The Midland County Inclusion Alliance is a group of compassionate citizens dedicated to fostering a community where everyone thrives by valuing diversity, ensuring equity and cultivating inclusion in Midland County, Michigan.
The group, founded in 2019, consists of (1) a Community Inclusion Council constructed of four pillars: Educate, Connect, Advocate, and Elevate; and (2) a Business Inclusion Council comprised of local business owners dedicated to strengthening the community.
MCIA is focused on our local people and culture - championing diversity and ensuring equity and belonging for everyone.
Inclusive Bridge-Building 101 Workshop Series
How can we keep building a deeply inclusive community during these times of unrest and uncertainty? How do we more genuinely connect with neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family who may see the world differently? Join the Midland County Inclusion Alliance for a free, four-workshop series in 2025 that will help us to build bridges and strengthen relationships in ways we might not have thought possible.
There is no required reading to participate. However, we invite you to check out the book mentioned for each workshop, and we have some other media links available.
Thanks to community partner Creative 360 for hosting our spring workshops! Look for more events in September and November 2025.
Connection Through Curiosity
Tuesday, March 18 | 6:00-7:30pm
Creative 360, 5501 Jefferson Ave
Curiosity is a critical tool for building trust when we’re living in information silos, with the chatter about each other eclipsing the actual conversations we’re having with each other. We’ll be covering elements from a book by Mónica Guzmán called I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. How can we use her tools to navigate our differences more productively, whether it’s a conversation with a neighbor or a debate across political parties? Join us to learn how the gulfs between us might not be as vast as we think they are.
Last year, Mónica Guzmán visited Midland for a fireside chat co-sponsored by Delta College and Dow, in which she shared her wisdom with a mid-Michigan audience. Feel free to check out the video of it before our workshop!
How to Call In, Instead of Call Out
Wednesday May 21 | 6:00-7:30pm
Creative 360, 5501 Jefferson Ave
Have we ever tried to confront someone, only to have the attempt go completely off the rails? A key to productive engagement is to lower the temperature in the room and get our egos to relax, a tall order but one that can be helped by Loretta Ross’s technique of “calling in.” We’ll be discussing content from her new book, called Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel. Ross has lots of wisdom to impart as a five-decade champion for civil rights, though some of her practical tools are simpler than you might expect!
Apart from her book, we recommend this hour-long podcast conversation with Dan Harris, titled “How to Call People In (Instead of Calling Them Out).”
MCIA provides in-person and virtual training opportunities, like our Inclusive Language and Microaggressions workshop.
Watch now for great learning and discussion with our community panelists!
Thanks to our panelists and everyone who attended! Look for more free training opportunities in 2025!
Visit the MAX LOVES MIDLAND Community Calendar!