Dialogue Builds Bridges

The value of person-to-person communication, based on generous listening and an authentic expression of ideas and opinion, is demonstrated continually throughout KIDS programs and practices. We’ve learned, firsthand, how well dialogue builds connections, strengthens understandings, and fosters appreciation for the ideas of others. Based directly on our focus on reconciliation, Dialogue was adopted as the third of our four major initiatives, resulting in both formal and informal approaches to enhancing opportunities for communication within the KIDS organization and with other communities. 

Highlights:

• Since 2019, KIDS has produced monthly Zoom get-togethers with invitations to the entire KIDS community and guests. The program, known as Kids Connect, typically features a guest speaker—writers, filmmakers, musicians, educators, community activists, and others—and lots of conversation about movies, books, music, or events relating to the KIDS mission, connecting us across race and age. 
• In 2018  and 2023, timed to coincide with the September 15th anniversary of the Birmingham church bombing, we invited everyone in the KIDS community to in-person 3-day gatherings in Birmingham  to build relationships within our group and to brainstorm future activities and programs. These two significant events provided an uplifting experience for all KIDS participants.
• KIDS was part of the team that produced a deck of conversation starter cards to facilitate discussions of racial topics. These cards began as one element in a 3-year campaign known as Voices of Truth. For that campaign, KIDS teamed with the Jefferson County Memorial Project and FHI 360 to engage Birmingham-area residents in cross-race dialogue about our shared racial history, to reconcile the past and move toward a more just future.

See next KIDS initiative, True History, in Every School

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