What is the 21-Day Challenge?

Posted on by Lissa Staley

Let’s work together to make positive changes in our community by taking part in YWCA Northeast Kansas’ 21-Day Challenge for Racial Equity and Social Justice. The challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege and leadership.

The challenge launches March 1, 2021 and continues (Mon-Fri) through March 29. Each day of the challenge you will be given an activity such as reading an article, listening to a podcast or reflecting on personal experience. These activities will help us discover how racial and social injustice impact our community, help us connect, and help us identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

Sign up for the challenge through the YWCA. Use #YWCAEquityChallenge to share your reflections on social media. You can also join the YWCA Northeast Kansas Facebook Group to continue the conversation in a safe space.

We hope you will go into this challenge with an open heart and an open mind, ready to be pushed out of your comfort zone. These discussions can be difficult and can bring up powerful emotions, but your commitment to increasing your awareness will help move our community forward.

Discussions

Individuals, businesses, churches and other organizations are participating in the 21-Day Challenge for Racial Equity and Social Justice in our community. The library is supporting the challenge by hosting several virtual discussions each week to reflect on the learning and experiences in the challenge. Each week will have a new focus.

Our discussions will follow the YWCA Racial Justice Conversation Guidelines, which include:

  • Use “I” statements.
  • Focus on your own experiences.
  • Be honest and willing to share.
  • Listen with curiosity and willingness to learn and change.
  • Resist the desire to interrupt.
  • Be brief and share the time equitably.
  • Be open to the kernel of wisdom in each person’s story.

Register for any of these discussions any we’ll send you Zoom links for the entire series. Attend whichever sessions fit your schedule.

Introduction Week 

  • Wed, Feb 24 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, Feb 25 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, Feb 27 | 9-10am

Week 1 

  • Wed, March 3 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, March 4 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, March 6 | 9-10am

Week 2 

  • Wed, March 10 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, March 11 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, March 13 | 9-10am

Week 3 

  • Wed, March 17 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, March 18 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, March 20 | 9-10am

Week 4 

  • Wed, March 24 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, March 25 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, March 27 | 9-10am

Reflection Week 

  • Wed, March 31 | 8-9pm
  • Thu, April 1 | noon – 1pm
  • Sat, April 3 | 9-10am

Watch for related book recommendations and more coming from librarians each week.

Questions – email connect@tscpl.org

Lissa Staley helps people use the library. She is a Book Evangelist, Trivia Emcee, Classics Made Modern book discussion leader, NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison, and frequent library customer. She loves her kids, being a librarian, living in Topeka, and helping people form connections and community. (She's the Community Connections Librarian!) She reads a new book every few days, but is enjoying the audiobook of "Empress of Forever" by Max Gladstone, the ebook "When We Were Magic" by Sarah Gailey and is eagerly awaiting John Scalzi's "The Last Emperox" in April!