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The Racial Healing Handbook Study Group

Event date: 
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm

4:30-6pm, Every other Wednesday, from July 8-November 11th on Zoom

This 10-session study group is designed for white people (ages 14 and up) who are new (or new-ish) to racial justice work and who want to explore their emerging understanding of systemic racial inequality and internalized white supremacy as the first step in moving towards becoming an active and helpful agent in the multi-racial fight to end white supremacy. This group is for you if: you were taught that talking about or acknowledging race was rude or wrong, if you are in struggle with your larger white family and community about race and racism and want tools to move forward, if you would like to be of use in the movement for Black lives but are nervous about causing harm, if you don't know how to talk to your children about race and racism, if you long for a community of white people who are invested in dismantling white supremacy but don't know anyone in your immediate circles, if you want to learn some basic do's and don'ts of organizing so that you can be a helpful agent of change in solidarity with BIPOC leaders in your workplace, neighborhood, schools, and faith communities. No matter where you are in your journey as a white person seeking to undo the racism and white supremacy you inherited, we welcome all people of good intent who want support in learning new ways to actively practice anti-racism each and every day of our lives. People of color are welcome to attend and participate if desired, however, the aim of this group is for white people to develop tools and skills to fight everyday systemic racism. We have chosen to construct this group in this way as the result of multi-racial conversations about the need for a place for white people to process their own racism and internalized racial superiority without burdening people of color with the processing of white people's feelings.

The group is centered around The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing written by Charis community friend Dr. Anneliese Singh. Each week we will collectively complete one chapter of the book and discuss it along with homework and action items for next steps. The group will meet every other week for ten sessions. We encourage you to do your best to commit now to all ten sessions and be rigorous in your assessment of your time and ability so that you can make an investment in this work, but if you have to miss one or two sessions, that is ok. The maximum capacity for this group is 100 people. The group will meet on zoom from 4:30-6pm beginning Wednesday, July 8th and continuing at that same time on the following dates 7/22, 8/5, 8/19, 9/2,9/16, 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11. Register Now.

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. The suggested donation per session is $10-20 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. The only absolute requirement for the group is that you must have access to the book The Racial Healing Handbook. If multiple people in a household are participating you should be able to share one book as we will provide supplementary worksheets. If the website currently says backordered please call 404-524-0304 to purchase your copy of the book. We do have copies in the store. 

The facilitators of this group are Sarah Meng and Errol "E.R" Anderson, who both identify as white.

Bio: Sarah E. Meng (she/her or they/them pronouns) is a licensed mental health therapist working in college counseling as well as private practice in Atlanta. Sarah’s research and writing on queer identities, resilience, and fat liberation have been published and presented in many journals, books, and professional conferences. Since 2006, Sarah has co-facilitated a free gender support group called Trans and Friends. Sarah is also on the board of Georgia Safe Schools Coalition. An Atlanta native, Sarah is committed to love, struggle, and liberation in the south.

Bio: Errol "E.R." Anderson (he/him or they/them pronouns) is the Executive Director of Charis Circle, the non-profit programming arm of Charis Books and More, the South's oldest independent feminist bookstore. Since 1998, E.R. has facilitated writing and discussion groups for gender and racial justice in adult and juvenile prisons, homeless shelters, group homes, churches and synagogues, assisted living facilities, universities, schoolyards, and even some barnyards. At Charis, E.R. facilitates two parenting groups which are always open to new members: The Race Conscious Parenting Collective and The Gender Creative Parenting Collective. For more information about either group, please visit www.charisbooksandmore.com. E.R. currently serves on the programming boards of the LGBT Institute at the Center for Civil and Human Rights, TRANSnetwork, Atlanta Magazine, and the Decatur Book Festival, and is a member of Project South and Southerners on New Ground.

Event address: 
online
The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing By Anneliese A. Singh, Tim Wise (Foreword by), Derald Wing Sue (Afterword by) Cover Image
By Anneliese A. Singh, Tim Wise (Foreword by), Derald Wing Sue (Afterword by)
$24.95
ISBN: 9781684032709
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: New Harbinger Publications - August 1st, 2019

Event Summary: 
The group is centered around studying The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing