| Abstract: In this panel, Nasiah Cirincione Ulezi, BCBA, Ed.D and Dana Meller, MA, BCBA have been consistently meeting for a Saturday morning Zoom coffee date. In this panel, the two women will come together to share the realizations and lessons from those intimate coffee dates. They will reflect on how they have navigated a friendship in this complicated time. The conversation will include a discussion on race, intersectionality, and the importance of a partnership between black and white women. As two friends and colleagues, Nasiah and Dana have watched each other navigate predominately black and white spaces, and they have built a relationship based on honesty, compassion, self-awareness and mutual respect. In this panel they will approach tough topics with the necessary honesty, complexity and empathy, while sharing their unique perspectives: Nasiah, as a thought leader on compassion and inclusivity; Dana, as an ally and advocate. This conversation aims to create a brave space for women to learn from and empower one another, with the ultimate aim of addressing the difficult barriers of a truly inclusive world. |