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Many white people want to heal racism in America. And most people of color agree. But it is impossible to heal America’s painful racist past without the pain and anguish that comes from sitting in the fire. Painful though it may be, healing our racist past (and present) begins when people commit to look directly at America’s long and tortured racial history.
As understood in 1964’s Civil Rights Act: “we cannot legislate morality”. No, indeed, we cannot. Rather, each American must look into our own hearts and minds and commit to untangle and pull out by the roots the threads of racism that live inside. We must undergo our own truth and reconciliation. It is through this process that we will begin the healing journey.
Let’s Talk About Race cohosts Diane Wong and Pharaoh Saunders as they invite you to engage in courageous conversations around racial justice and inequity through a modern and historical lens. Go deep in unlearning your own biases and overcome personal roadblocks when it comes to race and racism. Participate in scaffolded role plays where you can practice the hard work of interrupting racism and white supremacy . Learn from experts what it means to truly ‘sit in the fire’ with this hands-on, engaging virtual class.
The class will be held on Saturday, June 13 on Zoom over two sessions – Part 1 in the morning from 10 AM – 12 noon, and Part 2 in the afternoon from 12:45 PM to 2:30 PM. A breakdown of the day’s activities are as follows:
- 10:00 AM -10:30 AM Meditation and Yoga with Diane – preparing ourselves for the fire
- 10:30 AM -11:00 AM Group check in: Why do we need to talk about race?
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM How to talk about race: Small group race dialogues
- 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM LUNCH BREAK
- 12:45 PM – 1:00 PM Introduction to role plays
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Practice race role plays and share with large group
- 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Close out and commitment to future action
This event is sponsored by a generous grant from the Somerville Arts Council which allows us to provide this event free of charge to participants.
