regaining humanity
I spent the last two days at an Undoing Racism workshop. This may have been the most powerful experience I have had in my life in a very long time. Ever on this front. I don't plan to regurgitate information that learned there because I simply can't. I don't think I could relay anything that was presented to me with any impact whatsoever. It is all still sinking in. My mind is racing. New ideas were presented to me that sadly made total and utter sense to me. Maybe I would have felt better about myself if I could have found within me a valid reason to contradict these truths. I couldn't. I am still trying to debrief myself and "unpack" what I have learned. I can't do that and I have a feeling it will be several weeks before it really sets in.
Without a doubt the most impactful statement to me as a white person in America is that we need to regain our humanity. What does that mean? I'll let you know as soon as I figure out how that applies directly to me..............
At the end of the first day we were asked to think of our culture and what in our life has defined us as human beings. In the middle of the second day the group was called upon randomly. I tried to remain invisible but it didn't work. I was called upon to share how I defined myself. I shared my story of becoming pregnant at the age of 15 and falling into the grips of the welfare system and how it hung onto me for ten years before I was able to slowly unwrap its grasp upon me. I was so emotional. By far the most emotion I have ever shared with co-workers in the history of me working. It was so incredibly hard for me. Every person who shared was acknowledged by a round of applause and in the midst of that I saw my boss crying. That was so surreal to me. This person who I know nothing about personally was affected enough by my life story that she was brought to tears. I still don't know what to do with this new information. Very overwhelming to me.
Other concepts that were taught which stuck out to me:
reclaiming our humanity
the history of how humans became known as white
the concept that ever white American is racist
the concept that if you are not white you by definition can not be racist
racism is the result of lifting up one race (those that are considered white) to gain access, power, and privilege
Without a doubt the most impactful statement to me as a white person in America is that we need to regain our humanity. What does that mean? I'll let you know as soon as I figure out how that applies directly to me..............
At the end of the first day we were asked to think of our culture and what in our life has defined us as human beings. In the middle of the second day the group was called upon randomly. I tried to remain invisible but it didn't work. I was called upon to share how I defined myself. I shared my story of becoming pregnant at the age of 15 and falling into the grips of the welfare system and how it hung onto me for ten years before I was able to slowly unwrap its grasp upon me. I was so emotional. By far the most emotion I have ever shared with co-workers in the history of me working. It was so incredibly hard for me. Every person who shared was acknowledged by a round of applause and in the midst of that I saw my boss crying. That was so surreal to me. This person who I know nothing about personally was affected enough by my life story that she was brought to tears. I still don't know what to do with this new information. Very overwhelming to me.
Other concepts that were taught which stuck out to me:
reclaiming our humanity
the history of how humans became known as white
the concept that ever white American is racist
the concept that if you are not white you by definition can not be racist
racism is the result of lifting up one race (those that are considered white) to gain access, power, and privilege