We start the new year off considering how these concepts reinforce and complement each other to benefit some at the expense of others. Without blame or shame, we will unpack each of these notions within the context of internalized entitlement, and share experiences of how these have shown up in each of our lives.
In preparation for the discussion we are attaching two brief papers that explore these concepts:
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Please join us at the Second Tuesday Race Forum, held Tuesday December 10th at 7 PM at the Park Hill United Methodist Church at Montview Blvd and Glencoe St. in Denver. Entrance and accessibility information can be found at the bottom of this announcement.
What’s Race Got to Do with It?: A Racism Simulation
When talking about RACE the tendency is to view problems and issues from the point of view of the ideal self. Often there is a discrepancy between the racial system which we subscribe to and the racial system which we actually use; one based on a number of assumptions which are rarely made explicit or examined.
This month we will engage in some situational social simulations that will challenge us to put our assumptions on center focus, coherently articulate other points of view, even those directly in conflict with our own, and increase our empathy and understanding.
To make the most of this learning opportunity: please check out this short article from Teaching Tolerance: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2019/whats-my-complicity-talking-white-fragility-with-robin-diangelo
Please join us!
Accessing the Forum
Please remember to come into the church from the large parking lot on the north side of the church that is accessible off of Glencoe St, that is just east of the church. The door to the church you should use is the one that opens onto that parking lot. If you have passengers with mobility difficulties, you can pull up to that entrance and then park in the lot or on the street. We will be meeting downstairs in the cafeteria. Go down the stairs on the right inside the door, or go acorss the vestibule and take the elevator in the short hallway to the lower level.
Even though PHUMC is not now holding a family in sanctuary, security continues to be enhanced as we continue to be welcomed to use the building for our meetings. We can only enter the building from the parking lot where someone will be there to open the door for us. You may not be able to gain access if you are more than 45 minutes late.
Voting Rights/Voter Suppression
Our very own Harold and Claudia Fields went on a pilgrimage this summer to the southern states of the U.S. Among many adventures, they traced the history of voter suppression. This month, they will share a bit about what they learned and together we will draw parallels to what is occurring today.
Among many topics we will cover are: states negating voter’s rights acts, gerrymandering, propaganda convincing the citizenry that our votes don’t matter, lack of cohesion and therefore of communities to make a difference. Most importantly, we will consider how white supremacist ideology plays out in the elections today. We will consider possibilities and opportunities for change, such as the new law in Colorado granting parolees the right to vote.
Questions:
1. How does white supremacist ideology operate in the elections? Who gets left out?
2. Given this history, how important is it to vote? Does it matter? Why or why not?
3. What are opportunities for making a difference or for changing the system? What would it take to make voting matter?
When we are in survival mode, minor distractions can be a healthy coping mechanism. However, our culture has taught us, programmed us even, to go beyond distractions and incorporate some possibly addictive behaviors into our lives: social media, shopping, eating, etc. We are sold on the idea that they will “make us feel better,” yet they also serve distract us from the social, political, and economic challenges that are occurring in society. What kind of addictions do we see in the culture, and how have they seeped into our lives? How are social addictions racialized? How do they serve to benefit consumerism and our economic structure? This month, we invite you into some deep reflection on the ways in which social addictions may manifest in our lives and what we might do about them separately, and as a community, for true healing to become a possibility.
Sadly I did not post this topic until after the meeting. Besides the main topic above, Harold Fields gave us a brief overview of his tour to Civil Rights sites with Claudia, and we noted that many membes could not be with us as they were attending services for Yom Kippur.
What challenged you this summer? Moving from anger/despair to solidarity, transformation, and liberation
From a social justice standpoint, this has been a challenging summer on many fronts. For our kickoff to the 2019-2020 STRF year, we’d like to give you the opportunity to share how events have challenged or disturbed you, consider the impact on our health/wellbeing, and strategize actions we can take to move forward for healing, transformation, and liberation.
Accessing the Forum
Please remember to come into the church from the large parking lot on the north side of the church that is accessible off of Glencoe St, that is just east of the church. The door to the church you should use is the one that opens onto that parking lot. If you have passengers with mobility difficulties, you can pull up to that entrance and then park in the lot or on the street. We will be meeting downstairs in the Youth Lounge this month. Take the stairs to the right side just inside the door, or the elevator in the short hallway across from the entrance.