Facing Racism in Ourselves and Intentional Communities
Facing Racism in Ourselves and Intentional Communities The work of facing and dismantling racism and the mentality behind it, white supremacy, is key to creating a sustainable and just society. We are all dealing with the fallout of racialized society, internally and externally. Given the inherent idealism of intentional communities as models for addressing social problems, it’s crucial that those involved in intentional communities engage in this work.
But what is this work? What can we do? What needs to be done? And how do we do it? Our goal for Monday is to leave with new insights, tools, and strategies for the internal and external work of advancing the cause of racial justice.
Safe but not comfortable: This will be a safe space, but it won’t be comfortable. We will work together to courageously and honestly acknowledge how we as individuals and our communities perpetuate racism and white supremacy. Expect resistance, in yourself and others, to surface, and face it responsibly and compassionately, not allowing it to derail the work that’s being done.
Note on focus: The focus of attention on Monday will be race, though not to the exclusion of other issues. While race, class, and gender are intimately interwoven, and the discussion on Monday will inherently and inevitably address the intersectionality of these issues, we will make sure race is consistently present in the conversation and not allow other issues to deflect or distract from it.
Outline
Panel discussion with Ed, Marissa, Crystal, Beth, Michael, GPaul: What did you hear this weekend that surprised you or confirmed what you thought was true? How would you characterize the state of the communities movement regarding race?
Query to participants: What questions has the weekend left you with?
Mapping our starting points: What do you think needs to be done? How do you approach this work? What do ICs and the people who live in them need to address to make real progress?
Breakout Sessions: Based on the different starting points, questions and approaches we’ve identified, what are the areas of interest/focus for discussion groups, with the overarching question being, what can we do and how can we do it?
Report backs: What are you taking away, and what are you planning to do?