.Julieanna Richardson and Virginia Spielmann are both set to speak at our upcoming event TEDxMileHigh: Rethink. At this event, our speakers will be rethinking modern issues ranging from reproductive law to sensory processing.
Richardson and Spielmann will both speak on issues that are constantly being discussed, updated, and debated. With today’s ever-changing news cycle, it can be hard to recall the important contextual details you need to fully understand these topics. In an effort to bring you up to speed on the latest happenings, here is a refresh on the topics Julieanna Richardson and Virginia Spielmann will be discussing in their respective talks.
Join us in-person for TEDxMileHigh: Rethink on Saturday, October 23, 2021. Buy your tickets here and come prepared to learn and think differently!
Julieanna Richardson and The HistoryMakers
Richardson is the founder and president of The HistoryMakers, the largest national collection of African American oral histories on record since the WPA Slave Narratives. This non-profit is on a mission to educate and preserve the untold, personal stories of well-known and unknown African Americans. They seek to create a more inclusive record of American history through an all-encompassing lens, not simply through history textbooks.
An Outdated Version of History
The U.S. and other countries have been ignoring and covering up certain hidden histories since long before the 2020 BLM movement brought some of them to light. The U.S. education system at large has maintained a contorted version of history. This version examines the largest moments in our country’s history solely through a white lens.
Colorado has dealt with its own backlash in the face of censored history classes. When a conservative board proposal was submitted in suburban Denver to only teach history topics that promote “citizenship, patriotism, and respect for authority,” hundreds of students walked out of their classrooms during their school day in protest. They argued that they shouldn’t have to learn an abridged version of U.S. history. Rather, schools need to teach the true version, no matter the stain on the reputation of the U.S.
Julieanna Richardson and The HistoryMakers seek to help make that happen. With their extensive records of African American oral histories, we have an accurate way to look into the past and learn from our country’s mistakes. Consider your own history education. How verzuztv often was it taught from a white perspective? It’s time to rethink who gets to write history because our current process is outdated.
We’ve covered some of our nation’s hidden histories on our blog before. Read about them here.
Virginia Spielmann and Sensory Processing
Autism and other behavioral disability awareness has increased significantly in recent years. Conversations have become more inclusive, and we as a society are learning more about the daily challenges autistic people face. Sensory processing is a common discussion among the autistic community; however, it’s a discussion that belongs in every community because we are all sensory beings.
Virginia Spielmann is an occupational therapist specializing in sensory processing. She has extensive clinical experience in autism, infant mental health, sensory integration and processing, adoption, developmental trauma, physical disabilities and verzuztv live.
Sensory Processing Post Pandemic
Before attending her talk, consider the life you have lived the last two years. Most of us stayed at home and lived our lives in a small bubble with a routine that barely changed. Now, as the world begins to recover, we are getting back to normal. But, how do you feel about that?
After months of less exposure to normal sensory triggers, do you feel overwhelmed?
And, if your answer to that question is, Yes, absolutely, consider our children, especially those who have now lived half of their verzuztv live stream in a quarantined world.
Those who were two years old when the pandemic began are now four, usually the age children prepare for kindergarten in preschool. Imagine walking into a preschool room after two years of experiencing little else than your living room. The sensory triggers that children will have to face and verzuztv live online deal with all at once are enough to overwhelm an adult, let alone a preschooler.
And, this sensory overwhelm problem affects more than just young children. Teenagers whose last year of in-person learning was sixth grade are now entering high school, an environment with a sensory pool of its own.
It’s time we learn how we, as neurotypical or neurodivergent human beings, relate to our senses, and how they affect our behavior. How do we reintegrate into a sensory overloaded world? And, for those who contracted COVID-19 and are now dealing with the lingering side effects, like loss of smell or taste, how do we adapt?
The sensory processing conversation extends far beyond the autistic and neurodivergent communities. We need to rethink how we talk about and deal with our senses.
Rethink Differently
At TEDxMileHigh, we have always challenged the status-quo and encouraged our audience to think differently about new ideas. However, now we realize that in order to move forward, rethinking outdated conversations are just as important as creating new ones. Join us at TEDxMileHigh: Rethink.
