Becoming Anti-racists: A Workshop for White People, Session 1 of 5

It is the responsibility of white people to educate ourselves and do the work needed to end systemic racism. Only white people can tear it down, and we cannot let it stand for a moment longer. We must be led by black folks and other people of color. However, we the oppressors cannot burden the very people who are being oppressed.

So, we are making a start towards becoming anti-racists and effective allies by holding a 5-part workshop based on the bestselling book, So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo. Please purchase/obtain the book and read it, keeping up with the chapters to be covered in upcoming sessions.

There will be five weekly sessions on Tuesdays, beginning July 14 and ending August 11 @ 3-4:30PM.

SESSION 1: JULY 14 - Guest Facilitator Athena Roberts - Online Entrepreneur, Vice President HSGP
a. Preface and Introduction
b. Chapter one: Is it really about race?
c. Chapter two: What is racism?
d. We end each session with a video.

Host and Co-Facilitator: Jennifer White – Artist, Communications HSGP
Co-Facilitator: Ramona Ferrara - Co-Founder White People for Black Lives
Zoom Production: Ron Russell - Humanist Chaplain, Meditation Coach and IT geek

All who are serious about doing this work are invited and welcome. This will be a safe space for people of color, with no responsibility to answer questions or contribute to the discussion unless they wish to.

Rule #1 for white people. Do not ask people of color to help you with this work. Do the research yourself.
Rule #2 for white people. If you find yourself disagreeing, getting defensive, angry or confused, take the following steps:
• Take a breath
• Write it down
• Research it.

NOTE: Updated link to Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/96513068002?pwd=QWdORXpFcFdNY0YwUW8rcGpwTDBSQT09

Bonus! Here is a 7 minute interview with the author Ijeoma Oluo on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2020/07/01/885878564/what-systemic-racism-means-and-the-way-it-harms-communities

Photo credit: Image by UnratedStudio via Pixabay