A Conversation on Actionable Allyship

More about this workshop from D.I.V.A.:

"Being comfortable with silence and taking an inactive stance towards the oppression occurring around us, is a form of violence. The intention behind silence may be nonviolent, but the impact is violent. Join D.I.V.A. in combating silence and inaction to learn how your voice can be the most powerful tool in collective liberation. D.I.V.A. will equip you with the tools to unlearn the ideas and perceptions that uphold oppressive standards and give you the skills necessary to have these critical conversations."

This workshop is open to all adults of any gender. The first two hours will be structured workshop and learning time, and afterwards we will have time for informal socializing Q&A. D.I.V.A. board members will also be available to have one on one conversations and answer any questions about race, equity, allyship, etc. We hope you will join us in this conversation that is crucial to our communities.

Jenessa Jimoh Bio: Jenessa Jimoh is the Founder and Executive Director of a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Diversity Inclusion Values Action or D.I.V.A. for short. She is a recent graduate from Westminster college with an honors degree in the Global Political Economy. Jenessa's passion for equity and inclusion started in high school when she learned about systemic inequality, such as gerrymandering, in her AP government class. Jenessa believes that it is so important to engage in difficult dialogue because those conversations bring the most genuine human understanding. She is a huge advocate for taking action to rewire unconscious biases and cause sustainable change. This is why she created D.I.V.A. to bring people together to learn and broaden their life perspectives. Jenessa plans to use the skills she’s developed as a leader and community organizer to make real, legislative change.

Sinia Maile Bio: Sinia Maile serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator for D.I.V.A. She is a Tongan-American woman born and raised in West Valley City, Utah where her family migrated to from the island of Tonga. She is devoted to public service and community advocacy which stems from her own identity, lived experiences, and professional acumen from her work with the criminal justice system. Her work focuses on closing in on racial disparities to create a more equitable future for upcoming generations not just to live but to thrive in their pursuits.

Miyalla Tarver Bio: Miyalla Tarver (she/her/ella) is D.I.V.A. 's Director of Inclusivity & Equity. She is a cis-gendered, able-bodied, and mixed Black, Czechoslovakian, and Mexican Latina born and raised in SLC, Utah. As first-generation college graduate, medical activist, BIPOC advocate, queer & disability accomplice she utilizes her intersectional perspectives as an ideation of the importance of acknowledging systemic oppression in society, especially when colonized mindsets and beliefs are perpetuated by those in her inner circle and vicinity. She envisions herself as a doctor one day in hopes of creating a safe environment in medicine that will naturally use the ways her ancestors healed through spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and psychological wellness.