The Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations (ELC) in the UNC Greensboro School of Education (SOE) hosted the seventh annual Critical Conversations Conference (CCC) on Saturday, March 1, 2025. This year’s theme was “Grounded and Growing: Collective Work to Strengthen Education and Communities.” The theme addressed the changing political, social, and cultural landscape in education and the increasing need for collaboration among educators, students, communities, and organizations.
As in years past, the ELC department honored the late Dr. Rochelle Brock, who was the past chair of the department and a founding member of the CCC. Along with five doctoral students, Dr. Brock envisioned a space where people could engage in open dialogue about the arts, education, activism, and pressing social issues. This year, Dr. Tiffanie Lewis-Durham, an assistant professor in ELC and the 2025 coordinator of the CCC, announced that the conference would be renamed “Brock’s Critical Conversations” in recognition of Dr. Brock’s legacy and commitment to humanistic education.
In addition, the CCC hosted Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons, The National Director for Children Defense Funds Freedom Schools programs, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Moore Clemons spoke about the Freedom Schools model and her hope to see more pedagogical practices that represented and respected the home lives of students. Conference attendees also participated in breakout sessions, which included topics like Mastering the 3 E’s in Community: Engaging, Equipping, and Encouraging Others, which was facilitated by Lisa McMillan of Turning Everything Around, and How Immigration Policies Impacts Families and Children, which was facilitated by Jodie Stanley of Human Rights Department of the City of Greensboro.
This year, there were more than 100 registrants for the CCC, and attendees shared raving reviews about their experiences. They also had the opportunity to participate in a community quilting project that involved designing a fabric square that captured their time at the conference. For this unique “Putting the ‘WE’ in Weaving: Collective Quilting Project”, participants were invited to record their thoughts and experiences in a short video.
Overall, when asked about their favorite part of the conference, one attendee stated, “I love that we were able to hold open spaces for people to be vulnerable and learn.” Responding to the same question, another attendee stated that their favorite part was “meeting with like-minded individuals in a safe place.”
ELC appreciates the support from the CCC planning committee and the support of all who participated in this year’s ELCCCC event. Look for invitations to next year’s event.
