In February 2022, Learning Courage hosted our second annual virtual event. This year our theme was Courage. It takes courage to tell your story, to stand up and speak out for change, to shift damaging cultural systems and dynamics that lead to harm, and to heal from sexual abuse and violence. This year our performers were inspired by our theme of courage and showed it through dance, poetry, song, spoken word, and storytelling; several of them even created new pieces, especially for our event.  We were honored to have Gregory Jbarra, well known for his role as “DCPI Garrett Moore” on the hit CBS police drama BLUE BLOODS, his extensive work on Broadway, and his Tony Award-winning for his portrayal of the Dad in Billy Elliot the musical serve as our host for the evening. 

Melanie DeMore is a Grammy-nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. Melanie facilitates workshops for professional choirs, community groups as well as directs numerous choral organizations in the Bay Area. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble: Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you”. Melanie DeMore — Vocal Activist