admit we have a bias, we can’t solve a problem we won’t admit exists. Recognition is just the first step. Victoria leads participants through creating powerful and sustainable change in their organizations, communities, and theirselves. Here, it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.

The topics explored include race, class, gender, sexuality, gender, religion, ability, and intersectionality.

Organizational Impact:

• Be empowered with the knowledge and strategies necessary to know when and how to recognize and intervene in against bias and marginalization
• Learn how to identify the differences between passive allyship, performative allyship, saviorship, and active allyship
• Learn how to operate out of a growth mindset and embrace the many ways to identify how to consistently practice self-introspection; to leverage one’s own power and privilege toward active allyship.

When I Liberate Myself, I Liberate Others.

This program focuses on personal reflection and growth opportunities for people of color to combat internalized bias and its manifestations on various levels of their personal and/or experience. The title of this program borrows from Miss Fannie Lou Hammer, a Civil Rights activist who said, ““When I liberate myself, I liberate others. If you don’t speak out ain’t nobody going to speak out for you.” We will work together to recognize, challenge, and change our biases be they against other communities or internalized against our own. Biases we will unpack and explore include racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, islamophobia, antisemitism, colorism, and body shape and size. We center intersectionality to understand the unique marginalizations experienced by those with multiple marginalized identities. Here, it’s not about perfection, its about progress.

Organizational Impact:

As a result of attending this program, participants will:

• Increase their levels of awareness of deeply internalized social bias and its manifestations within their organization, community, and themselves
• Be equipped with a toolkit of knowledge, background, vocabulary, and strategies to combat bias and support marginalized people and communities.
• Be empowered to rest and feel joy as that is a tool of resistance
• Build coalition within and between groups because we are stronger together

Pride Past, Present and Future: A Brief LGBTQ+ History

In this interactive keynote, Victoria (a Black, Queer, Womanist) integrates a timeline of LGBTQ+ history with personal storytelling, empirical data, and audience participation to reveal how LGBTQ+ history impacts all of our collective past, present, and future. Queer and trans folks are, and have always been, at the center of American culture, art, industry, politics, activism, and innovation. But, just because our Queer community is rich with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, it does not mean we have always received the love, accolades, celebration, and protection that all people deserve. As Victoria and participants honor and explore the stories of queer and trans folks, we commit to the work left to do and we center those of us often left at the margins of oppression experienced by Queer/Trans People of Color, those with disabilities, those who do not “pass,” those of varying cultural or religious backgrounds, and many others. “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” — Marsha P. Johnson.

Organizational Impact:

As a result of attending this program, participants will:

• Gain an up-to-date vocabulary of general LGBTQ+ terminology
• Acquire a toolkit to actively recognize, challenge, and change homophobic and transphobic language, stereotypes, and practices in their everyday life
• Be provided with an enhanced understanding of the importance of recognizing the rich contributions of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history
• Receive resources and exercises to further explore LGBTQ+ identity and history that can be shared with the participant’s community