On March 17, 2015 Standing on the Side of Love hosted a webinar on Black Lives Matter with Kenny Wiley and Jova Lynne. Over 200 people attended, and many great resources and questions were raised. Check out a recording of the webinar here, and read below for resources lifted up during the webinar and a number questions to ask ourselves and each other to keep the conversation going.
Resources: Click on each link below to access the resources!
Black and Pink: Prison Abolition Now
Californians for Justice and Safety
Catalyst Project, Great Anti-Racism Resources targeting, but not exclusively, for white people
DRUUMM: Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries
ARE: UU Allies for Racial Equality
Kairos Center and Poverty Initiative: The Center for Religion, Rights and Social Justice
Learning to be White, by Thandeka
Showing Up For Racial Justice - White folks organizing other White folks.
The Case For Reparations: By Ta-Nehishi Coates
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, Edited by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua
Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Available at the UUA Bookstore!
These great questions were raised during the Black Lives Matter Webinar, and we encourage you to consider these questions in your own anti-racism organizing. You might also use as a starting point during anti-racism work at your congregation or spiritual community.
Q: How can we confront white privilege from a place of love that will motivate people to re-examine their unconscious bias?
Q: What have you found to be the best way to engage people who have, for whatever reason, remained on the sidelines?
Q: What is overall goal that makes this a movement, rather than a set of values?
Q: How we break the cycle that Ms Alexander talks to: “We have witnessed an evolution in the United States from a racial caste system based entirely on exploitation (slavery), to one based largely on subordination (Jim Crow), to one defined by marginalization (mass incarceration)”, from The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Ms Alexander’s presentation to 2012 UU GA can be viewed here. An organizing guide for Building a Movement to to End the New Jim Crow by Daniel Hunter can be found here.
Q: Why have we seen such push back from White UU's regarding the #BLM movement? What have you been telling UU's that question #BLM's place in our faith?
Q: Do you see coalitions developing at a national level that will raise all the local, small-group organizing that is happening now, raise it to the next level?
Q: How can UU congregations & UU's confront White Supremacy?
Q: How can UU's who want to connect around #BLM sync up?
Q: Do you think the #BLM movement should be part of spiritual life of all UU's? If yes, how is choice reconciled with that fact? If no - why not?
Q: What is the most effective way for middle-aged white UUs to engage and energize others? I want to be an effective ally and help others to be effective as allies …
Q: Would like to hear a bit more about spiritual practices that seem to be the most effective in keeping you renewed and with an open heart.
Q: Can you speak to reasons for and against trying to have white congregations engage with people who are in black churches, doing one on ones, joint projects etc?
Q; Here in southern California with so many latin american immigrants we see the need for brownlivesmatter. Will you talk about connections with blacklivesmatter?
Q: We hear a lot in our community about mentors are needed. Can white folks be effective mentors to youth of color?
What are next steps we can do to move forward together?
Engage. Engage. Engage.
If you engage on this issue with a black congregation, let them take the lead.
We need more relationships and opportunities for relationship as opposed to toolkits.
Changing the dominant narrative in these areas:
education
housing
gentrification
museum spaces
This question answered itself in the chat box:
Question: How can white people interrupt group dynamics where we observe other white people taking up too much space without in turn taking up too much space ourselves?
Responses:
-As an auditor at first; don’t jump in with your suggestions
-Take it off-line with them- pull the person aside. I would just tap the person on the shoulder and ask to step away. Throw the focus to a PoC.
-Be direct but understanding
-Speak to them alone - away from the group
-Relate to a time when you may have made that mistake
-FEAR is the point of breakthrough