Empowered to learn, empowered to share: A guest post from our Social Media Intern
In the summer of 2020, we were delighted to welcome Halle Lange to the Convers(ate) team as a social media intern. Halle worked with us to share Convers(ate)’s mission and story on Instagram. She also attended several of our virtual sessions as she writes about below. We were delighted to be a part of her growth over the summer and glad that she was willing to share her perspectives here.
Written in August 2020
My name is Halle Lange; I am a student at the University of Delaware, and I have been interning for Convers(ate) for about three months now. The past three months have been among the most unique I’ve seen in my lifetime as COVID-19 impacted everyday life and created a “new normal”. My college courses went online and I left school mid semester, normal grocery trips required wearing a mask and waiting online for over an hour, and I had to adjust to seeing friends and family on a screen as it was not safe to be together. This has also been an interesting time for Convers(ate) as they are known for their infamous gatherings facilitated by Taylor and Mollie. They had to figure out how to shift to virtual gatherings and did so by hosting them on Zoom.
During this time, I have attended a number of virtual gatherings including the topics of race, the purpose and challenge of community, and the future of work. My biggest takeaway from these gatherings are the importance of connection, keeping an open mind to different opinions and perspectives, and discussing topics I am often not comfortable with. I am 19 years old and am usually the youngest to attend these gatherings, so I love hearing bits of wisdom and different points of views from the other attendees.
One of my favorite gatherings I attended was about race, hosted by Mollie Khine and Co-CreatED. I was excited to attend this gathering during the Black Lives Matter movement, as there have been a number of protests, petitions, and social media postings around the topic of race. This will be a part of history that I have lived through and will tell my future children about. I remember wanting to join the gathering as an active listener to further educate myself, but I did not plan on saying much as it was out of my comfort zone. I was afraid to say something that would accidentally offend someone and or be judged on my perspectives. Growing up, this was not a topic that my family discussed and I did not think I knew enough to speak up.
We started out with an ice breaker, naming one word we wanted to offer to the conversation. My word was “to learn.” The attendees all came from different backgrounds and each person shared different stories and perspectives that were eye-opening to me. One of my favorite quotes I wrote down from the gathering was from an attendee who said “if you don’t change hearts, the laws don’t matter.” This quote stuck with me because we as individuals need to further educate ourselves and understand the issues going on in the world. As seen in history, laws have not changed people’s views on race and equality. This quote inspired me to not only listen and learn, but to make it my mission to change the hearts of others, whether it be a family member, a friend, or a stranger I strike up a conversation with. I plan to continue to post information on social media and I recently joined a committee in my sorority, Alpha Phi, that educates us on diversity and inclusion. I have never thought myself to be racist, but I have realized that I have also not done anything to learn about racial injustice or make a difference in communities of color.
By the end of Convers(ate)’s Conversation on Race, I felt confident enough to share some of my own thoughts and feelings about systemic racism. Being in a safe space with no judgement felt empowering, and everyone listened and cared about what I had to say. I had met some amazing people that have so much to contribute to the world, and I felt like I had known them for longer than the hour we spent together! I appreciated meeting and learning from people who I would have never met otherwise. As an introvert, I have gained several tools from attending these gatherings. Most importantly, I feel that I now have more confidence in using my voice in that safe space and in my everyday life. I now feel more comfortable speaking in small and large groups and having open and honest conversations with peers and people I do not know as well. These gatherings have also helped me become a better listener and ask more meaningful questions. I now find myself asking more questions in my everyday life, eager to learn more. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Mollie and Taylor and grow by connecting with people from across the world.
