Some Ideas Worth Sharing: TEDx Savannah talks all about connection

TEDx Savannah is on a mission “to stimulate dialog through engaging talks and session breaks designed to give individuals and organizations a platform to meet, share ideas and collaborate.”

Which is exactly what happened May 25. Fifteen Savannah-area residents took to the Fine Arts Auditorium stage on the Armstrong campus of Georgia Southern University to speak about life-changing experiences centered on the theme of connection. More than 500 community members packed the house.

The talks ranged from the interconnectedness of trees and how they “communicate” with each other through their roots to how shrimpers and biologists work together to figure out what what’s killing shrimp populations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Other talks focused on human and community connections necessary for overcoming dire cancer diagnoses as well as escaping and surviving domestic abuse.

'Equity is when everyone has what they need in order to thrive.'

In her 12-minute talk, Dr. Erika Tate focused on the kinds of connection required for social justice advocacy. Tate, who founded learning firm, Bluknowledge, 13 years ago in Savannah, started her career as an electrical engineer in Silicon Valley. There, she was also active in mentoring people of color to become science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals. She went on to U.C. Berkeley where she completed graduate studies focused on equity-centered work within communities.

With her consulting firm, she now helps advance equity in schools and non-profits through collaborative research and evaluation. She’s quick to explain the difference between “equity” and “equality.”

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“Equality is when everyone has the same things, same advantages or disadvantages, the same—that’s equality,” explained Tate. “But not everyone has the same resources or access to resources, and that refers to equity. Equity is when everyone has what they need in order to thrive. Access to schools, health care, transportation, healthy food—equity takes into account history of communities and power dynamics to better understand what is necessary for all members to thrive.”

In Savannah, she’s collaborated with the Savannah Music Festival for the past five years evaluating its music education programs for local K-12 students, specifically the SMF Jazz Academy. Through her work, the organization is gaining a clearer understanding of teaching and learning impacts on students and teachers. Tate is also involved in a collaborative project with professors from the University of Maryland and University of Chicago developing learning experiences focused on digital privacy for teachers to facilitate with students.

In her TEDx talk, Tate emphasized how connection among social justice workers is crucial for greater equity in communities.

“First, for any community advocate, it’s important to know others are out here working just as hard at this. It’s important for us to connect and talk about our strategies,” emphasized Tate. “And we have to keep talking and engaging in this dialog, stay hopeful because we can’t do it alone. Connection is imperative. And if someone has an interest in this work, there are multiple pathways to getting involved.”

'I wanted to be honest about how hard marriage is.'

For Thurber Prize-winning author, Harrison Scott Key, connection ran through his talk with humor, introspection and sometimes a pinch of discomfort. Key’s 2015 memoir “The World’s Largest Man,” anchored him among America’s most revered humorists. In the book he explores and ultimately finds peace in the relationship with his Southern-born, rifle-wielding, football-coaching father.

In his latest work due out this summer, “How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told,” Key tackles the very difficult subject of working through his wife’s infidelity, and choosing to reconcile, not divorce. This most recent memoir was central to Key’s TEDx presentation.

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“No matter what I write or speak about, the number one thing I want to do is make people laugh because laughter is just so important, and it’s the one thing everyone can agree on,” emphasized Key. “I wanted to be honest about how hard marriage is. I find that when people speak about marriage, they speak in abstractions, not wanting to offend their spouse. But I wanted people to feel seen, that yes it is hard, and nobody talks about it.”

When how he found out about the affair, the revelation ultimately forced him to take account of his actions. He made the point that his behavior didn’t cause his wife to cheat, but it did make it much easier. And even within the darkest moments, Key brightened the mood with his trademark humor.

After they agreed to reconcile, he decided to write about it, with his wife’s blessing and collaboration, as a sort of blueprint for couples, or for anyone wanting a deep look at how honest, self-examination and forgiveness can bridge transgression to build stronger relationships. Key, his wife and three daughters found their strength in faith as they repaired their connection.

“In Christianity, great emphasis is placed on judging yourself before you judge others. That was the single most important element of faith,” emphasized Key. “It’s so easy to be angry and judge your spouse, but I realized I wouldn’t be able to forgive, reconcile, save my family if I didn’t look in the mirror first. What did I do to make things not very fun for my wife? What things did I do to drive her away? The concept of taking a clear-eyed look at who you are and what’s not great about you, that part, that’s how my faith helped save my marriage.”

'I love drawing and using that to help people understand ideas, concepts.'

Savannah-native, Brittany Curry finds connection in every twist and loop of pen put to page. Curry, whose specialty is graphic recording and group facilitating, uses a rainbow of inks and markers to create bright, communicative visuals.

As a child she filled stacks of notebooks with doodles and ideas, so much so that her grandmother once joked at the seeming surplus of paper products “we could open a stationery store with all these pens and notebooks.”

As a young adult, Curry let go of her markers for many years until 2012 when she attended an inclusion workshop in Toronto. There, she learned about graphic recording and rekindled her passion for drawing as meaningful conduit with people.

“We all have something in our past that we ditched along the way,” mused Curry. “I don’t have an art degree, no formal training, but I love drawing and using that to help people understand ideas, concepts. I decided to take that and run with it. I gave myself permission to do it.”

After the workshop she immediately began practicing visually recording different meetings—with large, hand-drawn images and emphatic text—to support group understanding. She kept at it. And word got around that Curry was really good at facilitating and creating pertinent, on-the-spot imagery. In 2015 she launched her business, InkyBrittany, which today serves the Hostess City and communities across the country. Curry also chairs the board of directors for Chatham Savannah Citizen Advocacy.

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Currently, she is visiting Dharamshala, India, where she’s reconnecting with the literacy center she interned with 14 years ago as a Georgia College student. She’s faithfully kept in touch with the two sisters running the small, community-based organization. During her stay, Curry plans to help out as needed as an artist in the background, working in another language and culture through pictures.

“One thing I hope people take away from my talk is that we are capable of so much more than we realize,” emphasized Curry. “We have to put down the ‘I can’t’ and give ourselves permission. Give yourself permission because no one will ask you. You have to step over the threshold of ‘I can’t’ and do it.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Some Ideas Worth Sharing: TEDx Savannah talks all about connection