Announcing two new resources to support diversity and racial justice initiatives. More information at www.witnessingwhiteness.com
Just Released - WITNESSING WHITENESS: THE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RACE AND HOW TO DO IT, 2nd edition, by Shelly Tochluk
This new edition, revised for a general audience, offers a comprehensive look at why white people need to pay attention to race, what we will see when we look closely, and how to respond. Written in an easy-to-read style, the book describes how to develop an anti-racist white identity. Perfect as a first introduction to issues of white privilege, this book also includes practical suggestions for the creation of an effective and sustainable anti-racist practice.
New Resource - WITNESSING WHITENESS: COMPANION WORKSHOP SERIES
An 11-part workshop series aligned with the book is now available for multiracial or race-caucused groups interested in exploring their relationship to race and privilege. Detailed, chapter-by-chapter agendas allow local facilitation teams at schools, organizations, or businesses to augment their leadership capacity as they lead book groups through 2 1/2 to 3 hour workshop sessions.
Topics include:
• Why Pay Attention to Race?
• Culture, Tradition, and Appropriation
• Authentic Relationships
• History of White Anti-racism
• Racial Identity
• Privilege and Multiple Social Identities
• Transformative Relationships
• Racial Scripts
• Self-Evaluation and Goal Setting
• Cultural Change
• Group Goal Setting
Workshop agendas and resource documents required to implement the series are available at no charge for download at www.witnessingwhiteness.com. Also, visit the website for more information regarding the workshop series’ development, book orders, and author’s contact information.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Bail for Alex Sanchez!
It can take a long time, but sometimes moving through the system and keeping hope and faith alive brings great results! Alex Sanchez was granted bail yesterday.
This will allow him to remain close to his family while he prepares for the trial, which will begin in October. (His family lost their home in all of this.)
After being admonished by the 9th Circuit court, Judge Real reopened Alex Sanchez' bail hearing and this time, listening intently and following up on important questions, the judge saw fit to grant bail. As I was unable to attend this session, I don't know any more that that.
Many thanks to those who kept Alex in your thoughts during this time.
This will allow him to remain close to his family while he prepares for the trial, which will begin in October. (His family lost their home in all of this.)
After being admonished by the 9th Circuit court, Judge Real reopened Alex Sanchez' bail hearing and this time, listening intently and following up on important questions, the judge saw fit to grant bail. As I was unable to attend this session, I don't know any more that that.
Many thanks to those who kept Alex in your thoughts during this time.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Justice for Alex Sanchez?
I went to my first bail hearing the other day. What drew me to this one is that I know the man charged with multiple serious counts, including conspiracy to commit murder. I don't believe the charges for a second. I have a letter on file with court expressing this opinion and my understanding of the character of this man.
The man accused is a former gang member, yes. His name is Alex Sanchez. But, I've know him as a gang intervention worker and community advocate and supporter for over 10 years. He has been the Executive Director of Homies Unidos since I've known him, and he's fought to stay in this country for years, even going so far as to apply for political asylum from his native El Salvador - which he was granted after a long fight.
Based on how the police scandals broke around LA a number of years back and the people involved...I have come to believe that this case is about retaliation at worse, and misunderstanding and competing viewpoints at best.
My father was a police officer. As a fairly mainstream sort of person when it comes to law enforcement, I don't immediately assume the criminal justice system is always unjust. This case is one of those, however, where even staunch supporters of the system should rightly question the judge in this case...and keep their eyes wide open and focused on how this unfolds.
Here's how this began: Judge Real in Alex Sanchez Case is Surreal This is a post written by former California State Senator, Tom Hayden, and published by The Nation about the first bail hearing, to which I WAS NOT present.
Here's what happened a bit later: Victory for Alex Sanchez Appeal, But... A follow up regarding a rebuke by the 9th circuit court...a hopeful development.
Here's where things stand now: The Judge Gets Real, But Why? A post describing the second bail hearing, to which is WAS present. This pretty much sums it up.
The real question is, what is going to happen next? Having sat in that courtroom, hearing the evidence presented, it makes no logical sense to me how Alex can be denied bail. I know I'm just one person...and that's why I hope many additional eyes will start to follow this with me.
