Cultivating Care

Our Purpose:

In the spirit of collective, interconnected liberation, the intention of Cultivating Care: A Space for White Allies/Accomplices/Co-conspirators to Disrupt White Supremacy is to actively build anti-racist culture by understanding and dismantling white supremacy as it exists in ourselves and our culture. While we are clear that we must also work in relationship with BIPOC to create new systems where all people are valued and thriving, this group is for being in compassionate relationship with each other to address our whiteness. This container is for white folks, wherever we are on our racial justice journey, to have courageous, vulnerable conversations that foster belonging, healing, calling in and showing up.

We do this by:

• normalizing and encouraging talking about whiteness, race and racism
• uncovering the ways that we - and our ancestors - have been impacted by whiteness and racism
• deepening our understanding of our role in dismantling white supremacy as it exists within ourselves and our culture
• understanding that systems of white supremacy harm all of us, regardless of race
• offering a place for us to speak about our pain
• finding ways to condition our nervous systems as we stay engaged in the work
• being in a continual learning (and unlearning) process in community
• looking for ways to sustain our commitment to a more just and equitable world without shame, hierarchy or supremacy
• practicing grace with ourselves and others as we make mistakes
• supporting and holding each other accountable rather than being critical, tearing one another down, or canceling one another
• building a network to keep us accountable and in the work for the long-haul
• uplifting BIPOC leadership that is and has always been an unacknowledged force at the frontlines of social justice work
• finding which action role(s) we each have in the larger movement for justice
• practicing embodied ways to balance action, healing and rest
• creating new culture of care and togetherness

Who This Space Is For / Not For

This space is for:

• White people who are new to anti-racism work and want a place to begin learning responsibly
• White people who have been engaged in this work and want to continue deepening their practice
• People who are willing to be challenged, reflect on their impact, and take accountability for harm
• Participants who understand that this space is about learning, not perfection
• People who understand this is ongoing work, not a one-time learning experience

This space is not for:

• People looking for validation, absolution, or reassurance that they are “one of the good ones”
• Participants who are unwilling to examine their own assumptions, behaviors, or complicity in systems of harm
• Debating the existence of racism or anti-Blackness
• Centering white comfort, fragility, or defensiveness
• Those seeking a debate, intellectual exercise, or platform to center their feelings over lived experiences of harm
• Expecting Black and BIPOC participants to educate, explain, or hold emotional labor for others

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