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Social Work Gatherings Discussion -> Undoing Racism Workshop -> What to expect from the Workshop
Post Info TOPIC: What to expect from the Workshop
SandyB


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What to expect from the Workshop
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Posted by Pamela J. Thompson on March 19, 2004 at 07:18:41:

Hello All,

Sandy asked me to post what I had written to the NAME (National Association of Multicultural Education) list serve following my participation in the Undoing Racism Workshop the end of
Feb '04. so here it is - cut and pasted! I would change only one thing to my original writing - that is that I would encourage anyone, and especially those involved with education to attend.
Peace to all! Pamela

Last weekend I attended an Undoing Racism Workshop offered by the People's Institute at Fordham University, NYC and highly recommend it for everyone. I have attended several workshops dealing with racism in the past but none previously that gave so clear a historical explanation of the purposeful, intentional creation of the construct of race and white in this country, and how this construct maintains the center of power today. This workshop was challenging and disturbing, in a productive approach, to me as a white woman for it asked me to look deeply at what it means to be white in our society; to answer some questions we as ëwhitesí never are expected nor think to ask about ourselves. Questions such as: From where did the definition of white come? And why was it created? Who benefited? Who still benefits and how? How and why has that definition been changed over the years? What does ëwhiteí mean in this country. What is white culture? How was the term ëraceí promoted? And why? A clear connection was made between racism and poverty. This workshop defined racism as a social construct designed to advance some at the expense of others; a construct, which remains ingrained within most of our social institutions today, keeping poor people poor, while enhancing the wealth of others, and using those in the middle as maintainers of the status quo. We all end up losers!

The following, from a flyer promoting the Undoing Racism Workshop, sums up the goals of the workshop well: ìThe Peopleís Institute moves beyond a focus on the symptoms of racism to an understanding of what it is, where it comes from, how it functions, why it persists and how it can be undone. The workshopís systemic approach stresses learning from history, developing leadership, maintaining accountability to communities, creating networks, undoing internalized oppression, and understanding the role of organizational gatekeeping in perpetuating racism.î

This workshop is well worth taking the time to attend and I encourage anyone involved in diversity and multicultural education to attend!

For more information go to www.antiracistalliance.com or call 212-957-5305.


-- Edited by SandyB at 23:35, 2005-01-06

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Anonymous

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The Undoing Racism workshop I attended in October 2004 was an extremely valuable experience for me.  I'm now part of the Anti-racist Alliance in New York City, a community of folks passionate about undoing racism in the US.  As a "diversity trainer" I'm clear that this training experience goes far beyond that arena of INDIVIDUAL considerations of tolerance, appreciation, inclusion, and elevates the conversation to analyze the underlying power structures that keep racism in place. I've been encouraging other consultants in my circle to experience the workshop for their own professional and personal development.

Hafeezah
Chief Connecting Officer
A CIRCLE OF SISTERS
Mt.Vernon, New York 10550
hafeezah@hotmail.com

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Bob Rosengard


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Sandy asked me to post with regard to my experience of comfort and acceptance at the workshop.


Although I have participated in anti racist campaigns since the early Sixties I am still dismayed by occasional thoughts that I have that make me see the extent to which I sometimes buy into racist sterotypes.  I compare myself to the schizophrenic patient who told a conference I was participating in, " Since I've been taking my medication, I still hear the voices.  I just don't pay any attention to them."  Nevertheless, when I find myself having racist thoughts, although I know not to take them seriously, I  experience guilt and a tremendous sense of loss that I am cutting myself from another person's humanity, as well as, in a sense, my own.


As the recent Undoing Racism training approached, I was very worried that these guilt feelings would be intensified and I'd come out of the workshop feeling downhearted.


Instead,the deeper understanding of the systemic aspects of racism gave me a great feeling of relief. I left feeling energized and eager to become spread the "Undoing Racism" perspective to others. My sense is that, as long as I hold onto that perspective and act on it, I am now part of a community committed to realizing some of the most important values that I my parents instilled in me.


I'm very grateful to the trainers and participants, and especially to Bob Schachter who kept after me for at least a year to attend the training.


 



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Anonymous

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We protest white genocide!

Africa for the Africans,Asia for the Asians,white countries for EVERYBODY!

Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.

The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.

Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to assimilate, i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.

What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?

How long would it take anyone to realize Im not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?

And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldnt object to this?

But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.

They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.

Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.



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