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Pre-Work For Participants

Opening Community Circle (10 minutes)

  • What is one thing you have still been thinking about/ grappling with since our last session? (no interruptions)

Community Agreements (10 minutes)

  • Review the agreements. Which were helpful to you in the last session? What will you need to commit to today? Is there anything we want to add?

Discussion: RTWT Protocol (40 minutes)

  • When we last met, we looked at the 4 I’s of oppression. We are going to zoom in specifically on racism throughout these sessions. We know that racism exists across the 4 I’s: ideology, institutional, interpersonal (relationships staff, parents, students, admin), and gets internalized.
  • What does the Moving Walkway quote make you think?
  • What does oppression in each of these categories look like vs its antidote - anti-racism look like across the 4 I’s in the school system? Go through each I and brainstorm. Have a note-taker.
  • What does this oppression in each of these categories look like vs its antidote/anti-racism look like specifically in my classroom and my school? Go through each I and brainstorm.

Key Takeaways

  • There is no such thing as “not racist”, we have all been socialized in a system founded on racism and hierarchies.’ We often participate without realizing, in institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism and oppression.
  • We often categorize people as good or bad, racist or not racist, etc. We all are complicit and must engage in deep reflection to understand our role in perpetuating inequities.
  • We must revisit ideology that our schools and beliefs are based on to ensure they are not rooted in deficit- based (blaming the oppressed for their oppression) or white saviorism, and that they focus on changing the system, not fixing children or people or teaching them how to play the game in an unjust world.
  • Anti-racism is an active stance that requires daily reflection, questioning, learning and change.
  • We must interrogate everything we do individually and as a system to uncover the injustices it has been creating and what changes need to be made.
  • We are individuals but also a part of a system with many spheres of influence, we must commit to action in all 4 I’s.

Reflection: Journal (7 minutes)

  • What is something you are learning that is challenging your thinking or beliefs? Affirming your thinking/beliefs?
  • What is one action I/we can commit to doing after this session to work toward BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Liberation?
  • What is one action I/we can commit to stop doing after this session to work toward BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Liberation?

Closing Community Circle (10 minutes)

Pick one of these to share as you go around the circle.

Next Section

Session 3: Introduction to a Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education

We will use this session to learn about the specifics of CRSE.

Read More