The man accused is a former gang member, yes. His name is Alex Sanchez. But, I've know him as a gang intervention worker and community advocate and supporter for over 10 years. He has been the Executive Director of Homies Unidos since I've known him, and he's fought to stay in this country for years, even going so far as to apply for political asylum from his native El Salvador - which he was granted after a long fight.
Based on how the police scandals broke around LA a number of years back and the people involved...I have come to believe that this case is about retaliation at worse, and misunderstanding and competing viewpoints at best.
My father was a police officer. As a fairly mainstream sort of person when it comes to law enforcement, I don't immediately assume the criminal justice system is always unjust. This case is one of those, however, where even staunch supporters of the system should rightly question the judge in this case...and keep their eyes wide open and focused on how this unfolds.
Here's how this began: Judge Real in Alex Sanchez Case is Surreal This is a post written by former California State Senator, Tom Hayden, and published by The Nation about the first bail hearing, to which I WAS NOT present.
Here's what happened a bit later: Victory for Alex Sanchez Appeal, But... A follow up regarding a rebuke by the 9th circuit court...a hopeful development.
Here's where things stand now: The Judge Gets Real, But Why? A post describing the second bail hearing, to which is WAS present. This pretty much sums it up.
The real question is, what is going to happen next? Having sat in that courtroom, hearing the evidence presented, it makes no logical sense to me how Alex can be denied bail. I know I'm just one person...and that's why I hope many additional eyes will start to follow this with me.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sonoma, AZ - Sweat Lodge - James Arthur Ray
New shoots sprang up in the meadow the first day I entered the sweat lodge. The evening was crisp, hawks hung on the breeze, and the fire crackled. A peace I'd not known previously settled upon me as I waited, watching. The elder prepared the prayer ties, arranged objects on the alter, and filled the pipe with a mixture of sage and tobacco.
Later, having crawled inside the dome-shaped lodge, supported by willow branches and covered with tarps and blankets, I sat in a community circle. Warmth filled the lodge as glowing stones were brought in one by one and placed in the center. After the first seven stones entered and prayers were said, the elder offered an explanation.
"This is the safest place on Earth," he began.
"It's a return to the womb of the mother," he continued.
We enter the sweat lodge as a purification ceremony. It is where we pray to be reconstructed, made anew. It is where we acknowledge the gifts of our ancestors, pray for help and health, both for ourselves and our loved ones. It is a place of healing, where medicine envelops and toxins are purged.
Sitting on the earth, feeling the fire from the stones, seared by the steam that arose each time the elder poured water, longing for the coolness of the night air outside, I felt the sacrificial nature of this ceremony. Choosing to sit in this place to pray reminded me of the essential elements of life: fire, water, air, earth, interconnection, and humility.
In this place we pray for the creepy crawlies, the four leggeds, the winged ones, as well as our two-legged brethren. The full circle of life is honored in this place. We sit in the lodge so that when we re-emerge we are better able to offer ourselves to our community.
Exiting the lodge for that first time, crawling out with an acknowledgment of "all my relations", a centered, although exhausted, gratefulness overwhelmed me. The moon shone above and we dressed slowly, silently, each incorporating the medicine offered in that symbolic womb.
The sweat lodge has become a sanctuary for me, one that I've returned to on a monthly basis for the last 14 years. It's my home, it's a church, and it's sacred.
And, my practice has been a source of tension for me. As a white woman trying to be diligent about disrupting racism and dismantling privilege, I have recognized the need to interrogate my participation.
"I was invited in", I'd say, thinking about my elder, trained in the Lakota tradition. I'd recall his words, "You are doing what your ancestors should have done when they first arrived on this land." "You're praying to make the way clearer for us all as we move forward."
Any yet, I'd hear people talk about "cultural appropriation" and what it meant that white people participated in traditions not their own.
Yes, it's true. I found solace in the sweat lodge in ways not found through my American customs.
Yes, it's true. My various European ethnic heritages did not provide me with a tradition that resonates with me and offers me this level of community.
