Travis Klempan (he/his)
As a white, cisgender, able-bodied man born in the U.S.A. who speaks English as my primary language, I navigate and occupy a world designed by and for people like me. My awareness of diversity grew significantly when I served in the Navy aboard a ship, alongside sailors from all over the country and the world. While on the bridge crossing the ocean or standing watch while transiting a strait, everyone on the ship had a common goal. While off duty in overseas ports or at home, we bonded over shared adventures and learned from each other. My journey continued while a student at the Jack Kerouac School and as an instructor at Naropa University, where equity and inclusion became elements of every relationship and interaction I had with classmates, instructors, and friends. I examined my own privilege from multiple perspectives and made an effort to listen more than I spoke, and challenged myself to find ways to support and defend others, especially their right to be heard and seen and understood.
I used the word “journey” above because I recognize that the examination and deconstruction of my privilege is a process, an ongoing series of changes large and small, with an end goal in mind but perhaps not in reach. I strive to grow as a person and an ally through introspection and reflection, but also through demonstrable acts and creation of spaces for dialogue and peace. My goal for this workshop is to welcome all participants, to respond respectfully and authentically to creative work and critical responses, and to encourage and facilitate everyone to engage to the level they are comfortable and to do so knowing that the other participants will be just as respectful and engaged.