A monthly conversation about the nuances and complexities we face as white-identified people concerned with our role in equity and oppression
We know that different human 'races' don't actually exist; yet racism absolutely does. Similarly, there is no 'white race', yet the impact of culture organized around the construct of whiteness is incontrovertible. And we all know those impacts land differently on different bodies.
So what responsibility do those of us who our world sees as white have?
This is tender work; it tugs at our hearts, our sense of ourselves, our regard for others. It requires us to look deeply at ourselves, to see things alive in us we did not ask to be there, then to be gentle about the process of growth. It requires us to understand the motivations of our culture, its mechanisms and tactics, to make more visible the air we breathe.
Package your uneasiness, rage, confusion, or motivation into questions, and bring them to these monthly conversations. We'll talk, we'll listen to each other, we'll ponder and let ourselves be moved. Be ready to leave feeling mobilized to shift things: in you, in your relationships, your community, your world.
The conversation happens in a humane, relational environment in which to experience the feelings of uncertainty that frequently accompany conversations about oppression and the desire for equity. The tone is welcoming and honest, lighthearted and exploratory, revealing and nonjudgemental.
The circle occurs on the 15th of each month. Drop-ins and committed regulars are all welcome.
What You Can Expect
We will…
Base our conversations on your questions, experiences, concerns, ideas, and successes.
Use a non-hierarchical, inclusive format that incorporates and models liberatory and anti-oppression practices
Focus on our individual growth and awareness as well as the actions we can take to effect change in our environments
Use racial equity as our entry into learning about oppressions (and remediations) of all kinds
We might...
Stick to an agenda, or abandon it to attend to what shows up in the room
Make connections with people that keep the conversation going after the workshop
Experience some strong emotions
We won't...
Be relying on Black, Indigenous & People of Color with the task of educating us
Present a ready-made checklist of anti-racist or anti-oppression actions to choose from
Focus on perspectives that uphold the supremacy of anyone over anyone else
Reach closure, success or completion
Cancellations & Refunds
The minimum number of participants 3. If 24 hours prior to the workshop there are fewer registered, I will reach out to offer a refund, a slot at an upcoming session, or a brief, private coaching session.
Up to 24 hours before to a workshop, you can request a refund. You also can transfer to a different date or workshop.
Within 24 hours of the workshop start time, no refunds are given.
I donate 10% of my earnings to Collective Justice, a Seattle area restorative justice organization brought together by a diverse group of survivors and imprisoned community members in Washington State. CJ builds responses to harm that center the dignity and resilience of all people, and harness the collective power of communities impacted by the trauma of violence and mass imprisonment toward cultural and systemic transformation.