"But, I'm not trying to be what I'm not," I'd console myself, knowing that I don't try to claim that the fullness of my life represents Native American religious practices.
For years, I wondered, I struggled, I sat, I sweated, and I admitted what felt like a contradiction. I am committed to this practice, and in doing so I've adopted another's cultural practice as my own. Is this cultural appropriation? Is it wrong what I'm doing?
To some, they do see my participation as problematic. For others, my level of respect and devotion satisfies. From my elder's point of view, this practice is for everyone, regardless of cultural origin. But, not all people of Native American descent share his perspective.
For me, I remained both devoted to the practice and simultaneously a bit self-critical.
I then read the newspaper in October 2009.
Sonoma, Arizona. A white man named James Arthur Ray charges people upwards of $9,000 to participate in a week long initiation journey that utilizes various spiritual practices and trials to help the individuals find their warrior within...or something like that.
The culminating experience is a community sweat lodge. People died.
That lodge was not the safest place on Earth. Instead, it was rendered deadly.
The ego and hubris of a white man turned a sacred ceremony into a money-making venture.
A purification ceremony within mother's womb was turned into a trial to be overcome.
A sanctuary space for prayer was turned into a prison from which people begged for release.
We spoke about the tragedy the following week in our lodge. We prayed for the victims. We prayed for those responsible. And, we prayed that there would not be a reaction against those who participate regularly in this ancient ceremony.
For that is also one of the dangers. Cultural appropriation often distorts the beauty of the original form.
Worse, blind appropriation and defensive egos shield people from recognizing the harm they perpetuate on others. Within weeks of the deaths, the white man was busy offering workshops and lectures, telling audiences that he prays for the families of those who died. At not time does he publicly recognize the role he played, his lack of humility and use of privilege to take and modify what he had no right to desecrate.
Weeks later, I sit, I consider, I write...
Must I still question myself regarding how my life might involve cultural appropriation?
Yes, of course. It's a healthy question to ask, repeatedly.
But, can I speak out, as a white woman, against a white man, charging him with an offensive and deadly form of cultural appropriation even though I am not part of the culture from which the practice was taken?
Yes, of course. It's my duty.
Later, having crawled inside the dome-shaped lodge, supported by willow branches and covered with tarps and blankets, I sat in a community circle. Warmth filled the lodge as glowing stones were brought in one by one and placed in the center. After the first seven stones entered and prayers were said, the elder offered an explanation.
"This is the safest place on Earth," he began.
"It's a return to the womb of the mother," he continued.
We enter the sweat lodge as a purification ceremony. It is where we pray to be reconstructed, made anew. It is where we acknowledge the gifts of our ancestors, pray for help and health, both for ourselves and our loved ones. It is a place of healing, where medicine envelops and toxins are purged.
Sitting on the earth, feeling the fire from the stones, seared by the steam that arose each time the elder poured water, longing for the coolness of the night air outside, I felt the sacrificial nature of this ceremony. Choosing to sit in this place to pray reminded me of the essential elements of life: fire, water, air, earth, interconnection, and humility.
In this place we pray for the creepy crawlies, the four leggeds, the winged ones, as well as our two-legged brethren. The full circle of life is honored in this place. We sit in the lodge so that when we re-emerge we are better able to offer ourselves to our community.
Exiting the lodge for that first time, crawling out with an acknowledgment of "all my relations", a centered, although exhausted, gratefulness overwhelmed me. The moon shone above and we dressed slowly, silently, each incorporating the medicine offered in that symbolic womb.
The sweat lodge has become a sanctuary for me, one that I've returned to on a monthly basis for the last 14 years. It's my home, it's a church, and it's sacred.
And, my practice has been a source of tension for me. As a white woman trying to be diligent about disrupting racism and dismantling privilege, I have recognized the need to interrogate my participation.
"I was invited in", I'd say, thinking about my elder, trained in the Lakota tradition. I'd recall his words, "You are doing what your ancestors should have done when they first arrived on this land." "You're praying to make the way clearer for us all as we move forward."
Any yet, I'd hear people talk about "cultural appropriation" and what it meant that white people participated in traditions not their own.
