Have you ever felt uncomfortable around someone or didn’t like someone, but you had never met them? You had an adverse reaction based on their appearance or a snippet of information about them in the media?
On Saturday, May 18, from 1-4pm at the Scotts Valley Public Library, the community will have the opportunity to eliminate that uncomfortableness and replace it with a positive feeling during a free event called, Let’s Talk About It.
Attendees can meet and speak for 30 minutes, one-on-one, with a person who identifies differently than they may identify themselves. Their dialogue partner would be the equivalent of the unknown person that they were uncomfortable around.
Dialogue partners could cover a wide range of identities and experiences. They could be people who deal with alcoholism, housing insecurity, unemployment, racism, mental illness and other issues. They could be Democrats, Republicans, members of other political parties, immigrants, refugees, transgender or non-binary, or formerly incarcerated.
People of misunderstood and marginalized religious identities may also be included, as well as police officers, activists and people experiencing homelessness.
This unique community event is designed to foster understanding, connection, peace and harmony. The Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County (CRC) and Santa Cruz Public Libraries are collaborating to offer this event, which is open to the public.
In addition, there will be interactive art projects that explore questions about identity.
No tickets or registration are required. Scotts Valley Library is at 251 Kings Village Road in Scotts Valley.
For more information about Let’s Talk About It, visit tinyurl.com/k56a9esn.
