On Tuesday, April 8, we gathered for the live launch of our new course on Targeted Unversalism. We hosted a conversation between our TU creators and experts, OBI Director john a. powell, Assistant Director Stephen Menendian, and Deputy Director Ashlin Malouf-Gashaw. This live conversation will gave viewers a look into how TU was created and how it's evolved to support organizations globally with transforming their policy making structures.
Our new course on TU will provide insight into what Targeted Universalism is and the impact it's had on organizations globally across sectors and sizes. Many members in our OBI community have asked for resources to support their work with TU; our hope is that this livestream event along with the TU course in OBIU will guide your work in the field.
Want to sign up for the course? Register for an account on OBI University, our free, online learning platform.
About the speakers:
john a. powell is Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute And Professor of Law, African American, and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He was previously the Executive Director at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at the Ohio State University, and prior to that, the founder and director of the Institute for Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota. john formerly served as the National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Stephen Menendian is the Assistant Director and Director of Research at the Othering & Belonging Institute, where he supervises or leads many important initiatives, including projects advising state, local, and federal housing authorities. Stephen is the author of many scholarly publications and journal articles, including the landmark books Structural Racism: The Dynamics of Opportunity and Race in America and Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World (with john a. powell) from Stanford University Press. Stephen’s primary areas of expertise are structural racism, civil rights, fair housing, belonging, affirmative action, targeted universalism, and educational equity.
Ashlin Malouf is the Deputy Director of Strategy and Program at the Othering and Belonging Institute. She is driven by the growth and development of people, teams, and systems. Whether in the role of mediator, community organizer, coach, executive director, or chief of staff, she has led by inviting people into liberatory practices of dialogue, bridging, authenticity, and power building. From her experience, when courageous conversation, storytelling, vulnerability, and self-reflection are paired with concrete and coordinated strategies, progress is made.
