Hello All – As we move toward winter and prepare to enter a season that prompts pause and reflection on the year gone by, I am grateful for you
December 2022 Newsletter curated by Shelly Tochluk
Author of Witnessing Whiteness and Living in the Tension
Member of AWARE-LA
Hello All – As we move toward winter and prepare to enter a season that prompts pause and reflection on the year gone by, I am grateful for you, readers. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Your expressions of value for this newsletter keep me going.
Personally, the year 2022 has been one of the most difficult (physically) and productive (professionally) of my life. I am excited to share some of the fruits of that labor and also want to extend my well-wishes to anyone who continues to struggle in life, as many of us are in a “post-pandemic, yet not fully recovered” state that requires much healing and stress reduction.
I also want to acknowledge that this month’s newsletter does not focus on the most recent national traumas bred from antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ sentiment or how the US narrowly dodged serious bullets in the mid-term elections. None of the issues I typically amplify have been resolved, of course, and so the upcoming year will assuredly require continued attention in those directions. That said, if you missed Rachel Maddow’s November 28th explanation of why the former President meeting with Nick Fuentes is such a big deal, please watch this 8-minute recap. It surprised even me.
When I agreed to write the Third Edition of Witnessing Whiteness in 2021, I understood the implication – the workshop series curriculum aligned with the book would also need revision. What I failed to anticipate was the need to completely restructure it. Gratefully, I received support from a group of dedicated individuals who helped shape the new version.
The new series is finally ready for full use and sharing! This Landing File contains links to everything: an overview of the series, facilitator prep resources, participant resources, session agendas, handouts, etc. Please check it out. The final version will be available in a few days on the Witnessing Whiteness Workshop Series page.
If you find yourself thinking that this is equivalent to another book, you're right! There is more guidance for facilitators in this new edition. And the workshops themselves are completely new and have a completely revamped structure. They are right for the time we are in today. I hope these FREE resources allow people to continue supporting groups to do the deep inquiry work necessary to be more effective antiracist people. May it be so!
Registration Open
Spread the Word! Registration is now open for AWARE-LA’s workshop series on building white anti-racist practice and community in an intensive 4-day institute designed specifically for white people. I have been a co-producer and co-facilitator of this program for the past 15 years. This winter the program will take place over four consecutive Sundays, February 12th through March 5th via Zoom. Click here to learn more and to register. We are also pleased to announce that we now offer a sliding scale to reduce the chance that cost will limit people’s access.
Watch This Brilliance
Kimberly Latrice Jones on The Breakfast Club
When I first watched this 52-minute video interview of Kimberly Jones, it sent me through a range of emotions. I experienced the push and pull of reactivity, inspiration, and awe. The experience was so profoundly moving that I considered making it the only resource offered this month. Some moments early in the program challenged me, and yet what followed is so important that I consider it a lesson on the value of withholding judgment and staying open in the face of difficult information. Kimberly Latrice Jones’ brilliance blows my mind. Take time to witness her and allow her to inspire you as well.
The Sum Of Us Podcast – Suggesting Again
Do Not Miss This! The 10-part podcast by Heather McGhee is now fully available for binge listening anywhere you get your podcasts. It documents diverse people coming together across the nation in ways that create benefits for all. For anyone who found the book, The Sum Of Us, essential reading (like I did), this is what that theoretical/historical material looks like in action. Do yourself a favor and listen to each episode. Each is astounding, and then it all comes together in the end with a lovely testament that brought a lump to my throat. This is the salve needed to regain a sense of hope and start the next year with renewed energy.
Protecting the Water Rights of Indigenous People
Just last week the US celebrated a holiday that ignores the violent history and ongoing plight of indigenous communities nationwide. Read this article to learn the history and politics of how water rights have affected indigenous communities and supportive actions you can take.
How Redistricting Shaped the Midterms
If you’re anything like me, you know redistricting is an important issue. And then in the throes of an election, while the focus is on percentages and numbers and as results come in, we can forget the systemic forces shaping the outcomes. Although both parties participate in manipulative tinkering with district composition, we need to be reminded that that our perceptions of how much of our country’s populace actually supports certain ideas or policies can get muddied amidst the gerrymandered results.
Read this article for an analysis of how redistricting shaped the 2022 midterms.
Excerpt:Redistricting probably did give Republicans control of the House. After a shockingly disappointing election night, Republicans will have a razor-thin majority of no more than five seats (and maybe as small as four). A margin that small means that the GOP could not have reclaimed control without their redistricting advantage. Republicans drew several red districts in states where they controlled the redistricting process: one each in Tennessee, Texas and Georgia, and three in Florida. Without them there would be no GOP majority.
Gearing Up for Family Time
As we ready ourselves for extended family time during the holiday season, if you are looking for accessible resources on how to talk about race and racial identity, consider exploring this info from the Smithsonian in conjunction with the National Museum of African American History and Culture: Start on this landing page: Talking About Race | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)
AWARE’s monthly Sunday Dialogue (SD) occurs on the 3rd Sunday of every month, 3-5PM Pacific via the Zoom online platform. We focus on connecting, sharing, and learning from one another. If you'd like to join us to receive monthly invitations, please subscribe here: Sunday Dialogues Interest List Sign Up
