WHO WE ARE
It began in 2008 when Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, president of Samford University, and Dr. Shelley Stewart, president and CEO of o2ideas, became friends. Inspired by their relationship, these two individuals — men whose backgrounds couldn’t be more diverse — asked themselves a simple question, “If we can find similarities in our lives and form a relationship, wouldn’t it be great if we encouraged others to have the same openmindedness?”
This inspiration laid the foundation for Birmingham Kitchen Table.
Birmingham Kitchen Table is a group for all of us. We believe that people are more alike than different, and that dialogue can create deeper empathy, break down barriers and build relationships. Ultimately, these relationships will help us to create positive change in the world.
HOW IT WORKS
Throughout the year, BKT hosts dinners for people representing diverse cross-sections of our communities. While we share a meal, we also share our hopes and concerns. Our goal of these discussions is to build relationships among people whose paths in life would most likely never cross.
Past Discussions
January 2009. In our first discussion, we focused on general issues of concern.
April 2009. We continued the conversation about general concerns, including education, crime and the economy.
September 2009. Because education was a recurring topic in the first two discussions, we decided to make it (along with educational organizations making a positive difference) the focus for this discussion.
January 2010. We continued the conversation on education, and were lucky enough to have Betsy Rogers, a former national teacher of the year, as our guest speaker. Betsy presented some of the challenges she’s seen first-hand and ways that we as a community can get involved.
May 2010. Instead of addressing concerns, we took a positive approach with our discussion on “What’s Right with Birmingham.” Our guest speaker, Dave Rickey, vice president of communications with Birmingham Business Alliance, presented little known and impressive stats about our city.
Next discussion – August 31, 2010. Our upcoming discussion will focus on the power of relationships and how it takes only one relationship to positively change a person’s life. Within small groups, participants will be asked to share one relationship that has had a positive impact on their lives.
In the News
Read news articles about past Birmingham Kitchen Table events.
- “Kitchen Table Talks Foster Diversity, Understanding” - The Birmingham News, July 2010
- “Dinner and Discussion” - Birmingham Magazine, March 2010
- “Birmingham Kitchen Table” - B-Metro, November 2009
To learn more about past discussions, BKT news and view more event photos, visit our Facebook page.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
We want you to be a part of our next dinner and discussion. Fill out the form below to
join us on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 from 6 - 8:00 pm at The McWane Science Center/Event Center.
If you can’t make our August event, mark your calendar for our next conversation,
Thursday, October 28, 2010.
Your privacy is important to us. We will not use your information for any other reason than to contact you
about our
roundtable meetings and to ensure we have a diverse group at each event.
Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
BE A BKT HOST
You don’t have to wait for us to start a conversation. With our downloadable Moderator Guide and Checklist, you can host discussions with the people you come across in your life: the checkout person at the grocery store, your mailman, your child’s teacher. The more diverse the group, the more rewarding the experience. Be sure to take photos, too. We’ll post them for you on our Facebook page.
Downloads
Moderator Guide (MS Word doc)
Checklist (MS Word doc)
If you have questions or suggestions, contact us at 205.212.6408
or send us an email.
Hosting your own BKT discussion is the perfect way to create new, incredible relationships.
- Jill Hinds
RESOURCE GUIDES
Every Day, dedicated organizations are making a positive impact throughout Birmingham and beyond. The Resource Guides list these groups along with opportunities on how you can get involved.
Downloads
Resouce Guide 1: Education (PDF)
We will be adding more Resource Guides in the near future. If you have suggestions for additional Resource Guides, contact us at 205.212.6408 or send us an email.
CONTACT US
Want to learn more about BKT or join our communications list? Contact us today. We’d love to hear from you. You can also connect with us on Facebook or fill out the “Join Us” form on this website.