Yes, it's true. I found solace in the sweat lodge in ways not found through my American customs.
Yes, it's true. My various European ethnic heritages did not provide me with a tradition that resonates with me and offers me this level of community.
"But, I'm not trying to be what I'm not," I'd console myself, knowing that I don't try to claim that the fullness of my life represents Native American religious practices.
For years, I wondered, I struggled, I sat, I sweated, and I admitted what felt like a contradiction. I am committed to this practice, and in doing so I've adopted another's cultural practice as my own. Is this cultural appropriation? Is it wrong what I'm doing?
To some, they do see my participation as problematic. For others, my level of respect and devotion satisfies. From my elder's point of view, this practice is for everyone, regardless of cultural origin. But, not all people of Native American descent share his perspective.
For me, I remained both devoted to the practice and simultaneously a bit self-critical.
I then read the newspaper in October 2009.
Sonoma, Arizona. A white man named James Arthur Ray charges people upwards of $9,000 to participate in a week long initiation journey that utilizes various spiritual practices and trials to help the individuals find their warrior within...or something like that.
The culminating experience is a community sweat lodge. People died.
That lodge was not the safest place on Earth. Instead, it was rendered deadly.
The ego and hubris of a white man turned a sacred ceremony into a money-making venture.
A purification ceremony within mother's womb was turned into a trial to be overcome.
A sanctuary space for prayer was turned into a prison from which people begged for release.
We spoke about the tragedy the following week in our lodge. We prayed for the victims. We prayed for those responsible. And, we prayed that there would not be a reaction against those who participate regularly in this ancient ceremony.
For that is also one of the dangers. Cultural appropriation often distorts the beauty of the original form.
Worse, blind appropriation and defensive egos shield people from recognizing the harm they perpetuate on others. Within weeks of the deaths, the white man was busy offering workshops and lectures, telling audiences that he prays for the families of those who died. At not time does he publicly recognize the role he played, his lack of humility and use of privilege to take and modify what he had no right to desecrate.
Weeks later, I sit, I consider, I write...
Must I still question myself regarding how my life might involve cultural appropriation?
Yes, of course. It's a healthy question to ask, repeatedly.
But, can I speak out, as a white woman, against a white man, charging him with an offensive and deadly form of cultural appropriation even though I am not part of the culture from which the practice was taken?
Yes, of course. It's my duty.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Tread Carefully Arizona - Endangering Immigrants, Endangering Ourselves
Here we have it, reason enough that law enforcement and immigration officials should NOT work together in a way that makes undocumented people in our cities fear the police. This is a warning to all those in Arizona who are about to make life extremely dangerous for those in their state.
(Note: the position that law enforcement and immigration officials should NOT work together is an argument outlined in an Op-Ed in November 2009 by outgoing Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who we thank for endorsing a vision of community policing that helps reduce crime.)
So, here's the situation:
Take a community of undocumented immigrants. They are working multiple jobs to try and support themselves in the US and send money home to support the families they've left behind in countries like Guatemala, Mexico, and El Salvador.
These are good people, family-oriented and hard working.
Individually, throughout a city, they begin to receive phone calls telling them that if they don't pay upwards of $5,000 that one of their relatives in their home country will be maimed or killed.
They are instructed to gather the money and go to a money transfer outlet, like Western Union. The money is transferred to somewhere else in the US, where it is picked up.
If these immigrants don't pay...they have every reason to believe their loved one will be on the receiving end of significant violence. --- This is extortion, plain and simple.
This is also happening. Reports from some of our least politically powerful citizens are too afraid to speak up publicly, but the word is spreading. At least one little boy in another country has already had his finger cut off.
This is an international network. The calls appear to be coming from Guatemala, but the money is collected in the US, and the violence is not isolated to either of these two countries.
To pass laws that allow the victims of these crimes to fear deportation if they report this level of extortion is a complete travesty!
This is clearly an issue for the FBI, and my strongest hope is that my colleagues who are telling me about this activity will have the confidence in our system to report these heinous crimes. How to approach this carefully has been our conversation so far.
