ABOUT THE ASHLEES
The Ashlees are social justice leaders who facilitate brave spaces for bold conversations. Dr. Aeriel A. Ashlee is a transracial, transnational Asian American adoptee Womxn of Color whose life is guided by a commitment to facilitate healing and liberation. Dr. Kyle Ashlee is an educator and writer who focuses on critically exploring power and privilege with others who hold dominant identities. The Ashlees have over ten years of experience presenting and facilitating on issues of social justice together. Through self work and story sharing, the Ashlees invite individuals and organizations to reflect on social identity, examine inherited systems of power, and take action for social justice.
Social justice workshops facilitated by the Ashlees.
VITAL Tools for Social Justice Leadership
In this workshop, the Ashlees discuss five principles of social justice leadership (vulnerability, identity, trust, authorship, liberation) from their award-winning, best-selling book, VITAL: A Torch for Your Social Justice Journey.
Identity, Community, and Action for Social Justice
In this workshop, the Ashlees invite participants to critically reflect upon the importance of understanding our positionality within inherited systems of power, in order to inform our social justice action.
Addressing Systemic Racism within Ourselves and Our Communities
In this workshop, the Ashlees share the impact of systemic racism in their lives, invite participants to do the same, and then offer strategies for addressing systemic racism within ourselves and our communities..
Critical Race Caucuses
In critical race caucuses, the Ashlees invite racially diverse groups to reflect on race and racism in a brave space with others who hold similar racial identities. Through story sharing and self work, the Ashlees facilitate critical race conversations across and amidst racially diverse groups.
Coalition-Building Through Identity Interconnections
In this workshop, Dr. Aeriel A. Ashlee presents the transformative possibilities of identity interconnections; a social justice practice and process of pursuing similarities across difference, exploring radical interrelatedness, and learning to listen with raw openness. Through story sharing and self work, Dr. Ashlee invites participants to consider how power manifests across inherited systems (e.g., racism, sexism, classism) as sites for coalition-building.
Critical Whiteness Work
In this workshop, Dr. Kyle Ashlee, invites participants to reflect on what it means to be White within the context of systemic racism. Through story sharing and self work, Dr. Ashlee guides participants through a critical exploration of whiteness.
Building Community for/with Transracial Adoptees
In this workshop, Dr. Aeriel A. Ashlee holds space for/with transracial adoptees, namely those who identify as People of Color raised in and by White adoptive families. In community, participants story share and collectively reflect on how their positionality as transracial adoptees can/must inform their social justice journey.
Making Meaning of Modern Manhood
In this workshop, Dr. Kyle Ashlee, explores patriarchy, hegemonic masculinity, and new possibilities of manhood through critical, intersectional perspectives on men and masculinities.
Immersive social justice experiences with the Ashlees.
Self Work and Story Sharing for Social Justice Retreat
In this three-day immersive professional development retreat, the Ashlees invite a small cohort of social justice leaders to critically reflect on social identity and positionality within inherited systems of power. Through story sharing and self work, the Ashlees guide participants in establishing a strong foundation of social justice; as both process and outcome.
Womxn of Color Healing & Writing in Community Retreat
This three-day, in-person retreat is designed by/for Womxn of Color scholars who want to share joy and creative energy together. This retreat is intended for sister scholars who want to engage in the healing and liberatory process of writing and being in community.
Critical Whiteness Retreat
This three-day immersive professional development retreat invites participants to join a small cohort of White social justice leaders to reflect on what it means to be White within the context of systemic racism, including an examination of their socialization within White supremacy, a historical analysis of systemic racism, and an exploration of what is required for White people to take action for racial justice.
Critical Pedagogy Retreat
In this three-day immersive professional development retreat, the Ashlees work with a diverse cohort of social justice educators to develop their critical pedagogy praxis; including learning, applying, and practicing theoretical frameworks, facilitation skills, and invested in growing communities of praxis around critical pedagogy. including the use of theoretical frameworks, the development of facilitation skills, and the opportunity to practice social justice pedagogy.
Learn with the Ashlees using these tools for social justice leadership.
VITAL: A Torch for Your Social Justice Journey (Paperback Book)
In this award-winning, best-selling book, the Ashlees offer approachable and accessible tools for social justice leadership. VITAL - Vulnerability, Identity, Trust, Authorship, and Liberation - the five core principles of this book, will give readers the tools and confidence they need to effectively integrate social justice into their everyday lives.
What is VITAL in Social Justice Facilitation? (Interview)
Hosted by FacilitatingXYZ, this live webinar with the Ashlees explores their experiences as co-facilitators with different social identities and the insights they've learned through years of social justice facilitation together.
Positioning Privileged White Men in Social Justice (Article)
In this ACPA Developments article, the Ashlees discuss how exploring intersections of identity for those with privileged and dominant identities is a necessary part of engaging this population in transformative social justice work.
How to Incorporate Social Justice into Every Part of Training (e-Book)
In this e-Book, the Ashlees outline seven tips that educators and practitioners can use to incorporate elements of social justice throughout professional development training.
