Talks, Trainings, & Consulting Related to Race & Social Change:  A Quest, A Study, A Call to Action

In 2017, Max published his book Race and Social Change:  A Quest, A Study, A Call to Action.  Max offers the following programs and consulting opportunities for communities eager to engage with the insights from this book. 

1)      Race and Social Change Book Talk (60-90 min)
What’s true about race and social change?   This book presents the results of a 20-year personal quest to explore this question in a manner that integrates the personal journey of the author—a privileged White male—with years of rigorous empirical research. During my time as a grad student studying youth leadership, a chance encounter with a provocative educational activity in the tradition of the Milgram obedience exercises and the Stanford prison experiment led to an unexpected opportunity to study multiple simulated civil rights movements.  The findings of the research illuminate matters of race and social change in surprising and unexpected ways. 


2) Awakening to Race
A four-session anti-racism dialogue offering that invites participants to reflect on how their own experiences with race have shaped their perspectives and beliefs. This multi-session program provides a communal learning journey that invites participants to dialogue in ways that awaken a higher consciousness of how matters of race shape our individual and collective experiences. This program will always be co-facilitated by Max Klau and a colleague of color.

3)      Leading with Purpose & Wholeness  (90-120 min)
This session illuminates the full depth and challenge of working productively on matters of race and social change by integrating timeless and deep wisdom about human nature provided by myth.  This session honors the truth that light and shadow are interconnected and interdependent.  Whenever we light a flame, light and shadow spring into being simultaneously, and the brighter the light, the darker the shadow.  In this session, participants are challenged to own BOTH the light of their commitment to productively address matters of race AND their shadow—that dark and unpleasant aspect of ourselves that is sure to influence and undermine our leadership until it is directly confronted, owned, and articulated.  This work is always as illuminating as it is challenging, and it allows individuals, organizations, and communities to move forward with a degree of wholeness, insight, and choice that is essential for any effort to effectively confront matters of race both within ourselves and within the systems in which we are immersed.