Unfortunately, there remains a lot of fear among immigrant communities, and inviting them to come forward really only appears viable if they believe they will be truly and honestly helped.
An atmosphere that lets them know their very presence in the US is despised is hardly a way to support honesty and justice.
And, just think about this, if WE don't help support them when they are in need...what in the world would make us think that they would support US if we ever needed their voice?
(Note: the position that law enforcement and immigration officials should NOT work together is an argument outlined in an Op-Ed in November 2009 by outgoing Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who we thank for endorsing a vision of community policing that helps reduce crime.)
So, here's the situation:
Take a community of undocumented immigrants. They are working multiple jobs to try and support themselves in the US and send money home to support the families they've left behind in countries like Guatemala, Mexico, and El Salvador.
These are good people, family-oriented and hard working.
Individually, throughout a city, they begin to receive phone calls telling them that if they don't pay upwards of $5,000 that one of their relatives in their home country will be maimed or killed.
They are instructed to gather the money and go to a money transfer outlet, like Western Union. The money is transferred to somewhere else in the US, where it is picked up.
If these immigrants don't pay...they have every reason to believe their loved one will be on the receiving end of significant violence. --- This is extortion, plain and simple.
This is also happening. Reports from some of our least politically powerful citizens are too afraid to speak up publicly, but the word is spreading. At least one little boy in another country has already had his finger cut off.
This is an international network. The calls appear to be coming from Guatemala, but the money is collected in the US, and the violence is not isolated to either of these two countries.
To pass laws that allow the victims of these crimes to fear deportation if they report this level of extortion is a complete travesty!
This is clearly an issue for the FBI, and my strongest hope is that my colleagues who are telling me about this activity will have the confidence in our system to report these heinous crimes. How to approach this carefully has been our conversation so far.
Unfortunately, there remains a lot of fear among immigrant communities, and inviting them to come forward really only appears viable if they believe they will be truly and honestly helped.
An atmosphere that lets them know their very presence in the US is despised is hardly a way to support honesty and justice.
And, just think about this, if WE don't help support them when they are in need...what in the world would make us think that they would support US if we ever needed their voice?
Confronting our Fear, Inspiring Others
What do you do when someone does something that requires critique?
Do you:
a. Keep your mouth shut so you avoid risking the relationship
b. Say what you need to say, as directly as possible, not worrying about the person's feelings, and risking that the person may no longer wish to associate with you further
c. Work to find language to express what you need to, working to use the info to build the relationship, hoping to inspire consideration and new understandings
When it comes to confronting race issues...all three seem like pretty common paths taken. In my life, I've found myself using all of them on occasion, depending upon the larger set of power dynamics that change with each discrete situation. (Not that they are all equally helpful! I'm trying very, very hard to create a practice where choice "c" occurs without any trepidation.)
Lately, I was confronted with the choice again....but in a new way. This time I was removed from the situation, not part of the original event. And, therefore, I had to negotiate how to..
1) support my colleagues to express themselves
and
2) raise the issue to those in higher positions of authority in a way that doesn't break down the initial trust I'm trying to form on campus around these issues.
The last thing I need is to become the "gotcha" girl on campus, always ready to catch your mistake!
The choice is clear for me, but the path took some time to clarify. The information had to be shared, both with the instructor at our College who used some course content in a way that reinforced stereotypes, and with the Chair who oversees the program.
But, how I would do that was essential. I needed to give myself enough time to approach this in a way that invited self-reflection, from one colleague to another, as opposed to a reactionary stance that either "told on someone" or "shamed and blamed".
In the end...what did I do? How did I respond? I spent a good deal of time speaking with my colleagues about their capacity to use their voice to name what they observed (supporting them to witness for themselves), and I also used my own in order to support us all becoming more aware of 1) how we teach, 2) the messages we deliver, and 3) how damage can occur even in a room where everyone is laughing.
It's one of those things that seems completely obvious to anyone familiar with this work. Yes, of course, have the conversation. It's basic ally work!
The trick is, each situation feels different and holds a different sense of precarious footing. Understanding and supporting each other to keep making those "right" choices to the best of our ability felt very, very, very important.
