Overview
Other Voices is a leadership development and community-building experience in which participants – in frank and open dialogue – build their insight and understanding of the roots of prejudice. The program facilitator helps participants determine how “oppressive-isms” affect their quality of life in shared cross-cultural environments. Participants evaluate personal biases that play out in behaviors; develop a vision for dealing with problems; and develop skills and strategies for alleviating these problems individually, at the workplace, and in the community.
What is Other Voices?
The development of Other Voices began in 1990 with a group of Leadership Greensboro members, along with members of the Human Relations Commission, called together by the mayor of Greensboro to tackle some difficult issues facing our community. After three years of challenging work, the group launched the Other Voices program in 1993. The program sought to significantly improve human relations, especially race relations, in Greensboro. To date, approximately 485 individuals have participated in Other Voices as a result of their commitment to the Other Voices vision and to its potential for our community.
Through this annual 8-month (September through April) program, 20-25 program participants – in frank and open dialogue – will:
• Examine the many forms of diversity and oppression affecting our community
• Build their insight and understanding of the roots of prejudice
• Experience how different viewpoints affect their quality of life
• Share cross-cultural environments
• Evaluate personal biases that play out in behaviors
• Develop a vision for dealing with problems
• Develop strategies to understand and eradicate prejudice and discrimination individually, at the workplace, and in the community
