In early 2016, T.O. Philly hosted a workshop series on race and undoing racism. Each week we posted material here for folks both in and outside of the workshop to use. Each page archived here contains things to read, watch, hear and do:
Welcome to the 2016 edition of Unpacking Race! Each week's assignment includes some short things to read, watch, and do that will inform the following week's session. Here are a couple of pieces to get you started:
WATCH Jay Smooth's talk, "How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Discussing Race". Jay is the host of Underground Railroad, New York's longest running hip-hop show and a video blogger about race. This video is a "talk on how we talk about race" and a great intro to the discussions we will have in the Unpacking Race series:
READ over The Four Agreements of Courageous Conversation as outlined right here:
- Stay engaged: Staying engaged means “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue.”
- Experience discomfort: This norm acknowledges that discomfort is inevitable, especially, in dialogue about race, and that participants make a commitment to bring issues into the open. It is not talking about these issues that create divisiveness. The divisiveness already exists in the society and in our schools. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, the healing and change begin.
- Speak your truth: This means being open about thoughts and feelings and not just saying what you think others want to hear.
- Expect and accept non-closure: This agreement asks participants to “hang out in uncertainty” and not rush to quick solutions, especially in relation to racial understanding, which requires ongoing dialogue.
Adapted from Glenn E. Singleton & Curtis Linton, Courageous Conversations about Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools. 2006. pp.58-65. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Next up: Keeping a Race Journal!