In short, I had to support my colleague of color who was hesitant to approach a white male instructor. She had had so many experiences being invalidated in past situations that she felt the entire endeavor was likely either fruitless or to inspire additional pain. Instead of dropping it, however, we approached the instructor together, as a team. We offered our praise for what had been done well, and then we offered our recognition that some subtle bias was present in the ppt shown the session prior.
Thankfully, this instructor responded favorably (a bit to our surprise). He had been wholly unconscious of how his image choices would affect students, and I do believe he is likely to rethink his choices in future semesters.
Even though this may seem like a fairly minor issue, it was actually rather anxiety provoking for both myself and my colleagues. Neither of us relish confronting race issues head on. But, we did...and we had an opportunity to share our experiences with others at a lunch gathering on campus a few days later.
Perhaps the best part, however, was that three days later I was approached by one of my other colleagues who had been present at the lunch. She wanted to offer a compliment to us for having offered ourselves as a model. She then reported that, for the first time, she approached a presenter after a college presentation to inform the speaker about some areas where discrimination and bias were recognizable. She let me know that before, she wouldn't have had the courage to face up to the need to speak directly to the presenter. Instead, she would have complained to friends later and just sat steaming.
The point? We support each other to take risks when we take our own risks. When we form communities in which we can share our experiences, we become models that those around us can use to challenge themselves.
I'd lost sleep over the earlier situation for a couple of weeks. But that night, hearing that my colleague and I inspired someone else to action....I slept soundly.
Do you:
a. Keep your mouth shut so you avoid risking the relationship
b. Say what you need to say, as directly as possible, not worrying about the person's feelings, and risking that the person may no longer wish to associate with you further
c. Work to find language to express what you need to, working to use the info to build the relationship, hoping to inspire consideration and new understandings
When it comes to confronting race issues...all three seem like pretty common paths taken. In my life, I've found myself using all of them on occasion, depending upon the larger set of power dynamics that change with each discrete situation. (Not that they are all equally helpful! I'm trying very, very hard to create a practice where choice "c" occurs without any trepidation.)
Lately, I was confronted with the choice again....but in a new way. This time I was removed from the situation, not part of the original event. And, therefore, I had to negotiate how to..
1) support my colleagues to express themselves
and
2) raise the issue to those in higher positions of authority in a way that doesn't break down the initial trust I'm trying to form on campus around these issues.
The last thing I need is to become the "gotcha" girl on campus, always ready to catch your mistake!
The choice is clear for me, but the path took some time to clarify. The information had to be shared, both with the instructor at our College who used some course content in a way that reinforced stereotypes, and with the Chair who oversees the program.
But, how I would do that was essential. I needed to give myself enough time to approach this in a way that invited self-reflection, from one colleague to another, as opposed to a reactionary stance that either "told on someone" or "shamed and blamed".
In the end...what did I do? How did I respond? I spent a good deal of time speaking with my colleagues about their capacity to use their voice to name what they observed (supporting them to witness for themselves), and I also used my own in order to support us all becoming more aware of 1) how we teach, 2) the messages we deliver, and 3) how damage can occur even in a room where everyone is laughing.
It's one of those things that seems completely obvious to anyone familiar with this work. Yes, of course, have the conversation. It's basic ally work!
The trick is, each situation feels different and holds a different sense of precarious footing. Understanding and supporting each other to keep making those "right" choices to the best of our ability felt very, very, very important.
In short, I had to support my colleague of color who was hesitant to approach a white male instructor. She had had so many experiences being invalidated in past situations that she felt the entire endeavor was likely either fruitless or to inspire additional pain. Instead of dropping it, however, we approached the instructor together, as a team. We offered our praise for what had been done well, and then we offered our recognition that some subtle bias was present in the ppt shown the session prior.
Thankfully, this instructor responded favorably (a bit to our surprise). He had been wholly unconscious of how his image choices would affect students, and I do believe he is likely to rethink his choices in future semesters.
