Services

Do you need help with event facilitation, content curation, media evaluation, or something in-between?

Event facilitation

DEIJ skills practice for your community

  • A dialogue, workshop, or presentation customized for the needs and interests of your group.

  • One-time events and series.

  • Examples and titles of previous facilitation work:

    • Workplace development – “Recognizing and engaging in tough discussions in the workplace.” “Creating safe spaces.”

    • Screening TV/film with facilitated discussion – “Dynamic Blackness will be televised.” “Building intercultural community.”

    • Small group dialogue – “Respectability politics.” “The woman’s contradiction.” “Embracing discomfort.”

Content curation

Collaboration on aligning the components of an event with the intentions of it.

  • Selecting event content (themes, media texts, examples) and/or designing event structure (space, presenters, sequence, timing) for an experience that is compelling and engaging.

  • Examples of previous work:

    • Black American Film Festival. Selected films, speakers, discussion style, and take-home resources for an 8-night festival focused on broadening exposure to celebratory Black stories.

    • Migration in the US and Beyond. Co-planned overall event structure to emphasize thoughtful audience discussion. Created icebreaker activity, selected media materials, trained supporting facilitators.

Media Evaluation

Cultural Sensitivity Reviews

  • The review of a print or multimedia text that identifies cultural insensitivities and/or inaccuracies.

    • I specialize in reading for representations of Black US Americans and the identities that intersect with those depictions.

  • Reviews identify where cultural biases are present, provide brief historical/social information that highlights the context and impact of those biases, and describe the types of adjustments that could be made.

  • Companies I have conducted sensitivity readings for: Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney-Hyperion, Chronicle Books, Macmillan Publishing, Henry Holt & Co, Harper Collins, Pearson Education, Abrams Books

Something else?

Do you have an idea for a different iteration of the above services? If it aligns with the company’s mission, I am interested and would love to chat with you about it!

Testimonials

“After working for several years on a Young Adult novel, I hired Erin to help me to see where I might be insensitive in my treatment of the characters. The book is set in a desegregation program, and even though much of it was lived experience, I wasn’t comfortable with the book yet. Erin’s thorough report on the novel confirmed a blind spot I suspected existed, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly. Her notes were extremely valuable in helping me to rewrite toward new depth and balance, and I would not feel confidence in pitching this book without them.” — Cynthia Rosi (author)

“Incredibly helpful and has given me much to think about for the manuscript and beyond, of course. I appreciate your deep reading of the characters, the implications of the various gestures, and, especially, noting where I haven’t shored up awareness and depth enough…I shared these notes with my partner, too, and he was incredibly impressed with your care and insight as a reader.” – Amy Benson (author)

“Thanks again for your wonderfully detailed notes. They are so useful and you articulate your concerns (which I share) in such a focused and clear manner.” – YA Editor for major publisher

“Thanks so much for sharing this, Erin. We will all be learning a lot from your reviews!” – Editor for major publisher