SEED's practice of Serial Testimony "is more powerful than I ever imagined," writes Rachel Luce-Hitt, Coordinator of Educational/Training Programs in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Central Florida (UCF). A trained SEED leader, Luce-Hitt co-authored this guest piece with SEED seminar participant Jeanine Viau, Lecturer in Philosophy at UCF. In it, they share their experiences with Serial Testimony in SEED seminars and in the classroom. Republished with permission from the UCF's Faculty Focus.

A grand jury is set to decide shortly on a verdict in the case of Darren Wilson, a White police officer charged with the shooting death of Michael Brown, a Black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri. Whatever the verdict, it is likely to rouse strong feelings across the country. We therefore thought it might be useful to share SEED leader and San Francisco teacher Judy Logan's story of how using Serial Testimony, one of SEED's methods for intentionally structuring conversation, helped her multi-racial class of middle school students respond to the O.J. Simpson verdict of October, 1995, in a constructive way, without shame or blame.

Today is Pi Day (3.14), so in celebration of all things circular, we're posting an essay by SEED leader Beverly Bennett-Roberts about SEED's "circle talk," or "Serial Testimony." She explains how circle talk helped her lead her SEED group of educators — Black and White, and of different backgrounds and political affiliations — in a discussion of race and politics where they could find common ground.