Belonging: A Call to Building a Healthy Community with *dr. john a. powell

dr. john a powell is returning to DeKalb for an in-person conversation on Monday, November 27, 2023, hosted by the DeKalb Area Belonging Council.  Members of the community and NIU campus are invited to gather on Monday, Nov 27 at the DeKalb High School for an important evening to build on and forge new efforts that prioritize belonging for a healthy community.   A free community dinner sponsored by the City of DeKalb will be served in the cafeteria from 5-6:15PM. The event is in-person, free, and open to the public.

The conversation with dr. powell is intended to enhance the community’s understanding of belonging, highlight why belonging matters in our community and demonstrate why we are at a disadvantage without belonging, identify ways we can build a community of belonging, and energize action focused on cocreating a community of belonging.  Attendees should expect an engaging, thought provoking, and action focused evening.   

“We need to continue the conversation about belonging as a community,” says Angela Baron-Jeffrey, President of the DeKalb Area Belonging Council. “We have started to understand what belonging means, but we need to continue to learn from the lived experiences of community members and develop action steps rooted in belonging. Belonging is the only thing that will result in full health for our community,” said Baron-Jeffrey.

DeKalb first welcomed dr. powell in 2020, where he made a powerful impact as he introduced concepts of belonging. Over 500 members of the NIU campus and the DeKalb area community engaged in the conversation, and many were moved to action. The next day dozens gathered to develop an action plan to further explore needs within belonging for our community and how to cocreate a culture of belonging.  As a result, the community was awarded a Healing Illinois grant to form a belonging council and develop art projects that explore belonging.  Additionally, the DeKalb County Community Foundation and the DeKalb County Mental Health Board also provided grant funds to support belonging work the community. 

The DeKalb Area Belonging Council was organized in 2021 informed by a strategic belonging action plan. Various community belonging efforts have also gotten underway since 2021, especially in the arts and organizational culture. The DeKalb County History Center and the Ellwood Museum partnered to create Arts in Action, designed to be a platform for community members and artists to tell their stories, especially for those whose voices have not always been heard. NIU launched the Belonging Collaborative in partnership with the DABC featuring Faces of Belonging and Voices of Belonging exhibits to help showcase the varied stories and experiences of belonging in our community. The City of DeKalb recently unveiled a community co-created mural project in downtown DeKalb dedicated to celebrating belonging.

Public organizations, including the DeKalb Police Department, DeKalb School District 428, and the DeKalb County Mental Health Board have also been working to explore and cocreate a culture of belonging within their organizations for their employees and those they serve. DeKalb Police Chief, David Byrd, has been a leader in these efforts.  “I believe in true belonging and am working to effectuate the co-creating model to build bridges between law enforcement and the community,” Chief Byrd.

In addition to speaking with the community, dr. powell will engage with the DABC and community leaders about belonging efforts. The DABC is currently focusing efforts in the areas of education, community dialogue, and co-creating a culture of belonging in the workplace.  Addressing the needs of youth in belonging is an emerging issue that the DABC is currently further investigating with community partners. dr. powell will also participate in a conversation led by DeKalb High School students to discuss their experiences with belonging.  

We are excited about dr. powells return and look forward to what we gain from the conversation to enhance our efforts to co-create a healthy community of belonging in our area,” said Baron-Jeffrey.

There is no cost to attend the evenings events at the DeKalb High School, but those who wish to attend the community meal need to register at www.belongingdekalb.com/events

Attendees can expect to leave with a clear understanding of what belonging is, why it matters in DeKalb, and what we need to do moving forward to build a healthy community rooted in belonging.  The conversation is hosted by DeKalb Area Belonging Council (DABC) with the supportive funds provided by the DeKalb County Mental Health Board and the DeKalb County Community Foundation.  More information can be found at www.belongingdekalb.com

* powell spells his name in lowercase in the belief that we should be "part of the universe, not over it, as capitals signify.”