LLP Webinar Series 2021 | Session 5

Studying Liberatory Leadership

Speakers

  • Dr. Audrey Jordan is the Jerry D. Campbell Professor of Civic Engagement and DEI Specialist at Claremont Lincoln University, and is a certified executive life coach, focused on “accompanying social justice leaders and teams to unchain power for transformation.” Audrey is also currently an independent consultant with her own practice – ADJ Consulting and Coaching. Audrey’s consulting areas of expertise are in capacity building for constituent-centered, place- based community change; cultivating community democracy; strengthening organizational and collaborative partnership capacities for learning and accountability; and teaching about and facilitating conversations to promote racial equity and social justice. Two examples of her most recent consulting work include: developmental evaluator and facilitator/documenter for The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities initiative (6/18 – 12/21); and learning and documentation consultant for the Best Start initiative for First 5 LA (10/19 – 2/21). Audrey provides ongoing training services as a race equity consultant and coach with Race Matters Institute.
  • Zuri Tau is deeply committed to practicing research and evaluation in service of equity and liberation. She has over 16 years of experience in advancing social justice through on the ground organizing and evaluating government programs and non-profits, facilitating workshops and partnering with community-led organizations. Currently, she is the CEO of Social Insights Research and advises international organizations like Open Society Foundation and RAND Corporation on best practices.
  • Zuri has developed curriculum for decolonizing research, trauma-informed care, and practicing evaluation from a racial equity lens. She is the former managing editor of the academic journal, City and Community, a licensed therapist, yoga teacher and is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology. Zuri is also the founder of Liberatory Research, a community that supports BIPOC researchers and provides tools for equity in research and evaluation.

Session Recap

  • The fifth session with Dr. Audrey Jordan of Claremont Lincoln University and Zuri Tau of Social Insights Research discussed ways to shift thinking about research in ways that advance liberatory leadership. Audrey and Zuri shared their personal and professional journeys and their developing roles within the ecosystem of liberatory leadership. The discussion touched on how to practice research in a way that advances liberatory leadership and how to hold oneself accountable to this vision. Over the course of the conversation we discussed the role of power and ownership in liberatory leadership research. Exploring how to define community, how to engage people in learning and evaluation, and understanding the relationship between researchers and the community. Both presenters shared a spectrum of ways we can show up and exert or share power. Zuri and Audrey offered Human and love centered approaches to liberatory learning less mechanistic approaches.
Download Slide Deck From Audrey and Zuri