Invest in Collective Intelligence: Conferences as Catalysts for Change
- Dr. Eddie & Dr. Rita
- Jan 6
- 4 min read
By Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. and Dr. Rita Fierro
The Tension of Gathering Now
Do you remember after the pandemic how tense we were at first to meet in person again? How reluctant were we to let the masks go, to touch again? Yet, if your experience was anything like ours, and if you are a people person, face-to-face became quite rejuvenating. Face-to-face contact provides us with something so deeply, deeply, human, it’s primal. Luckily for us, we have a longer ancestral memory of the comfort of meeting in person, than we have of being behind a computer screen. As the team is deeply involved in preparing for the White Privilege Conference (WPC) 2026 in Seattle, we know the value of what we do. We have the stories of transformation, the scholars whose work has taken off thanks to these workshop rooms, the people who are on their journey and continue their journey towards freedom and liberation. We organizers know why we do it, why we commit. Yet, as we notice conference attendance dwindle around the country for lack of funds, and sometimes courage, we realize our intent––the proof of the value of our work––isn’t always clear. So, the question is legit:
What are we really investing in when we gather?
Simply said, conferences are engines of collective intelligence. Collective intelligence means that two brains are better than one. Four are better than two and ten are better than four. Collective intelligence is the wisdom that emerges when lived experience, critical thought, and embodiment meet. It’s strongest when different opinions are creative rather than destructive. Collective conversations don’t happen so much in the presentation/Q&A format, but they thrive in the hallways. You know those conversations that turn into partnerships? The debates after your presentation that turn into a book, an article, a project?
But here’s the catch, the collective intelligence engine is strongest and goes farthest where there is:
Authentic Conversation: Diverse viewpoints, honest interactions, welcoming atmosphere
Authentic Learning: A pace of events that fosters learning
Authentic Expertise: People in the room who are masters in their field and who genuinely are ready to teach and hold space
Authentic Co-creation: Where people with different viewpoints and life experiences co-create a new pathway together
As seasoned experts (don’t you call us ole heads!) we’ve seen our share of conferences with talking head presentations that put people asleep, with no questions, lots of empty chairs, and performative word-spitting that passes for knowledge. Then we go home and ask ourselves, what did I really learn? How do I apply it to my daily life? Crickets. (we don’t go to those conferences, either 😣)
This is why there is so much intentionality in how WPC was and continues to be designed each year. We are purposeful with the following:
Authentic Conversation: Founded by educators (but for everyone!), our culture values learning. We don’t do shaming and blaming. We call-in. We’re family.
Authentic Learning: We plan for 90-minute workshop time slots, because learning takes time.
Authentic Expertise: Presenters are by invitation only. They are selected because of good scholarship and good practice––good vibes go together.
Authentic Co-creation: What is our collective strategy to meet the challenges of this time of backlash? How do we strengthen our network and close ranks in these tough times? How do we strengthen the work in between meetings? How do we leverage the opportunities of our times?
To invest in these spaces, register and register early. We need these types of conferences more than ever. Registration for the 27th WPC (27 years, fam!) is now open!
With #WPC27PNW, we’re strengthening our co-creative spaces. We have always done caucus meetings at the end of each conference day as a time. An expert facilitator sits with caucus groups to engage the emotions, feelings, and struggles from the day, and importantly, how to apply takeaways in our everyday lives. Those spaces will absolutely continue. We will also add, on our last day, a strategy session, where we walk away with a collective strategy for what next. We are inviting some local press, too, to cover our conference moves and how people can participate in what’s next.
Performative conferences (we don't do them) are the ones losing their relevance. We need circles more than stages right now. This is why "unconferences" are on the rise. They are done online, have very flexible formats, and the collective intelligence is the primary focus. Unconferences use participatory approaches (Open Space and World Cafe are the most common ones) to increase the quality of the conversations. Facilitation experts have tools to make good conversations great, because that’s their focus! If you want to check out a cool unconference, try The Online facilitation Unconference 2025: Intelligent Age Version on Nov 17-21, 2025. We have some free passes. You can reach out to Dr. Rita to get one (DrRita@RitaFierro.com).
As an example, I (Dr Rita) co-led a World Cafe between police officers and community members in Newark, NJ in 2017. We asked what a healing relationship between police and community look like, and folks came up with mutual understanding. We didn’t solve the problem, but we "got clear" about the shared priority and that brought us closer. We were part of a much larger process of transformation of the Newark Police Department. There was an article written on it in the NYT, just last month: This City Was Forced to Overhaul Its Police Department. Crime Plummeted.
We are living through a time when the very spaces that once birthed courage are being stripped for parts. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are under open attack—books banned, trainings defunded, conferences questioned, and the people doing the work drained by the constant defense of its worth. Resources are shrinking while the noise of backlash grows louder. Yet these gatherings—our conferences, unconferences, and conversations—remain the beating heart of the movement. They are where ideas are born, alliances forged, and courage renewed.
The question is no longer, "Will there be a White Privilege Conference or Courageous Conversations (another powerful one!) in five years?" It is, "What we are willing to invest now to ensure there will be?" To sustain the field, we have to innovate, reimagine, and rebuild our networks for resilience, not nostalgia. The choice is clear: we can stand on the sidelines and lament the erosion, or we can participate, creating the next generation of gatherings that will carry this work forward with the creativity, intelligence, and collective faith it demands.
See for at #WPC27! Register now!
