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2025-07-24 Creating Belonging in a Fractured World

Creating Belonging in a Fractured World

Presented By
Jennifer Brown

Tourism in Kansas City is soaring. As residents look ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and an estimated 650,000 visitors — half expected from abroad — the opportunity to interact with openness, curiosity, and inclusion has never been greater.

But many of the ideas that once guided these interactions — represented by words like “equity” and “inclusion” — have been politicized or even removed from public discourse. How do we keep building spaces where everyone feels they belong in this challenging moment?

Bestselling author and inclusive leadership expert Jennifer Brown discusses how to create belonging in our neighborhoods, friend groups, faith communities, schools, and city. Brown will address the now-contentious conversation surrounding DEI, offering a fresh and hopeful vision rooted in human connection. She unpacks the meaning of belonging, why it matters so deeply, how it shows up in daily life, and how Kansas Citians can lead with authenticity and inclusion, even in a changing landscape.

Brown, considered one of the earliest voices in the DEI field, founded her company in 2006 and has consulted on inclusive workplaces for some of the largest businesses and non-profits in the world for two decades. Today, she's an in-demand keynote speaker and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, most recently of the leadership book How to be an Inclusive Leader, now in its second edition.

This event is co-sponsored by: the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

If you need ADA accommodation to use Library services or attend Library events and programs, please notify us at least 3 business days in advance at 816.701.3409 or ADA@kclibrary.org. (TTY access available via 711 or 866.520.7309 for Spanish.)

The Kansas City Public Library could be videotaping and taking photos for possible inclusion in marketing and promotional communications.

Upcoming in this series:
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Watch or Listen to Past Events in this Series:
Red Scare
Thursday, March 20, 2025 6:00pm
Clay Risen’s new book, Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, speaks to the divisiveness of our contemporary moment. A reporter and ed...
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How Facts Help Us Feel Less Afraid: Lessons from "...
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Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making...
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The Power of Storytelling for a Healthy Democracy
Central Library |
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The Power of Our Supreme Court: How Supreme Court ...
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2025-07-24 Creating Belonging in a Fractured World

Creating Belonging in a Fractured World

Date & Location
-
Reception: 5:30 pm
Online
In Person