Even though this may seem like a fairly minor issue, it was actually rather anxiety provoking for both myself and my colleagues. Neither of us relish confronting race issues head on. But, we did...and we had an opportunity to share our experiences with others at a lunch gathering on campus a few days later.
Perhaps the best part, however, was that three days later I was approached by one of my other colleagues who had been present at the lunch. She wanted to offer a compliment to us for having offered ourselves as a model. She then reported that, for the first time, she approached a presenter after a college presentation to inform the speaker about some areas where discrimination and bias were recognizable. She let me know that before, she wouldn't have had the courage to face up to the need to speak directly to the presenter. Instead, she would have complained to friends later and just sat steaming.
The point? We support each other to take risks when we take our own risks. When we form communities in which we can share our experiences, we become models that those around us can use to challenge themselves.
I'd lost sleep over the earlier situation for a couple of weeks. But that night, hearing that my colleague and I inspired someone else to action....I slept soundly.
Drowning in the Work
Close to two months since my last post and I have a list of things that could be, should be, said. What happened? I became inundated with the work. This wasn't really surprising, as I saw it coming. In fact, the truth is that I invited it. For a few months I decided to do something different. I decided to say "yes" to anything that sounded like a good idea, even if I wasn't sure that I'd have time to accomplish it.
I now have various projects and issues being worked on, about 5, in addition to my full-time job, and it leaves me precious little energy to sit and ponder in front of the computer this way.
Pondering? I do plenty of that. In the car, in the shower, and walking the dogs. So much has transpired that the self-reflection necessary to witness it all has been required. I just haven't written it down.
Perhaps the best moment, inspiring just 1 of the projects, was an early October experience where, for the first time, I ended up (note that I'm acting like I didn't help set things up this way :) leading a group of my college's faculty and staff through an initial dialogue on race.
It was an open invitation. The session would occur after a major meeting on a Friday evening. My colleague and I imagined maybe 10-13 people might attend. We had 23. This included the Provost and the President of the College (who showed up to truly participate, not simply observe).
The session went really, really well...perhaps the best experience I've had leading dialogues/workshops about witnessing so far. For several, they mentioned that this is the first time they've really spoken to people about race in the workplace and how nervous they were walking in the door. It was really gratifying to know how many thought we should really continue this process and dig in to how race and racism are present on our campus.
And, so now...what did that mean?
It's now my (volunteer) role to help prepare and facilitate the workshops for the rest of the year.
I'm really not complaining. It's amazing to have the opportunity. My only recognition is how essential it will be to do this well....and take the time to ensure that I can do this well!
And, this is just 1 of the many...and I'm drowning with this work...hoping to find my strokes so that it feels like swimming again soon. Even in the midst of the turbulence, though, the water is healing.
I now have various projects and issues being worked on, about 5, in addition to my full-time job, and it leaves me precious little energy to sit and ponder in front of the computer this way.
Pondering? I do plenty of that. In the car, in the shower, and walking the dogs. So much has transpired that the self-reflection necessary to witness it all has been required. I just haven't written it down.
Perhaps the best moment, inspiring just 1 of the projects, was an early October experience where, for the first time, I ended up (note that I'm acting like I didn't help set things up this way :) leading a group of my college's faculty and staff through an initial dialogue on race.
It was an open invitation. The session would occur after a major meeting on a Friday evening. My colleague and I imagined maybe 10-13 people might attend. We had 23. This included the Provost and the President of the College (who showed up to truly participate, not simply observe).
The session went really, really well...perhaps the best experience I've had leading dialogues/workshops about witnessing so far. For several, they mentioned that this is the first time they've really spoken to people about race in the workplace and how nervous they were walking in the door. It was really gratifying to know how many thought we should really continue this process and dig in to how race and racism are present on our campus.
And, so now...what did that mean?
It's now my (volunteer) role to help prepare and facilitate the workshops for the rest of the year.
I'm really not complaining. It's amazing to have the opportunity. My only recognition is how essential it will be to do this well....and take the time to ensure that I can do this well!
And, this is just 1 of the many...and I'm drowning with this work...hoping to find my strokes so that it feels like swimming again soon. Even in the midst of the turbulence, though, the water is healing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
