Join us for a conversation focused on white folks living in the South, open to people of all races and places. We will explore:
A note from the organizers:
Hey everyone! We are five white Atlantans inviting you to join us in reflection during this “portal” between a past we do not wish to return to and a future we cannot yet see (check out Arundati Roy’s beautiful writing about this). We are aware of the glaring racial, class, and gender disparities that already persisted in the southeast, which right now are grossly exacerbated. The murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick is a reminder of the rise of white nationalism in Georgia and across the U.S. In April, 80% of COVID-19 patients in Georgia hospitals were Black, while 30% of our state’s population is Black. The lack of concern by Georgia’s lawmakers is appalling and serves as an example of systemic racism and white supremacy. We know that violence against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander communities, especially women, is intensifying; that Diné people (Navajo Nation) have had more COVID-19 cases than any state in the U.S.; that domestic violence is happening in quarantined homes everywhere; that violence against transgender women is on the rise; that Black and Latinx human beings in state custody lack proper health care and social distancing; that the current administration is using this moment to “dis-establish” the Mashpee Wampanoag’s sacred land on the 400 year anniversary of English pilgrims claiming land at Plymouth, MA; and on and on.
Too many people in power are steeped in fear and hatred. During this moment in history, some people are finding ways to inflict more harm on others; instead, we are seizing this opportunity to reckon with our whiteness to prevent further damage.
One way white people cause harm every day is through beliefs and behaviors that are largely unconscious and unintentional. So, in addition to our jobs, parenting, homes, schoolwork, and activities, we’re using the quarantine time to explore our internalized racial superiority and internalized whiteness. This event will take the form of an honest, intimate round-table conversation between E.R. Anderson, Roan Coughtry, Shannon Cofrin Gaggero, Becky Rafter and Jen Willsea, with Dr. Anneliese Singh as accountability partner. It’s not about shaming others; it’s about our interrogating own lives. All are invited to listen and everyone is welcome at this free event. There will be some time at the end for questions, insights and reflections from participants.
Resmaa Menakem recently said that "COVID-19 has a lush place to germinate in Black, Indigenous and POC communities" - and this is especially true in the South. What if a critical mass of white Atlantans, white Georgians, and white Southerners committed ourselves to uprooting our internalized white superiority and cultivating antiracist and liberatory behaviors while we are sheltering in place?
This event builds upon “Internalized Whiteness: A Conversation with Jen Willsea” on 4/21/20. If you missed that event, you might check out Jen’s interview on The Diversity Gap podcast and/or her blog post on this topic.
For more about the organizers of this event, check out:
www.chariscircle.org/meet-the-staff
www.roancoughtry.com/
https://strivingparent.com/about-2/
https://gawand.org/a-personal-message-from-becky-rafter/
www.jenwillsea.com
https://news.tulane.edu/pr/anneliese-singh-named-tulane-university%E2%80%99s-first-chief-diversity-officer
- What does internalized whiteness mean to each of us, given our experiences in Atlanta and the South?
- What are some new ways of being or habits we can cultivate that do not play into white superiority and whiteness?
A note from the organizers:
Hey everyone! We are five white Atlantans inviting you to join us in reflection during this “portal” between a past we do not wish to return to and a future we cannot yet see (check out Arundati Roy’s beautiful writing about this). We are aware of the glaring racial, class, and gender disparities that already persisted in the southeast, which right now are grossly exacerbated. The murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick is a reminder of the rise of white nationalism in Georgia and across the U.S. In April, 80% of COVID-19 patients in Georgia hospitals were Black, while 30% of our state’s population is Black. The lack of concern by Georgia’s lawmakers is appalling and serves as an example of systemic racism and white supremacy. We know that violence against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander communities, especially women, is intensifying; that Diné people (Navajo Nation) have had more COVID-19 cases than any state in the U.S.; that domestic violence is happening in quarantined homes everywhere; that violence against transgender women is on the rise; that Black and Latinx human beings in state custody lack proper health care and social distancing; that the current administration is using this moment to “dis-establish” the Mashpee Wampanoag’s sacred land on the 400 year anniversary of English pilgrims claiming land at Plymouth, MA; and on and on.
Too many people in power are steeped in fear and hatred. During this moment in history, some people are finding ways to inflict more harm on others; instead, we are seizing this opportunity to reckon with our whiteness to prevent further damage.
One way white people cause harm every day is through beliefs and behaviors that are largely unconscious and unintentional. So, in addition to our jobs, parenting, homes, schoolwork, and activities, we’re using the quarantine time to explore our internalized racial superiority and internalized whiteness. This event will take the form of an honest, intimate round-table conversation between E.R. Anderson, Roan Coughtry, Shannon Cofrin Gaggero, Becky Rafter and Jen Willsea, with Dr. Anneliese Singh as accountability partner. It’s not about shaming others; it’s about our interrogating own lives. All are invited to listen and everyone is welcome at this free event. There will be some time at the end for questions, insights and reflections from participants.
Resmaa Menakem recently said that "COVID-19 has a lush place to germinate in Black, Indigenous and POC communities" - and this is especially true in the South. What if a critical mass of white Atlantans, white Georgians, and white Southerners committed ourselves to uprooting our internalized white superiority and cultivating antiracist and liberatory behaviors while we are sheltering in place?
This event builds upon “Internalized Whiteness: A Conversation with Jen Willsea” on 4/21/20. If you missed that event, you might check out Jen’s interview on The Diversity Gap podcast and/or her blog post on this topic.
For more about the organizers of this event, check out:
www.chariscircle.org/meet-the-staff
www.roancoughtry.com/
https://strivingparent.com/about-2/
https://gawand.org/a-personal-message-from-becky-rafter/
www.jenwillsea.com
https://news.tulane.edu/pr/anneliese-singh-named-tulane-university%E2%80%99s-first-chief-diversity-officer
Transforming Culture and Naming Racism in Organizations
a one-day workshop for teams with Mattice Haynes and Jen Willsea
February 5, 2020 (9am-5pm)
April 28, 2020 (9am-5pm) -- SOLD OUT AND POSTPONED
This workshop is designed for organizational teams (2-5 people from the same organization). You will leave this workshop with:
- An understanding of Racism as a System
- A practice of using an anti-racist lens to define an organizational challenge, and to imagine a future free from that challenge
- A deeper awareness of your organization's culture and how transforming your culture furthers your equity and inclusion goals
- A set of strategic next steps to implement in your organization
Mattice Haynes and Jen Willsea are Atlanta-based master facilitators and consultants who support residents, leaders, and organizations in Atlanta and across the country in deepening their inner and outer racial justice work. Mattice and Jen regularly collaborate as a multiracial facilitation team to lead workshops, convenings, and sessions which engage groups in understanding and taking actions on the root causes of racial injustice. Our reputation in Atlanta is as the multiracial facilitation team that consistently brings people together for honest and breakthrough conversations, using cutting edge methodologies from the evolving field of racial justice, and modeling what anti-racism looks like as individuals and as a team.
Photos of our August 27, 2019 workshop by Crystal Monds.