Listening with Empathy across Racial Divides

National Week of Conversation will give Americans a period of reflection on how to engage people of different backgrounds and perspectives in a conversation and enable them to learn to see past differences. Building off these themes, HearMe will host a virtual panel discussion that explores empathetic listening across differences. It will address questions such as, “how to engage people of opposing views in a civil dialogue,” “do we have to suppress our feelings to show empathy,” and “how can we train ourselves to become empathetic listeners with people we don’t agree with.” This event will address topics specifically as they relate to racial divides.

Moderator: Adam Lippin

Adam Lippin is an entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of HearMe, and the Co-founder and CEO of Cuddlist. After the success of his earlier ventures, Adam launched the emotional wellness app HearMe in late 2019 with the core value that authentic connection is a fundamental human necessity. Starting with just 50 listeners, HearMe has grown to over 18,000 listeners in more than 150 countries who support a user base of over 125,000 and has been featured in USA Today, Forbes, Evening Standard, The New Indian Express, Thrive Global, Inverse, and many more.

Panelists:

Peg Fong

Correspondent – The Economist Magazine

Peg Fong is a journalist and a former newspaper reporter at The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. She was a reporter and producer for the CBC in Vancouver and is currently the Vancouver correspondent for The Economist Magazine. She teaches journalism and business at Langara College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and hosts a podcast called Alone Together.

Kat McIntosh

Manager of Global Peer Support – Mental Health America

Kat’s lived experience of bipolar disorder and early trauma has shaped her approach in advocating for inclusive, intersectional, and multi-disciplinary approaches when developing policies and systems within service-centered institutions. As the Manager of Peer, Advocacy and Support Services at Mental Health America, she helps in updating the Center for Peer Support site with new research, resources, and content as well as assists in creating and launching the online platform for Peer Partners. She is passionate about encouraging society to see individuals through a trauma lens particularly as it pertains to the LGBTQIA+ community and persons of African descent.