Everyday RJ: Moving from rhetoric to repair and resilience in ourselves and our communities
When: February 21, 2024 12-1:30PM ET
Guest: Dr. Desiree Anderson and Dr. Josh Bacon
Host: Jonathan Swartz
In September 2022, Josh Bacon published a book that lays out a restorative process
for making things right with yourself and then the world. Based on over twenty three
years of coaching thousands of people through their setbacks and failures, Josh discovered
the most important part of the restorative process was not the presenting struggle
the person was facing, rather the meaning made from the struggle. Josh will share
seven steps to help those facing challenges, struggles, setbacks, and failures, not
only to hold themselves accountable but to grow stronger and wiser from the experience
and be better able to meet the next challenge.
Desirée Anderson has previously published chapters in Colorizing Restorative Justice
and Ethics in Higher Education, focusing on implementing restorative justice with
fidelity and towards justice as repair. Desirée suggests that creating repair has
to happen in everyday practices, in the nitty gritty, the mundane. Good restorative
justice and restorative practices happen in the fine print, in the design of services,
the programs, and the policies. Prominent forms of restitution are often more rhetorical
(and only focused on outcomes) than substantive (more focused on process), and Dr.
Anderson suggests a shift towards good process as that which creates good outcomes.
In this webinar, we will hear from Josh and Desirée about their current projects and
practice, and engage in dialogue about meaning making, and about making it right.
Guest Bios
Desirée Anderson, Ph.D. Desirée Anderson, Ph.D., M.Ed., (she/her/hers) was born in San Diego, California.
She earned her B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Louisville, and her Ph.D. from
the University of New Orleans, studying the use of campus-based restorative justice
(RJ) approaches as a response to racially-motivated bias incidents. Dr. Anderson is
the Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Prairie State College. She previously held positions
at the University of New Orleans, Saint Mary’s College of California, Tulane University,
and Texas State University. Desirée serves as an adjunct instructor and a Restorative
Justice Trainer and Facilitator. She has released book chapters in Colorizing Restorative Justice, Ethics in Higher Education and Applying Restorative Justice to Campus Sexual Misconduct: A Guide to Emerging Practices and founded Lorde & Liberation: Building Transformative Solutions, LLC. She watches
an unnecessary amount of TV in her free time, especially K-dramas.
Josh Bacon: A former screw up who was able to keep pulling himself back up from the many storms
in his life to eventually serve thousands of other people and help them learn how
to rise from the setbacks of their lives. Josh served as an administrator for over
twenty years at James Madison University, recently retiring in 2020 as their Dean
of Students. Josh also served as a faculty member at the university and co-directed
the College Student Personnel Administration Masters program. Josh has a Ph.D. in
Educational Leadership from Clemson University and a Masters in Education Administration
from Salisbury University. Josh consults with colleges about implementation of restorative
justice practices. Josh currently resides in Lacey Springs, Virginia with his wife
and three daughters.
