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By Angela Decker February 06. 2016 1:17PM 'Seeing Color' stories aims for conversation on race Angela Decker (Courtesy photo) Meaningful conversations about race can be difficult, but personal stories engage people on a variety of levels, offering a way for people of different backgrounds to connect and understand one another. With this in mind, several Jackson County organizations are teaming to get the community talking (and listening) about race with “Seeing Color,” a community storytelling event. “We want people to come and be open to learning something they didn’t know before and open to creating an inclusive Rogue Valley and examining what that means,” said Jennifer Ware, coordinator at SO Health-E, a Regional Health Equity Coalition, which works to ensure health care for low-income and underrepresented people in the region. The event will include six local people of diverse backgrounds who will share their experiences living in the Rogue Valley. Though the storytellers differ in age, race, gender and backgrounds, all the stories will concern race and ethnicity, how their experience is seen through a racial lens. Event sponsors hope to involve as much of the Rogue Valley as possible, so the event is being held twice, once in Medford and once in Grants Pass. The first event is set for 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Inn at the Commons, on 200 N. Riverside Ave., in Medford. The next runs from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Feb. 11, at the Taprock Event Center, 940 SE 7th St. in Grants Pass. Both events are free, but registration is required. Visit www.eventbrite.com and search “Seeing Color” to register, or email [email protected].  “Some things that come up are how people experience race, the presence of or lack of, how their children are affected or whether they feel welcome here,” said Ware. “This is a chance for all of us to get comfortable talking about race. It’s part of our nation and we have to talk about it in order to move forward and strengthen our entire community.” Following the stories, there will be an organized discussion about what the stories bring up for people and what individuals and the community as a whole can do next. Mark Yaconelli, community organizer and founder of “The Hearth” storytelling series based in Ashland, is facilitating the event. “When we were planning this, everyone said to get Mark Yaconnelli involved. He’s the go-to guy for getting people to share their stories in the community,” Ware said. “I went to one of the Hearth events, and it was amazing.” Organized by the Department of Human Services (DHS) Diversity Committee, Health Equity Coalition, Goodwill and Jackson County Health and Human Services, the goal is to build and strengthen the diverse communities in the region, says Ware. “In this case, the storytellers are the experts. Rather than going out with a clipboard and saying here are a bunch of questions we want you to answer, we’re letting people tell us what they want us to know,” Ware said. The SO Health-E coalition has organized smaller-scale storytelling groups in the past to gather information about public health goals, and Ware says they have all been helpful. “We’ve had stories across a variety of demographics and each time there were similar themes. It’s showing us that regardless of race, gender, identity, we all want this one over-arching thing, a place to belong and feel welcome. That allows us to be healthy and well,” she said. Ware says this event will offer a lot of opportunity for both conversation and community-driven change. “I want people to leave feeling that we’re taking a step forward. People can reflect on how they behave or live or work around those who don’t necessarily look like them, and we can all continue this conversation.”  Reach Ashland freelance writer Angela Decker at [email protected]. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160206/NEWS/160209753 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->