Antiracism Work at One Spirit: Integrating Been in the Struggle
As part of our continuing and vital efforts to become an antiracist organization, One Spirit sponsored a free workshop exclusively for students and graduates of One Spirit’s programs on explorations of antiracist spirituality called: Been in the Struggle. Over 300 One Spirit students, graduates, and staff completed this 4-week course taught by professors Regina Shands Stoltzfus and Tobin Miller Shearer, who offered their knowledge, experiences, and guidance for our collective work in dismantling racism. This deep work left us all with the awareness that more was needed.
On Thursday, October 26, 2023, over sixty members of the One Spirit Community met for a series of World Cafe conversations, digging deep into inquiry around how to serve the work of antiracism as individuals, as an organization, and through our work in the world. It was the inaugural session of a monthly inquiry into Antiracist Spirituality at One Spirit, one that generated incredible verbal and visual insights.
Eager to know more? Below you can find a detailed recap of the integration session along with the powerful Harvest Graphic that emerged from the evening. In addition, we have included the challenges we surfaced, ways to stay engaged, and resources for continuing the work.
Event Recap: Using the World Cafe Method to Explore Antiracism & Antiracist Spirituality
The integration session was a powerful and authentic exploration of our individual experiences with Been in the Struggle, but also our personal journeys with the work of antiracism. Facilitators Rev. Dr. Salome Raheim, Rev. Dr. Sushmita Murkerjee, and Rev. Gordon Brode used the principles of the World Cafe Method to safely guide and ground participants in this vulnerable process. This method allowed participants to be introduced to the method, explore progressively exploratory questions in three small group discussions, and for everyone to share openly in a group harvest.
Below is a summary of each of the sections of the evening:
Introduction
Spiritual centering & brief check-in: “What was Been in the Struggle like for you?”
One Spirit CEO, Ilene Sameth welcomed the participants and announced a new free monthly series of community conversations on race to explore the Five Pillars of an Antiracist Spirituality as identified by Been in the Struggle faculty Regina and Tobin.
Introduction of the World Cafe process for the evening’s discussions
Explanation of Racial Affinity Groups: “If we are all One Spirit, why divide people?”
Affinity Groups provide people of color a place to work with peers to address the impact of racism, to work through internalized racism, and to create a space for healing and working for individual and collective liberation.
They also put the onus on white people to teach each other about white culture and white privilege rather than placing a burden on people of color to teach them.
Setting Community Agreements
The Questions
Participants broke out by racial affinity groups into a series of three 20-minute breakout sessions, each with a different question:
What is Anti-Racist Spirituality?
How might I reorient my journey to more fully integrate antiracism into my spiritual path?
In my experience of One Spirit, what am I noticing about our antiracist spirituality efforts, and what gifts can I bring to this work at One Spirit?
Between each breakout, each member typed the most important insights they gleaned from each conversation into the chat for cross-pollination of wisdom.
The Harvest
All participants reconvened for a 25-minute discussion in response to the following question: Based on your experience of being here today, what is awakening in us? What are we learning together? What is calling us as new possibilities …without needing to know how?
Here are a few responses:
“Anti-racist spirituality uses the energy of love and interconnection to fuel wise analysis of racist systems and structures AND take wise action to dismantle them and heal ourselves and others.”
“Critically think about the spiritual practices we follow and not blindly reproduce them. If we don't examine them, we can do harm by reproducing colonized, absolutist, rigid spiritualities.”
“Words make worlds. Decolonize your words.”
The Graphic Harvest
Throughout the course of the evening, Graphic Harvester Viola Clark had been creating a living document that encapsulated everything we learned together. She unveiled the work we all created together, a rich collage of aspirations, ideas, learning, and collaborative wisdom. Click here to download a full-size version!
Challenges We Surfaced
Throughout the evening, several challenges became apparent, particularly around Affinity Groups and Privacy, helping us to identify what we will need to do differently moving forward.
Affinity Groups for White and BIPOC Folks
The need for affinity groups became glaringly apparent during the Harvest session when a BIPOC participant shared her frustration that the BIPOC space was attended by a white person. We’ve inquired into how this happened, and we take responsibility: the white participant arrived late, missed the original presentation about affinity groups, and was asked by a technician, not about her “body designation” like the rest of us, but what she “identified” with and what she “related” to. She would have chosen the white affinity group if she had been asked the correct question and if a facilitator had been present for the decision.
We are grateful the BIPOC participant spoke up and trusted the community with some uncomfortable truths. This profound lesson can be found in Viola’s graphic harvest:
Be mindful of the privilege your skin color affords
you by honoring sacred BIPOC spaces.
