(image by Jana Curcio) Years ago, I had a conversation with two white women about the daily burden of being nonwhite in a world of whiteness. My ultimate point was we cannot understand because there is nothing like it in our white reality. We can empathize but the visceral aspect …
A Gift Poem for an Elder I Just Met by Christopher Bowers I come from a people whose burden was a big story that abhorred storytelling and thus secrets ruled with invisibility. I come from a people who thought the center of the universe was in the perpetual west and …
At our last Racial Justice Allies dialog in July with the community, we talked about what to do as white people when we observe or are a witness to racial discrimination. Bystander intervention is crucial now more than ever. Weekly we are hearing about stories of violent discrimination, verbal and …
Thanks to all the people who attended our screening of 13th, a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay which featured Jelani Cobb, Angela Davis, Michelle Alexander, Malkia Cyril, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and James Kilgore. We had a packed house (maybe 35-40 people?) followed by a lively …
by Judy Helfand Recently various friends have asked me if I’m scared about the upcoming presidential election, which prompted some self-reflection as to why I’m not. There’s nothing surprising to me about the outpouring of hate and racial invective. Trump does not seem like the devil incarnate, simply another manifestation …
Use this ‘cheat sheet’ to guide your reading into the amazing 85 pp document from the Movement for Black Lives. Also, check out Disability Solidarity: Completing the “Vision for Black Lives” a criticism of the platform by Black disability thinkers and activists. ~a quick view of the demands~ Created by Nikki Pyle …
“By resisting (or even embracing) fear, guilt, and shame, we can open ourselves up to conversations about race that actually create a deeper understanding.” Amelia Shroyer How do you feel when you receive feedback that your behavior as a white person looked or felt racist to someone else? As a …
by Judy Helfand At a recent gathering someone asked if there was more activism in the 60s than today. I felt strongly that there is as much today, but it’s not as visible on mainstream media. Then he asked a question about what was happening in the 60s, …
I teach at a community college and this morning had in my email a long letter from another faculty member who found the shooting at Umpqua College to be a “clarifying moment.” This caught my attention but as I read through I became more and more angry and puzzled. My …
by Wendy-O Matik Because of white privilege, I decline to accept any position of power or authority, in the workplace and in other areas of my life. Because of white supremacy, I will shut up and listen when people of color speak. Because of the mis-education around white superiority, I …