ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, WE’RE RETURNING WITH “COMPASSION” FT. DR. KATHERINE WILSON!

Dr. Katherine Wilson is the Executive Director of the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion, a non-profit group whose mission is to foster civil dialogue & invite trust in the midst of differences. Their trained facilitators get called in for tough conversations that call for deep listening and empathy, like Police + Community Listening Circles. Dr. Wilson’s Ph.D. is in genocidal studies, and she knows the powerful role compassion can play in overcoming barriers. Below, we caught up with Dr. Wilson to get to know her better.

What do you typically eat for breakfast?

I’ve got four urban chickens and there’s nothing like getting warm eggs from under the butt of a chicken each morning for breakfast! I’m a big breakfast fan so, along with the eggs, I usually have cottage cheese, Black Forest bacon, half an avocado, tomato, and pickled jalapeños from my garden.

What do people know you for?

Probably for wearing a lot of hats! Most people know me through the work I do as Executive Director of the Zeidler Center, and Associate Director of Greater Together. In my off time, I teach Latin dance through the Delaware House, and I’m on a sailing race team at the Milwaukee Yacht Club. Before getting involved in the non-profit world, I finished a PhD in genocide studies from UW-Milwaukee. Studying the ways that communities break down and build themselves back up drives the work I do today to facilitate civil dialogue between groups in tension.

How is Milwaukee special to you?

I love Milwaukee. It’s a great size for a city – right on the water, great neighborhoods, low traffic compared with larger cities but still retains a beautiful diversity. The food culture here is taking off. That being said, Milwaukee is also ground zero for embodying the challenges of segregation and systemic racism baked into this country’s history. Positively framed: There are a lot of opportunities to dig in, get involved, and be part of positive actions that really move the dial.

What may people not know about you?

One of my life goals is to sail around the world.

What drives your creativity?

What drives my creativity is exploring outside my expectations, my city, my culture, everything that I consider “normal.” I do this by inviting new people into my home and through travel.

What are you going to talk to us about in your talk on “Compassion”?

I’m going to talk about compassion—basically our response to suffering – in others, in ourselves, and in the world.   How do we define it, practice it, and what are its limits? As someone who’s spent a long time studying mass atrocity, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned by listening to survivors and perpetrators, reading testimonies, and thinking about how we interface with suffering. Also, I’d like to touch on the idea of compassion fatigue.

Ticket registration opens Monday, Sept 18th at 11 AM CST. Grab a ticket as fast as you can — they are free but limited!