While we regret the missteps that led to this unsettling experience, we celebrate the importance of speaking up, processing tensions, and learning together. Uncomfortable conversations are core to the work of Anti-Racism and Anti-Racist Spirituality.
Privacy and Sacredness of the Classroom & Breakout Rooms
It has come to our attention that several class members allowed others in their homes, off camera, to eavesdrop and/or listen in on the deeply personal sharing in the breakout sessions, and in one case offer feedback! While some public community events may welcome in-room guests (parties, info sessions, and workshop services come to mind):
For these deeply personal conversations, one person per device/screen. If others are within listening distance, wear headphones to protect the confidentiality of the conversations.
What We Will Do Differently Next Time
American physicist Frank Wilczek once said, "If you don't make mistakes, you're not working on hard enough problems." So kudos to all of us for working on the hard stuff! Part of our work together is to co-create an environment where it's okay to take risks and stumble as we grow together, to express our discomforts and needs to each other clearly, and ultimately to channel those conflicts into opportunities for deeper connection.
First, we are going to provide breakout groups a way to call in external facilitation when needed. We can’t predict everything that could happen, but we can be available when people need help.
Second, we need to do a better job of establishing a shared understanding of concepts of race and white privilege.
Third, we need to establish crystal clear participation guidelines that prohibit guests in these deeply personal conversations. If others are within listening distance, participants must wear headphones to protect the confidentiality of the conversations.
Ultimately, we need to build skills on how to transform interpersonal tensions into opportunities for greater connection and learning in future sessions.
All of these are in the works and we will report progress as we approach our next conversation session.
Stay Engaged! Continue the Work of Antiracism at One Spirit
Whether or not you were able to participate live in Been in the Struggle or the recent integration session, there are many ways to stay engaged in this work. One Spirit has several upcoming events, monthly affinity groups, and even workshops for you to join. Explore these offerings below:
Upcoming Events
Monthly Community Roundtable On Race
Facilitated by: Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee, Rev. Dr. Salome Raheim, Rev. Gordon Brode, and welcoming Rev. Nikki Happi to the team!
Continues December 11, 2023, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, ET
and then Monthly, 1st Thursday of Every Month, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, ET
Last Thursday was the inaugural session of a monthly inquiry into Antiracist Spirituality at One Spirit. Starting December 7th, we are going to host monthly community conversations on the Five Pillars of an Antiracist Spirituality, and then how we will pull it all together. LEARN MORE
Ministers Of Color Sacred Circle
Coordinated by: Rev. L. Jett Wilson, Rev. Salome Raheim,
Rev. Ali’a B. E., and Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee
Meets every 4th Friday of the month from 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET, Online
Open to One Spirit Graduates and Current Students of Seminary, Interspiritual Companioning & Counseling, and The Art of Dying programs who identify as melanated people. Our Virtual Gatherings are intended to spark ministerial inspiration and spiritual refreshment in students and graduates of any One Spirit certificate program. LEARN MORE
The Sacred Work Of Undoing Racism
Facilitated by: Rev. Dr. Salome Raheim
Sunday, February 25, 2024, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, ET
Explore the effects of racism on ourselves and others—individuals, families, communities, organizations, nations, and the earth. And engage in spiritual practices to support undoing racism and healing the harm it creates. LEARN MORE
Antiracism Resources
Regardless of how we choose to undertake this work, there are amazing resources available! Here are some that we have used and recommend:
Resmaa Menakem
Resmaa Menakem is a healer, New York Times best-selling author, trauma specialist, and anti-racist educator who has been working with Somatic Abolitionism, “an emergent process, and a form of maturation into a more integrated human experience. It is an embodied anti-racist practice of cultural building. It is a way of being in the world. It is a return to the age-old wisdom of human bodies respecting, honoring, and resonating with other human bodies.”
Undoing Racism®: People’s Institute for Survival And Beyond
Most of One Spirit’s staff has taken this course, the gold standard in supporting people to understand how racism dehumanizes all of us, and how it can be undone. https://pisab.org/workshops-in-your-area/
Racial Equity Tools
This website offers tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large. https://racialequitytools.org
What’s Next? Join us for the Monthly Antiracist Spirituality Circle
As we all know, the work of antiracism is ongoing and requires time. But, after all that we have learned thus far, we have a guide in our journey forward. Beginning December 11, 2023, we will be hosting monthly community conversations on the Five Pillars of an Antiracist Spirituality and how we will pull it all together.
Click here to learn more and to register for the monthly Antiracist Spirituality Circle. We are extending to you deep gratitude for participating in this important work!