MODEL INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
For Anti-Racism Institutional Organizers
1INTRODUCTION
- Introducing the team
- Setting the agenda
- Creating a “safe place”
2BETTER/WORSE EXERCISE & INTRODUCING THE DEFINITION
(1-2 video segments)DISSATISFACTION
- Creating an awareness of the power of racism today
- Building a sense of the systemic nature of racism
- Introducing the definition
3FAITH/SPIRITUAL BASE FOR ANTI-RACISM WORKVISION/HOPE
- Generating a sense of the evil of racism
- Introducing the faith basis for the work of the team
4NEXT STEPSACTION STEPS
- Introducing the work of the team
- Inviting people to join the work
- Gathering support for the work of the team
5CLOSURE
- Using a poem/song/reflection to summarize and review
What has been shared
SAMPLE SCRIPT
A. Introduction
(In a brief workshop there is probably not time for formal introductions of everyone, but it is a time to acknowledge participants.)
Good afternoon, I am ______. My co-leader today is ______. We are members of the ______anti-racism team and on behalf of our whole team, welcome to this workshop on racism. It is wonderful to see that so many of you chose to be with us today.
(Purpose statement)
As we begin, we would like to share our expectations and goals, and plan for our time together. We have set an agenda that covers a lot of material so we will be moving things along. The purpose of our time together is to explore with you an understanding of racism in this new century and to encourage you to join us in the long-term task of dismantling racism in our institution and in society.
(Objectives for the workshop)
We are here because we believe it is possible to change, to dismantle racism, and to create a new vision and new hope. There are a growing number of people who want to see real change, and want to be a part of a racism free society. We believe that it is possible to work together to make that change happen.
(Goals and Agenda for the workshop)
ACTION: Have goals written on a piece of newsprint so that you can refer to them as you speak.
Our goals for our time together include:
1)To explore an anti-racist vision of our institution;
2)To introduce the work of our team, and invite your support
(Remember that you are to finish this section quickly. And you do not have time to develop a group agenda!! So ask…)
Are you with me? Any questions? Any clarifications? As you can see we are going to try to do a lot in our time together...but we certainly can’t cover all the questions or discussion needed about racism. As we proceed, if questions or ideas surface that we cannot address inside of our time limits; we will write them on newsprint for another time or another discussion. These ideas can be useful for further work or maybe even to set up other workshops or sessions.
ACTION: Point out the chart with FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION written on it (The chart should be prepared ahead)
(Agreement)
We recognize that racism is not always easy to discuss so we would like to have your agreement of a couple of basic principles. We are asking that this can be a safe place today where we will:
1)Listening to one another with respect and without judging one another;
2)Be willing to be stretched by what we experience.
Can we agree to this?
ACTION: Look for nodding of heads or eye contact
I believe we’ve agreed to try to create a safe place of care and support for one another as we begin.
Working against racism is not a new thing. As long as one group has oppressed another there has been resistance. We are inviting you to join with us in resisting racism, in becoming part of the resistance.
ACTION: OFFER an opening reflection
B. CREATING AN AWARENESS OF RACISM
(The purpose of this section is to encourage participants to recognize that there have been many efforts to work against racism in the last 40 years, yet, despite these efforts racism has not gone away, but has changed and gotten deeper.)
BETTER WORSE DIALOGUE
First, I want to ask a quick, warm up question. You do’nt have to give a great deal of thought to this; just quick feeling responses.
Some us here are old enough to have been around in the 1960’s. Others of us are too young to remember the 1960s. However, whether we were around or not 40 years ago, most of us are aware of the impact that the Civil Rights Movement made in our nation.
I want to ask if you think race relations/racial conditions/racism in the United States have changed for the better or for the worse in the past 40 years. If you think conditions are better now than they were then, raise your hand. If you think they are worse now than they were then, raise your hand. If you wanted to raise your hand both times, raise your hand. If you didn’t raise your hand, raise your hand.
Okay, that was just a quick warm-up question. Next, I’d like you to have a brief conversation with the person next to you. I want you to name one example of how conditions are better now than they were 40 years ago, and one example of how conditions are worse or have not changed. Is the task clear?
ACTION: Participants talk in dyads
Now, I want to list your examples on newsprint. First, call out some of the examples of how it is better.
ACTION: Chart responses
Now, give me some examples of how it is worse.
ACTION: Chart responses
(Facilitators can make brief comments about repetitions, contradictions, disagreements as the examples are being called out; however any discussion should wait until the list is completed.)
SAMPLE RESPONSES
BETTERWORSE
More jobs / Unemployment and underemploymentMore elected officials / Elected officials have no power
You can eat and sleep where you like / Economic conditions are worse
The laws have changed / Laws notenforced/enforceable
Growing middle class / Growing underclass
Improvements in education / Education worse than ever
Open housing / Segregation worse than ever
Personal relationships more frequent / More hidden/more subtle
Personal awareness / Increased violence/drugs
Now, let’s watch the first section of the video. It’s about 15 minutes long. After the video we will take a few minutes for your reactions and questions.
