I work with groups and individuals in Atlanta, the South, and beyond who are committed to social change, racial justice, and liberation for all people.
My practice combines over a decade of professional experience in group facilitation and pursuing justice at the intersections of race, economics, gender, and systemic oppression.
My practice combines over a decade of professional experience in group facilitation and pursuing justice at the intersections of race, economics, gender, and systemic oppression.
One-on-one Antiracist Leadership Coaching
White leaders of social change efforts face a challenge: we were not trained to make decisions, build strategy, or manage teams with an antiracist lens. We are often embarrassed to admit how much we don’t know about race and racism. We struggle to show up authentically. I coach white leaders to build antiracist skills so that they can lead with more humility, self-awareness and courage toward a future free of white supremacy. In a one-on-one coaching relationship, you set your own goals and I support you to explore your assumptions, behaviors, and new possibilities.
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute intake conversation.
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute intake conversation.
Antiracist Group Facilitation
I support teams, organizations, coalitions or networks with group process design and facilitation. This means that I apply my understanding of what it takes for groups of humans to build trust, to process information, to make meaning together, to make authentic decisions together, to have challenging conversations, and to discern breakthroughs in your work--by working closely with you to create a customized experience for your group. I am trained in the process facilitation methodologies of VISIONS Inc. and Interaction Institute for Social Change. I have a substantial network of talented facilitators across the U.S. with whom I may partner, depending on your group's needs. My facilitation work creates the conditions for your group to discover your own direction and solutions, while bringing my expertise in antiracism and anti-oppression to support you in advancing justice without unintentionally falling into habits that end up reinforcing racism and other types of oppression.
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute exploratory conversation
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute exploratory conversation
Breaking Allegiance to Whiteness
My antiracism work is motivated by a love for humanity and our planet; and by the belief that white people can and must transform ourselves if we are to make productive contributions to dismantling white supremacy and building a future in which people of all races can thrive. I believe that we must simultaneously transform institutions and structures while we transform our own beliefs and behaviors.
It is white people’s work to end white supremacy, as Alicia Garza and others have said. White folks have been caught in denial and delusion about the severity of racism and our own complicity in the system of white supremacy. I do not believe white privilege can be denied or shed by people racialized and socialized as white, but that we must transform the meaning of whiteness (as john a. powell calls for) and create an irresistible white antiracist culture (as Resmaa Menakem calls for). We don’t have time to waste, and yet this work takes time.
I am currently developing a set of offerings that support white people to 1) break allegiance to whiteness, 2) unravel our white conditioning, and 3) weave antiracist culture in community.
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute exploratory conversation.
It is white people’s work to end white supremacy, as Alicia Garza and others have said. White folks have been caught in denial and delusion about the severity of racism and our own complicity in the system of white supremacy. I do not believe white privilege can be denied or shed by people racialized and socialized as white, but that we must transform the meaning of whiteness (as john a. powell calls for) and create an irresistible white antiracist culture (as Resmaa Menakem calls for). We don’t have time to waste, and yet this work takes time.
I am currently developing a set of offerings that support white people to 1) break allegiance to whiteness, 2) unravel our white conditioning, and 3) weave antiracist culture in community.
Contact me to set up a complimentary 20 minute exploratory conversation.
“Jen is a master facilitator who understands the importance of intersectionality within the sphere of social justice. She brings a conscious, open-hearted approach to her facilitation and is able to captivate the attention of room (large or small) with her very effective style. I welcome every opportunity to work with Jen and witness her vast skills in action!” |
"Taking a workshop led by Jen helped me expand my facilitation skill set and also gain confidence in order to push racial justice to the forefront of the organizations I am a part of. Jen is an incredible facilitator and opportunities to learn from her are not to be missed!" |
"The workshop Jen facilitated for our team offered an opportunity for renewed resolve and a better understanding of why we should continue with this work. We have been engaged in intentional racial equity work for a few years, but it had gotten to a point where a lot of these engagements felt like spectacle or performative. With Jen's support, we were able to establish a level of authenticity that had been previously perverted by power dynamics." |
"Jen is not only a highly skilled facilitator and process designer but she also walks her talk. That's what makes Jen one of my favorite design and facilitation partners. As a white racial justice facilitator, she brings and models deep understanding of how white supremacy operates and what white folks must do to dismantle it. I have a great appreciation for her ability to contribute both content, especially racialized historical context, and deep process design skills to help support a group's learning and action. Jen's strong facilitative leadership balanced with a commitment to continuous learning and practice is what I hope to see more of in racial justice leaders." |
Groups I have worked with in a consultative facilitator and trainer role include:
Talks and interactive presentations I've given include:
- Athens Land Trust
- Atlanta Public Schools
- Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI)
- Bernalillo County Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities Committee, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
- Center for Action and Contemplation
- Community Catalyst
- Forum for Theological Education
- Louisiana Office of Public Health STD/HIV Program (Moving Toward HIV Equity in Louisiana)
- Oral Health Progress and Equity Network
- Prosperity Now
- Southern Center for Human Rights
- Strong, Prosperous, And Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC)
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation
- The Black Doula
- University of Georgia College of Education
Talks and interactive presentations I've given include:
- "Let's Talk About Race: What's Whiteness Got to Do With It?" Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker Series, University of Georgia College of Education 2017
- "Transforming Ourselves to Transform Whiteness" White Privilege Conference 2018
- "Showing Up as a Strong White Racial Justice Facilitator: Storytelling Practice" White Privilege Conference 2018
- "Part One: The 'R' Word -- Racism and Organizational Culture with Jen Willsea" The Diversity Gap Podcast March 2020
- "Is Allyship Enough? White Antiracist Action in the South's 'Black Mecca'" Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta 2020
All star facilitation team 2019 (from left to right): Melinda Weekes-Laidlow, Andrea Nagel, Roan Coughtry, Jen Willsea, Ellen Tuzzolo, Mattice Haynes, Mikayla Lytton, E.R. Anderson, Jalessah Jackson, Anneliese Singh