Fatigued!

Antiracist_Jubilee_Symposia (Celebrate..Educate..Cultivate)

Friday Evening, December 4, 2020

7:00 PM-8:15 PM

Agenda Timeline

Welcome  Zoi

 (Welcome a attendees) (Zoi, Ivy, Paul)

7:05- 7:10   Share  focus for our meeting.

 “Anti-Racist Jubilee Symposia” “Celebrate..Educate..Cultivate”  

 We have intentionally adopted the word “antiracist” in our vision statement. For us, Anti Racism requires an understanding how years of federal, state, and local policies have placed communities of color at risk and in crisis. It is a “call to action” that demands that we decry such policies as “racist.” We also believe Antiracism is about recognizing one’s own position in a racist society, and locates the roots of problems in power and policies that privilege one group of people over others. The adoption of the word “antiracist” in our vision statement signals our intention to identify and fight against racist practices and policies in order to achieve a more egalitarian society. 

Our Objectives/Purposes

Anti-Racist Jubilee Symposia Series “Celebrate..Educate..Cultivate”  (Monthly)

• Celebrate: In spite of our circumstances, we can celebrate with our families/friends, culture, music, food, history etc.
• Educate: For those who join us on Juneteenth or at any other time, it’ll be those moments where various anti-racist conversation will take place, inclusive of  scenarios, personal stories, vocabulary, guest speakers, trainings, workshops. It’ll be a space for genuineness without criticism.  Each member and guest will always have opportunities for self-reflection, for the purpose of personal growth. We will endeavor to educate with the purpose of unity.
• Cultivate: We will endeavor to build an ongoing discussion with Allies and others for the purpose of breaking down racist barriers…right where we are. 

• –(Evelyn) 
• –.Our group organized on June 19. Since that time, we’ve hosted 4 meetings, with tonight being our fifth. In previous meetings, we’ve focused on a variety of vocabulary related to racism, antiracism, we discussed and interacted in self-reflective scenarios and how we could intervene in situations and support those being abused in racist situations. We held a virtual vigil for Jacob Blake and recognized many others who have been killed at the hands of law enforcement. We said their names. This is a very brief compilation of our events and actions, so far. 
• –Part of our organizational structure is definitely creating space for discussions that will guide us from Racism to Antiracism, as we celebrate our victories, continue self-educatimg and cultivating relationships and partnerships with others. 
• –Racist: According to Ibram X Kendi, “ One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions of inaction or expressing a racist idea.” 
• –Antiracist: According to Ibram X Kendi, “ One who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing and antiracist idea.”

1. A.(Part 1)Fatigue in African-American Communities

• –“What Now?” What’s Next?”
• –B.(Part 2) ”Black Americans got Biden elected. We need him to advocate for us.
• –(“What Now? —What’s Next?”

Paul, Ivy and Zoi, will introduce part one of our symposia, with a Reader’s Theater Presentation. 

7:10-7:30 (Ivy, Paul,Zoi,)  Reader’s Theater and then Breakout Rooms. All discussion points are ready.

Reader’s Theater Format to Introduce this section.

Breakout Rooms will be assigned, to continue the discussion of “Black Fatigue, after the Reader’s Theater Presentation.

• (Paul)“I look around and don’t see anybody who looks like me in top leadership positions. I have worked really hard, get excellent reviews, and continue to be given one excuse or another as to why I was not promoted.
• (Ivy)“I am invisible here. I feel like people avoid me because they don’t know what to say to the only Black person in the department.”
• (Zoi)“I am always on guard. I don’t feel I can trust my coworkers with my authentic truths and I feel like they somehow see me as a threat.”
• (Paul“When I did say something about somebody calling me by a nickname that I did not give them permission to use, I was accused of being too sensitive, so I just grin and bear it now because I do need this job.” 
• (Ivy)“There is no such thing as being ‘casual’ if you are Black—being considered in any way non-professional. I don’t dress or talk or look in any way that might give them a reason to see me as anything but what they consider professional.  It is exhausting.”
• (Zoi)“All of this rhetoric about bring your whole self to work—inclusive culture—creating a sense of belonging. I can tell you as one Black person, I would not think of bringing my whole self to work. I don’t even know if they would want that, and as far as a sense of belonging, not even close. I definitely feel like an outsider, sometimes an outcast.” 
• (Paul)“Discussions about race? Are you kidding me? Until the George Floyd incident, nobody would talk about race. If you brought it up, there was a palpable awkwardness and very quickly the subject got changed.”
• (Ivy)The quotes for this Reader’s Theater Presentation are real. They are from the renowned writer,Mary Frances-Winters, and her new book, “Black Fatigue  How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit.” 
• (Zoi)At this time, we invite you to join us in various breakout rooms so that we may dive deeper into discussing this topic, “Black Fatigue.”

Discussion Points for “Black Fatigue”

Paul, Ivy, Zoi, please share these descriptors, before  your discussion points. Before we begin our discussion points, let’s identify “Black Fatigue, according to Mary Frances Winters, in her book, Black Fatigue, How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit.” She state,

1. A. “The fatigue that comes from the pain and anguish of living with racism every single day of your life.
2. B.The constant fatigue of not knowing whether you or a loved one will come home alive.
3. C.Being Fatigued by those who are surprised and express outrage (with no action) that such inequities still exist.
4. D.The fear, frustration, anger and rage that is part of many Black people’s daily lives.
5. E.Enduring the ravages of Intergenerational racism.”

• Repeated experiences, like the ones in our Reader’s Theater Presentation  lead to Black fatigue, which can manifest as physiological and psychological health issues. “How can you, as an Ally,acknowledge the emotional toll of racism, whether in the form of implicit bias, microaggressions, or overt racism. 
• Before you embark on conversations about race, assess your readiness. If you identify as white, do you even know enough about Black people’s different lived experiences? Do you know enough about yourself and your worldview toward race?Do you subscribe to the “colorblind” ideology? Do you have meaningful cross-racial relationships?

• Can You  empathize if you do not know anything about the person or group with whom you wish to offer empathy. Elaborate on your response.
• Empathy takes work.  What do you think the results will be when one is able to be empathetic? When you can empathize, you will be more likely to take action. What kinds of actions could one take to help alleviate “Black Fatigue?” What are you motivated to do, now that you have this information?

• Is sympathy an effective action for an Ally in understanding Black Fatigue? Why or Why Not? Possible response…..It often leads to pity and patronization.

• “Its just as important to talk about “Black Fatigue” as it is to talk about White Fragility.  Share your perspectives on that comment.

• With the discussion we’ve had so far, do you think that Black people should help you further understand Black Fatigue?   
• What will you do now? What will be next for you, after discussing this information on Black Fatigue.  Response: Do your own learning, not expecting BIPOC to be your teacher, as it can compound the emotional toll.

7:30-7:40 Debrief as a large group. 

Ivy will lead the discussion.

7:40-8:00 Large Group Interactive Discussion 

• “Black Americans got Biden elected. We need him to advocate for us.
• (“What Now? —What’s Next?”

Evelyn will lead this section and the team will have an opportunity to respond to last minute questions, from the chat box.

8:00-8:15  Recognition of first time attendees. Thank everyone for attending. Our next meeting will be in 2021. We’ll inform you of our focus, in early January.

8:15  Adjourn

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