The Ally Couch - Let's Talk About Race

Allyship sometimes means having hard conversations. In these moments, awkward and difficult conversations often move us to be honest with ourselves and allow us to learn, shift, and grow. As allies, conversations about race are inevitable. So, do you boldly charge in or tiptoe around it gently?

Our fourth Ally Couch: Let's Talk About Race will tackle the subject head-on. Join us for a riveting and interactive conversation with Dr. Marlene Fine, Professor Emerita at Simmons University, who specializes in issues of cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue, and Dr. Fern Johnson, Senior Research Scholar, and Professor Emerita of English at Clark University, where she also held the position of Provost. She specializes in race, gender, and culture in language.

Marlene and Fern will provide insights and practical guidance for engaging in conversations about race at work, with friends, and in your community. We aim to amplify participants' confidence and strengthen their allyship framework around the issue of race.

About our Speakers:

Fern Johnson, PhD, Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita at Clark University.

Fern’s expertise is in the study of language and culture in the U.S. Her work over the years examines gender, race, and ethnicity as manifested in language practices and discourse. Her recent work focuses on bilingual education policy in the United States and the European Union, as well as on the language of advertising and its role in circulating norms and values. She is the author of Speaking Culturally: Language Diversity in the United States, (Sage), Imaging in Advertising: Verbal and Visual Codes of Commerce (Routledge). With Marlene Fine, she co-authored The Interracial Adoption Option, and Let’s Talk Race, A Guide for White People. Fern earned B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota and a M.A. degree from Northwestern University. She moved to Massachusetts as a faculty member in the Communication department at UMass Amherst, later holding positions of Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and then Deputy Provost. At Clark University, Fern was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, then a full-time professor of English and Director of the Interdisciplinary Communication and Culture Program. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator, and the white parent of African American sons.

Marlene Fine, PhD, Professor Emerita at Simmons University

Marlene specializes in cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue. She authored The Interracial Adoption Option: Creating a Family Across Race, and Let’s Talk Race: A Guide for White People. After receiving her B.A. at UMass Amherst, she earned a M.A. at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and received a Ph.D. in Communication Studies and M.B.A from UMass Amherst. At UMass Boston, she served as Associate Dean of the College of Management, directed the M.B.A. program, and chaired the Marketing and Communications Department. She moved to Emerson College as Dean of Graduate Studies and then to Simmons University, where she was Professor of Communications and directed the Master’s in Communications Management. Marlene was an early facilitator of the YW Boston Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity and worked on the Boston Busing Desegregation Project, which created an oral history of the court-ordered desegregation of the Boston public schools from 1974-1988. The project sought to understand the long-term effects of busing on the Boston public schools and the city more generally by adding the voices of people of color to the existing narrative. Marlene’s articles appear in a broad range of journals, and she is a seasoned speaker, workshop facilitator, and the white parent of African American sons.

Our Moderators:

Christy Egun is the Executive Director of the Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) of the Mass General Brigham, leading the work of more than 38 programs that make up the CCHI portfolio. She is an active member of TBC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Joanne Derr is an Executive Coach and former vice president of Human Resources across multiple industries where she spearheaded diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and diversity committees. Joanne is an active member and co-chair of TBC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.