After a hiatus that was much longer than I anticipated, I am hopefully back in the swing of things with an episode about the general malaise that many involved in diversity efforts, social justice or anti-oppression work appear to be experiencing. It was hard not to get caught up in the momentum of what seemed like a pivotal moment for permanent change after thousands took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd. Time will only tell what the sustained
progress has been. There are so many ways that one might measure such progress.
The protests seemed diverse with people of different ethnicities throughout the world taking a stand in support of US protestors. Still,
those who have kept up the work seem to share a concern that in many ways, it’s back to business as usual because people are exhausted. There as so many things competing for our attention: Financial issues, unemployment, a war in the Ukraine.
So, I propose that we slow down to explore how we can continue to keep our focus on anti-oppression in a way that sustains action without being, well, oppressive.
Some highlights:
· Learning about oppression is a real downer. It isn’t always energizing and can result in feelings of guilt, shame or defensiveness.
· Figuring out the right course of action isn’t always so simple if you’re exhausted, not terribly inspired to help “others” with a problem that’s “over there” and distant from immediate and personal concerns.
· Oppression is often internalized and ubiquitous so it’s hard to recognize when we’re not perpetuating oppressive forces.
· Slowing down can help build presence and help us shift from autopilot.
· How to do anti-oppression work with humility without feeling like a wimp.
Interactive Workshops
My workshops are designed to be interactive with time in between sessions for participants to integrate their learning. You may participate anonymously
and/or submit your questions ahead of time to incorporate your concerns or interests into the workshop. They are compassionately priced so you can attend as many or as few sessions as you would like in a series. Here’s where you can find my current workshops where you can continue to do this work with
others who (are also tired), but wish to keep the momentum going:
http://bit.ly/3JPp0Y2
Where You Can Stay Involved
If you would like to hear more, be sure to subscribe to this podcast, if you haven’t already, so you don’t miss upcoming episodes and also join our
community so you can tune in and participate in live events.
You can learn more about restorative justice and decolonization by following me on social media on Instagram, on Facebook in an online supportive community for anti-oppression advocacy or on my website providing education, marketing and racial trauma training for individuals who wish to explore racial bias, reflect and seek guidance or support in these areas.
—
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keepingcompany/message
