Nekeisha Alayna Alexis, MA
Intercultural Competence and Undoing Racism coordinator
About Nekeisha
Nekeisha Alayna Alexis brings practical, administrative and intellectual gifts to her internal and external work with AMBS.
- As Intercultural Competence and Undoing Racism (ICUR) coordinator in our learning community, Nekeisha supports our efforts to make theological education accessible to persons from increasingly diverse backgrounds and identities. This varied work involves teaching in our Leadership Education in Anabaptist Perspective course; co-directing the Benham West Project; supporting pastors in the Ministry Integrity Circles and Transition to Leadership programs, and other systemic and interpersonal work as needed.
- As an external consultant with the Church Leadership Center, Nekeisha collaborates with individuals, groups, churches and organizations as they pursue growth in intercultural competence and/or seek to be more effective in their antiracism and other anti-oppression efforts. Her deep desire, and gift, is to go beyond standalone training in order to work for inclusion and justice over an extended time.
In each of these roles, Nekeisha employs a mix of teaching, strategic thinking, accountability conversations and other resources to help nurture personal growth and structural transformation. She is also a qualifying administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory, which she uses intentionally and carefully to build capacity for skillfully negotiating cultural similarities and differences.
Training and memberships
- Center for Community Justice Mediation Training (2017)
- Race and Animals Institute, Wesleyan University (2016)
- IDI Qualified Administrator Training (2015)
- Damascus Road Antiracism Analysis Training (2009)
- Founding collective member, North American Association for Critical Animal Studies
“Nekeisha met five times with our fellowship’s antiracism accountability group over a period of six months. She prepared extensively to help us define our mission and purpose, structure our group for effective ministry, communicate our work to the larger congregation, and engage with the community. Midway through our work, Nekeisha revised our original plan to address pressing issues that had arisen. This proved to be essential for our growth, and showed her skill and wisdom as a facilitator. As a result of our work with Nekeisha, our church bylaws were changed to include a new antiracism ministry group as part of the organizational structure of the congregation! Nekeisha brought energy, passion and wisdom to our meetings and she created a safe, yet challenging space for honest reflection. We came away with both motivation and tools for continuing this essential work.”
Chrissie Muecke, Rochester (New York) Mennonite Fellowship
“Nekeisha facilitated an awesome workshop on anti- oppression and anti-racism for our Black and African American Resource Group. She created an informative and inclusive environment where everyone felt safe to share, and she provided us with shared practices to support each other in building a stronger and more resilient workplace. Due to her training sessions, members of the group found several ways to advocate for policies and practices that challenge and dismantle oppressive systems within the organization.”
Darice Ruth, Black and African American Resource Group at Beacon Health
Invite AMBS
Invite AMBS is a unique opportunity to invite the faculty and staff of AMBS to come directly to you to address a certain topic. Learn more about Invite AMBS.Possible topics include:
Foundations for justice learning series
A multipart workshop that helps participants develop shared understandings of key concepts in the work of resisting interpersonal and systemic injustice. Topics include understanding race, intersectionality, addressing systemic oppression, intercultural competence and working for change. Sessions are customized to speak to the opportunities and challenges facing the congregation or group with the aim of supporting their ongoing transformation.
Strategic sessions
Customized workshops and one-on-one consultations to help leaders design and carry out short- and long-range plans for increasing equity in a community or organization. This work can involve reviewing current policies and procedures, determining what existing practices can organically support transformation, and identifying new tools to foster holistic, sustained change.
Intercultural development inventory
Participants take a 50-question assessment, followed by an interactive group workshop to introduce the five areas of intercultural competence as identified by the IDI. One-on-one feedback sessions with individuals who have taken the IDI will explore their assessment profiles and development plans. The workshop and feedback sessions are mandatory for those who want to receive their personal IDI results in keeping with IDI LLC best practices. Learn more about the IDI with this introductory video.
Accountability conversations
Personal support for organizational leaders (pastors, directors, executives, etc.) who are committed to growing in intercultural competence, undoing racism, and resisting other supremacies; and building structural justice into their lives and institutions. This includes conversations to develop goals, check-in on progress, and discerning creative solutions to obstacles as they arise. Assistance with pursuing one’s Intercultural Development Plan goals is also available.
Constructive reviews
An independent review of policies, manuals, and other guiding organizational documents and key print and electronic communication materials (websites, brochures, etc.) using an anti-oppression/anti-supremacy and interculturally sensitive perspective.
Documentary screening: What Happened at Benham West
What Happened at Benham West: African American Stories of Community, Displacement and Hope features stories of life in Elkhart’s predominantly African American Benham West neighborhood — known to many as “the village.” The film includes elders’ experiences of segregation in Elkhart, documents the process of the city’s eventual clearing of the Benham West neighborhood, and names the elders’ hopes for their city. Nekeisha will host the screening and provide a time of Q&A. View the trailer.