ACTION: Show video
Stop video after Barbara Major says: “Some folk have the power to affirm the humanity of themselves . . . Every institution does that.”
As we can see the video really covers many important points about racism. I would like to share a few assumptions that I think are of critical importance from the video, and then ask you to take a minute to reflect with your neighbor on them.
ACTION: Chart
1)Racism is better and worse today
2)Individual prejudice//systemic power
3)Need a common definition
4)Race prejudice + Power of systems and iInstitutions
First. (Chart: Racism is better and worse)Racism in the United States today is both better and worse. We especially celebrate significant legal changes. However, we still have a long way to go.
Second. (Chart: Individual Prejudice//Systemic power) Racism is built into our institutions and culture today. The popular image of racism in the white community, racism is that it is personal prejudice, attitudes, and actions, while in communities of color,it is experienced as a systemic power.
Third. (Chart: Need a common definition)We believe that if we are going to create a plan for becoming anti-racist and if we are going to have a common strategy for dismantling racism, then weneed a common definition. We need to agree on what we are talking about.
Fourth. (Chart: Race prejudice + Power of Systems and Institutions) We would like you to think about this definition of racism. Racism emerges is race prejudice plus the power of systems and institutions.
For the next few minutes turn to the person next to you and share your response to the video and these assumptions. Can you begin to see how racism is systemic? How it is more than personal attitudes? How a common definition is necessary if we are going to talk about racism?
ACTION: Ask for feedback. Do not write. Look for quick responses. Affirm the comments and questions that are raised. Take only a minute or two.
(Conclude)
Our purpose today hasn’t been to make sure you understand and agree with everything you heard on the video, but to put before you the reality that racism has not gone away. It has changed and gotten deeper. It is our hope that this brief look at racism will encourage you to dig deeper with us in the coming year to build a common understanding and analysis here in (NAME OF YOUR INSTITUTION). We want to help bring real, life-giving changes. We believe that we will be better, stronger, healthier when we face the destructive power of racism. We invite you now to join us in looking at a vision for an open, accepting, anti-racist community.
Just as we could only taste a little of the analysis of racism during our time together, we can only taste the mandate for dismantling it. We hope that you find this a challenge to dig deeper. And we hope that you are ready to say: “OK; that’s right...racism is evil (dehumanizing) and we want to do something about it…but what can we do?”
C. Faith/Spiritual Roots
Introduce this section of the workshop with a series of reflective questions.
ACTION: Ask
- Did you ever wonder why most of our institution’s leadership is white?
- Has anyone ever asked you why people of color don’t stay in our institutions?
- What do you think should change regarding racism in our institution?
Invite participants to share the way they believe things are supposed to be in the institution? Ask what values did they learn are anti-racist?
This can be done in dyads, small groups, or in a dialogue with the leader.
ACTION: Leaders will need to demonstrate and share their own life experience that shaped their respective anti-racist values.
- Example 1: I grew up learning that I should treat others as I wished to be treated. Racism says this isn’t so.
- Example 2. My mother taught me that I should not judge people by the color of their skin.
Summarize by asking, “Are these really core values today?
ACTION: Introduce the vision wheel
(Suggested introduction)
It is not enough to know racism is destructive. We must have a vision for how it can or how it should be. In this brief exercise, many of us were able to touch core values of human worth and dignity that have been lost to the power of racism and other –isms.
So we know that the well-intentioned founders of our country were able to write: “All men are created equal…” We have learned that their understanding of “all men” was white male persons who owned land and other property. These people created institutions to serve themselves.
However, we also know that in their words and their institutions we can find new hope for all human beings. So for a moment we invite you to suspend all the negative thoughts, all your doubts and fears and dream what your institution could be like if we were to dismantle racism and become an anti-racist institution.
ACTION: Ask everyone to share a single phrase or image that represents their vision. Collect these phrases recording them on newsprint in a non-linear format using a variety of colored markers. (Crossroads trainers ofter use a “sunburst”/wheel spokes image to collect ideas)
(Sample closing/summary statement)
If we are to work to end racism, not only do we have to agree on what it is (a common definition), but we will need to agree that it is possible to dismantle it and bring about a new anti-racist institution. We will have to envision a new institution that looks more like this (pint to the sunburst drawing) than it does like this (point to the printed agenda),
D. Next Steps
This portion is designed with each specific Stakeholder group in mind. It should reflect the strategic plan of the Team for this particular Stakeholder group. (Examples: further training, funding for the team, advocacy for the work of the team, additional reading or reflection on racism in society and the institution, etc.)
(Sample opening/transition statement)
We believe change must be intentional and anti-racist and so we are inviting you to:
ACTION: Share team’s list of next steps
E. CLOSURE
Close workshop with an appropriate reflection and thank participants for attending the workshop.