Society & Culture, UU Church Today, Uncategorized

Committing To Break Down Racism




All Souls Church hosted a World Cafe on Race on Thursday, November 10, 2016. The World Cafe format allowed for structured conversations intended to facilitate open discussion and link ideas among a large group of people, accessing their collective intelligence.

NEW REWIRE Groups forming in 2020 on Zoom 
2nd Wednesdays | noon & 7 p.m. | Email bprose@allsoulschurch.org
REWIRE is a racial identity group for white people to unlearn racism. Participants explore racial identity formation and learn how to be effective allies for racial justice.  Meets monthly for 10 sessions. $40 All Souls members for materials (scholarships available), $75 non-members. Class size is limited.

READ: Collective Intellegence from World Cafe on Race

We’ll let you do the math as to the timing but simply every seat being taken (and a waiting list) was a glimpse into the dedication of Tulsans and All Souls members who are ready and willing to do the work necessary to break down racial barriers, white supremacy, and systemic racism. And, they are willing to do it on an individual, and very personal, level.

The World Cafe on Race was a follow up to What Are White People To Do? A Forum on Racism and Being Part of the Solution which was held on October 6. “The forum inspired people to want to do more. People are eager to engage and asked us what the next steps would be. We thought a World Café approach would help us go deeper into the conversation about race in Tulsa today,” said Executive Director of Ministry Rev. Barbara Prose.

And the conversation did get deep. Deep in listening, love, disagreements, experiences, understanding, and respect.

At the close of the event, facilitator Chad Johnson asked participants to write down their commitment to actively be a part of the solution to racism.

With all of the collective intelligence from the evening, we thought we would start there. Below you’ll find the commitments of people who took a seat at the table on November 10. We encourage our readers to review this list, and see where you can commit to breaking down racism on an individual level as well.

  • Open my heart to listen
  • Make an inventory of personal implicit biases
  • Show up
  • Enroll in Rewire
  • Read one article from Shelly Tochluk’s blog, Witnessing Whiteness, each month
  • Intentionally experience diversity
  • Attend SIETAR events (Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research)
  • Change/confront racism where I see it in my world
  • I commit to continue
  • Be more aware and emotionally motivated
  • Stand up for my brothers and sisters
  • Listen, listen and listen
  • Confront racism and bigotry when I see it
  • I will do the work
  • Direct action with all (indigenous, Latino, POC) by speaking, talking, calls to senators/ congressmen
  • Learn more about the Tulsa Race Riot Massacre
  • Speak to other white people about racism
  • Speak up
  • Speak out even when it is risky and I am scared
  • Look into myself for biases I am not aware of
  • Feel in my heart not just from an intellectual approach
  • Don’t say “I can’t talk to you if you’re mad or emotional”
  • Slow down and notice moments
  • Lead with my heart and speak up
  • Stopping every violent/racist word I hear
  • Slow down and listen
  • Continue to listen and learn
  • Stand up for my friends by speaking up
  • Continue to do this work
  • Show up more beyond the intentional safe spaces
  • Be more actively involved
  • Listen, remember, feel, act and gently speak my truth
  • Take the Harvard Implicit Bias test: Project Implicit
  • Examine my bias and do the work on myself to better my relationships
  • Continue to address my biases and to continue to go to meetings and reach out
  • Visit the reconciliation center and increase my knowledge and do the soul searching that goes with it
  • Stay at the table and engaging those different than me
  • Speak with others and line up my actions accordingly
  • Speak up when I hear racist or discriminatory comments
  • Get to know and spend genuine time with my black and POC different friends
  • Show love and understanding
  • Talking, sharing, getting to know people of color in hopes of being known by them
  • Do my own work
  • img_3974Move beyond learning and understanding my privilege and take action to make a difference
  • Risk myself, my comfort, and my reputation in the work of confronting racism and dismantling white supremacy.
  • Never stop fighting
  • Teach and educate people about the Tulsa Race Riot Massacre in 1921.
  • Quit stereo-typical thinking about black people
  • Always work for justice
  • Visit John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation/Park and Greenwood Cultural Center
  • Lean into my discomfort and risk to speak out
  • Stand and speak up with courage
  • Feel and explore my pain and shame around my white privilege
  • Learning and being active starting this week with “Black Lives Matter” rally
  • Speak up for myself and others
  • Deeper conversations with everyone
  • Be explicit with our children
  • Witnessing and shining a light
  • Feel more, be less rational and more emotional
  • Speak out against racism
  • Take risks in conversations, listen, learn and feel
  • Talk with my people (white people) about the real life impacts of racism today
  • Call out racism when confronted with it
  • Stand up for POC, LGBTQ, disabled all “other” people when they are or are not in the room
  • Not be silent when I observe racism
  • Interrupting and risking in the face of racial comments
  • Stopping conversations, stepping in when needed and stand together
  • Listening, reading and connecting with people of color

2 Comments

  1. Collective Intelligence from the World Cafe on Race - BeyondBelief

    […] READ: Commitments to Break Down Racism […]

  2. Book selections from What are White People to Do? - BeyondBelief

    […] What are White People to Do? Combating Racism in the Era of COVID-19 is a continuation of All Souls mission to create a multicultural, genuinely diverse community to help us create a world we hope it will one day become. Read from the collective conscience of our World Cafe on Race & past events for white people to commit to break down racism. […]

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