Thank You to Our 2023 Red Carpet Event Sponsors

As the year comes to a close, we thank all who have had a lasting impact on our village over the years. This year, we pay tribute to an honorary “Troublemaker of the Best Kind,” Cultural Leadership’s first Transformational Journey driver, Mr. James Robinson. Mr. Robinson safely transported Classes 1 through 5 throughout their Journey, sharing bits of his own history and experiences with students. Though Mr. Robinson transitioned this year, his impact on many of our alumni will live on.

Maayan Simckes, Epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health, and Class 1 alum shares her memories:

“I got to know Mr. Robinson on our Class 1 Transformational Journey, and sang a rendition of “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel for him when we returned to St. Louis and did our presentation to families. He made our days sweeter and brighter and made us all laugh with his “Wassuuuup??” every time we got on the bus. When I was a trip leader a few years later, we spent more time together chatting about life, responsibility, work, and the day to day. He gave me wise advice and was a kind ear and shoulder to lean on. I will always carry my memories of Mr Robinson close and know his memory will be a blessing to the many many lives he touched.”

Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Mr. Robinson. You remain in the hearts of your Cultural Leadership family!

Pictured: Mr. James Robinson and Augustus Cotten Jr. at Class 2 graduation.

Cultural Leadership served as a proud partner for the JCRC and Newmark Institute’s African American-Jewish trip to Washington D.C. in early December. The trip was conceived by Michael and Barbara Newmark before the pandemic, to encourage connections and understanding between adults of both groups, resulting in positive change in the St. Louis community. With a goal that closely aligned with our mission, Cultural Leadership was happy to join forces and get to work!

Spots on the trip filled quickly, creating a cohort of over 30 particiants that consisted of educators, religious leaders, attorneys, and activists. The planning team was led by Cheryl Adelstein (JCRC, Cultural Leadership Advisory Board Chair & Alum Parent), Maharat Rori Picker Neiss (JCRC), Connie Flachs (JCRC), Tamyka Perine (CL), Stephanie Briggs (CL), and Jeremy Brok (CL) who spent the last quarter of the year finalizing content and logistics for this group’s journey. The itinerary was packed with must-see sites and sought-after speakers, including Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO); Brian Schwalb, incoming Attorney General for D.C.; and Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations. In addition to speakers, participants visited three museums to enhance their understanding.

The first stop was the Anacostia Community Museum’s “Utopia Project,” an interactive exhibit that encourages an innovative and out-of-the-box approach to activism as attendees dissect their passion and desirable futures. Visits to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History & Culture allowed for deeper understanding between both groups, and resulted in conversations that shared similarities rather than differences.

Prior to arrival in Washington, D.C.,participants set group norms, began relationship building with new peers, and engaged with the chosen pre-reading, Jacques Berlinerblau and Terrence L. Johnson’s “Blacks and Jews in America: An Invitation to Dialogue,” a foundation for understanding the current state of Black & Jewish relations.

Following the trip, group members were impassioned and determined to maintain connections, publicly stand together, speak out & take action, and work collaboratively on how to bring learnings from this experience to the larger community. They even have plans to meet quarterly over the next year!

We thank the Newmark Institute, Cheryl Adelstein, and the trip co-chairs, Flint Fowler and Phyllis Markus, for partnering with Cultural Leadership to bring such an impactful experience to life. We can’t wait to see what comes from this group in the future!

Over Labor Day weekend, Class 17 gathered to put their year of training and immersive experiences into action, and provide a transformative program for Cultural Leadership’s annual Courageous Conversations event. The conversations are meant to give families, friends, and community members a chance to step out of their comfort zones, confront their own biases, and encourage growth and understanding while sharing their perspective to a group of mostly strangers. These student-led sessions broach difficult topics including microaggressions, the cycle of oppression, intersectionality, and more.

Courageous conversations are the culmination of the final retreat, and an opportunity for High School Leadership Program participants to step into the facilitator role and create their very own program. Their duty is to lead their audience in exploring difficult topics while maintaining respect for each individual and new ideas. Students practice thoroughly to facilitate their subject with an ultimate goal of leaving their group curious and inspired to learn more.

This year, students utilized personal experiences as a starting point to guide their conversations. One team broached bias through discussing stereotypes and hidden narratives, while another used intersectionality as a lens to deconstruct how dress code enforcement indirectly targets Black girls. Each group set norms including, “What is said here, stays here; What is learned here, leaves here” and “Listen with the intent to understand.” Coupled with probing questions and activities, students successfully led discussions that transcended generations, religions, politics, and more. Great job, Class 17!