Raising our collective consciousness one group at a time
We are people who desire to grapple with our own implicit bias, uninformed ideas, and unconscious attitudes. Together, we confront and educate ourselves with openness, honesty, and humility.
What are Consciousness Raising Groups?
We are groups who are passionate about eradicating racism from our actions and thoughts. We educate ourselves in small, all-white, group settings so we can explore all the ways we are complicit in racism without realizing it.
Why all-white groups?
We are deliberately creating all-white groups because:
People of color are exhausted trying to educate white people about racism.
People of color often get hurt in conversations about racism with white people.
White people need to do their own work educating themselves. We use resources from current thought-leaders and experts.
White people can utilize their own space to explore their biases, blind spots, and microaggressions.
Have You Ever.....
...been in a social situation where a racist joke is shared and you want to say something but don’t?
... participated in a meeting and watched your Black colleague be talked over, brushed off, or not taken seriously?
... had your friends talk down about other races like it’s a shared understanding?
We have learned that silence is violence and that to do nothing about racism is to be complicit in it. Therefore we seek to be “anti-racist”, to take action and be protagonists in this movement to eradicate racism.
What do we hope to accomplish?
Through our learnings, we hope to interrupt racism in our own lives. We hope to break with “white solidarity” in our own circles. We hope to recognize our white privilege and deepen our commitment to people of color in our communities and workplaces.
We are not experts!
But we learn from thought leaders and teachers who are:
Understanding post-traumatic slave syndrome
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
Unpacking our whiteness
Becoming "anti-racist"
Treating racialized trauma
Implicit bias
Discrimination experiment
Moving from silence to discourse
Our mission
Our mission in developing these consciousness-raising groups is to educate ourselves and other white people, to share what we are learning, and to become effective protagonists in the fight to end racism in America. Our groups are designed to be duplicated so we offer a training module for those who seek to become facilitators of their own groups.
Testimonials
"Before, I only talked about race with my trusted friends. Now, after going through the Consciousness-Raising Group, I am more comfortable talking about racism, privilege, and my implicit biases in broader spheres. I think the most meaningful impact of being in this group was unhooking the white guilt and the shame. Most importantly I now have the tools to disrupt racism when I hear, see it and feel it! I have learned how to be a better ally. "
AMANDA, California
"The sessions in our Consciousness-Raising Group always inspired me to dig a little deeper. While always thought-provoking and inspirational, I can't say it was easy work! But it was GOOD work, transformational work. From the course materials to the group discussions, I always felt safe to share my perspectives, and left wiser and more empowered to make a difference in this world."
TREVOR, California
"Having just completed the Consciousness-Raising Group on Racism, I am encouraged and empowered to do my part to work towards eliminating racism. I have learned so much. The group provided me a wealth of knowledge and materials to turnkey the program and keep the work going. Our facilitators created a safe space where we could learn and grow and work through our own biases. They bring a wealth of knowledge and a sensitivity to the topic. This experience was well worth my time. I highly recommend it. "
MERYL, New York
How does it work?
Our groups are a public service and are free of charge. The groups consist of 7 weekly sessions and are kept fairly small, 8-10 people at most. The groups are all on Zoom and are facilitated by someone who has been through a group. Our facilitators are co-learners, not experts. Our participants are from all over the country.
We use the arts to envision how we will begin to take action:
Vision boards made after a group session
We invite you to be protagonists and explore a question together:
What can I do after this?
What comes next?
The answers are as creative and exciting as we choose them to be. We don’t want this to be a one and done experience. In our groups, we help you start to explore and carve out your own path to becoming anti-racist. We are hoping this group will be a beginning for you to go forward in the path of racial justice and the promulgation of humanity's oneness.