Chelsea Jackson Roberts, Ph.D., E-RYT, an educator, scholar and yoga practitioner will present a talk and yoga workshop on Tuesday, March 7, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in Rooms 304 ABC of the Schine Student Center. Hosted by the School of Education, Roberts’s visit is part of the Douglas P. Biklen Landscape of Urban Education Lecture series, and is the final installment in the 2016-17 series.
Roberts will present her talk, “Developing Critical Inner Literacy: Reading the Body, The Word and the World” at 4:30 p.m. Grounded in her work with teen girls in Atlanta, Georgia, Roberts shares the findings of her qualitative research focused on yoga, literature and the ways in which embodied practices support critical literacy development.
Committed to understanding both the individual and collective benefits of yoga, this lecture will focus on how yoga can be used as a tool to resist oppression experienced by marginalized and vulnerable communities, how deeper understandings of the connection between the body and mind can be used to strengthen awareness and participation in the world. The presentation is free and open to the public, and CART transcription service will be provided.
Marcelle Haddix, Dean’s Associate Professor and chair of the Reading and Language Arts Department, organizes the popular lecture series. “Dr. Chelsea Roberts is unapologetic about making yoga, health and wellness accessible and inclusive for all, especially those from marginalized communities. Also, she provides a model for how we can teach about positive body image and wellness with youth and in our schools. I am ecstatic that she will bring her gifts to the Syracuse community.”
Following her talk, at 6 p.m., Roberts will lead a “Yoga for All Bodies” class that will integrate some of the topics covered and techniques shared within the lecture. The yoga class is free and open to the public—all levels and abilities are welcome to attend. Participants should bring a yoga mat and dress comfortably.
Roberts is a certified yoga teacher and yoga educator who has shared yoga at the White House during the Obama Administration, appeared on the cover of Yoga Journal magazine, and currently travels the country leading workshops and trainings for yoga teachers, educators, and social justice advocates interested in yoga, inclusivity, and community engagement. She is the founder of chelsealovesyoga.com, a platform for discussion on yoga, race and diversity, and also operates Red Clay Yoga, a non profit organization that provides diversity trainings for educators and yoga teachers who are passionate about working with marginalized communities.
Since 2005, the Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series has been dedicated to navigating the U.S. urban educational terrain. The series is made possible by a generous gift from Jeryl Mitchell ’81, G’83, a member of the SOE’s Board of Visitors, who named it in honor of retiring dean, Douglas P. Biklen.