Brief Report Back Wednesday zoom "What Will White Womyn Do To End Racism?"

 We all shared our recent most challenging aspect re:our anti-racism work and the most success we've had challenging racism/on our anti-racism journey. 

Most white womyn on this zoom live in very rural areas that are also all or predominantly white. Because of the lack of Black and brown people, overt racism is difficult for most to identify. Yet racism flourishes and is carefully taught in all white towns. 

Wearing "Black Lives Matter" t-shirt and responding to white family members; the church sacred circle study group and the Equal Justice Initiative https://eji.org/ - the opportunities to introduce, reflect, strategize re:racism - what it means for us, what to do. 

Challenging ThanksTaking with family members, educating re:lies and myths of ThanksTaking - Indigenous People's day of mourning.

Again we discussed and role played the vinegar vs honey & capturing flies approaches. 

"Yes I hear you" beginning, then continuing with challenge/dialogue if possible.

We talked about the myriad of ways white people have to shut down the conversation of racism, let alone the actions to smash racism. 

Dis/advantages of presenting "for" and "against". Discussing gentle approach and excuse not to hear. "Tell me more" to keep conversation going.

It is not our "approach" that shuts white people down by centuries of careful training - and we've only had months to decades of careful opposition training. The important thing is to keep chipping away - not to allow the conversation to be shut down. "I used to think that way..."

We also talked about "Your Silence Will Not Protect You" but not true - when white womyn remain silent, we are protected. But it is a false sense of protection, complicit with racism, misogyny war - and the cost we are willing - ot not - to pay for this 'protection'.

The flag, military, service and the connections to nationalism - service to white domination, white corporate profit, exploiting patriotic feelings - the lies and myths of those things.

Recommended readings/podcasts/documentaries:

"Dispatches From Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta" by Richard Grant

"Empathy for Black People in America" Dr. Joy Degruy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yayOUiQFkOY