2023 Meeting Summaries
JANUARY 2023
January 15, 2023 CTTT Tucson, 1-3pm NOTES
TOPIC: The Meeting Topic: Stop the Hate Campaign
Many thanks to Raquel Rubio Goldsmith and Isabel Garcia for sharing information about the Stop the Hate Ads Collective. Information on the Collective:
The Stop the Hate Ads Collective formed a few weeks before the 2022 Primary elections to discuss responses and strategies to deal with the hatred, bigotry, racism and lies that were featured prominently in many GOP television, social media, and printed political ads during the summer. Shocked, and mad, by the shear avalanche of intentional misinformation about the border wall, immigrants, and LBGTQ+ communities, organizations and individuals from social justice, migrant rights, Indigenous Peoples, and labor, decided to focus our collective energies to counter lies and misinformation, and present the truth and realities.
"Stop The Hate" Community Pledge As members of community organizations - faith-based, Indigenous Peoples, labor and social justice - as well as individuals, we reject the messages and actions of division, bigotry, hate and outright misinformation that we witnessed during this past election year. The damage done is clear, with mass killings encouraged and promoted by the lies intentionally spread by offending hateful racist campaigns. The election of Tom Horne will challenge our abilities to counter the miseducation of our children, as will the continuing focus on militarizing and destroying our borderlands.
Therefore, we call upon our government, media, business sectors and corporations to assume responsible leadership by signing and promoting the following pledge.
WE PLEDGE:
· To speak out against racism and bigotry in all its forms;
· To focus on the centrality of a human rights framework in all policy decisions;
· To advocate for the rights, protection, and safety of all migrants at the border and in all stages of their journeys. including worker’s rights.
· To speak out against those businesses and corporations that use immigrant status to threaten deportation in their attempt to dissuade complaints from immigrant workers about wage theft and other abuses.
· To commit to actively reject all militarized migration responses against migrants in need of protection;
· To affirm Indigenous Peoples’ sovereignty to protect against the desecration and militarization of their lands, as well protect Indigenous Peoples fleeing economic, social and political violence in their home countries;
· To speak out specifically against the attacks on our LBGTQ+ communities, particularly the transgender community, including transgender migrants in their journeys;
· To tell the truth about the establishment of the US/Mexico border and the resulting racist immigration and border policies;
· To protect the international right to asylum and reject efforts to return migrants and refugees into dangerous circumstances;
· To commit to addressing racial inequities embedded in immigration enforcement and actively advocating for the respect of human and constitutional rights of Black and Brown communities residing and transiting through the US/Mexico border;
· To protect the environment and natural resources of the Borderlands that get heavily impacted by border militarization and border wall construction.
Chapter 9 of The Little Book of Racial Healing: Liberation and Transformation/Discussion
RESOURCES:
1. Please see an opinion piece titled ‘Political campaigns must stop their overt racism in their ads’, by Isabel Garcia and the Rev. Bart Smith. Arizona Daily Star.
2. America’s Voice that Isabel Garcia mentioned:
https://americasvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GOP-Message-Tracking-Report-Aug_22.pdf
3. From A History of Racial Injustice <elizabeth@eji.org:
On December 21, 1837, following an anti-slavery speech by Vermont representative William Slade, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a rule that prohibited any future discussion about the abolition of slavery in the House. The rule remained in effect until 1844, preventing the topic of abolition from even being discussed for almost a decade.
The debate over slavery had divided the House, but the Constitutional provision that counted enslaved people as “three-fifths” of a person for the purposes of determining Congressional representation gave Southern representatives the majority they needed to completely shut down any debate on the subject. In December of 1835, South Carolina representative James Hammond proposed a rule that, in order to maintain order in the House, all petitions or discussions about slavery should be immediately tabled without consideration or discussion.
The rule, which effectively silenced any representatives who opposed slavery, was later referred to as the “Gag Rule.” It was instituted in May of the following year under James K. Polk, who was Speaker of the House at the time, and would later become U.S. President.
This laid the foundation for Virginia representative John Mercer Patton, who responded to William Slade’s anti-slavery speech in 1837 by renewing the “Gag Rule.” His resolution asked that “all petitions, memorials, and papers, touching the abolition of slavery, or the buying, selling, or transferring of slaves, in any State, District, or Territory, of the United States, be laid on the table, without being debated, printed, read, or referred, and that no further action whatever shall be had thereon.”
The resolution passed the House overwhelmingly—122 to 74. The rule was renewed in 1837, and each year thereafter, prohibiting any discussion of abolition until 1844, when it was finally repealed.
The extraordinary act of barring all discussion of a central policy issue that was shaping the nation created untold challenges. The House modeled avoidance and silence about issues of racial injustice that many contend continue to haunt America.
FEBRUARY 2023
Welcome to new member, Tom! Welcome to all! Many thanks to Jimmy Lee and De Kirkpatrick for sharing their journey and the Mecklenburg County documentary. What a gift. I reflect on the importance of some one person who left information in the 1850’s Mecklenburg church for Jimmy Lee to find and start this incredible journey.
TOPIC The Story of De and Jimmy Lee Kirkpatrick
In 2014, De Kirpatrick learned, from a former high school classmate, Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick, that Jimmie’s ancestors had been enslaved by De’s ancestors. The shocking news that his paternal ancestors were slaveholders changed De’s life. Since then, these two men have developed a deep friendship. They present their shared history to various audiences and are the primary subjects of a documentary in development centered on racial reconciliation. De lives with his wife, Katie Holliday, in North Carolina, where he pursues writing, public speaking engagements, and exploring public history.
RESOURCES:
ARTICLES
· What is the '1870' Pin at the State of the Union Address?
https://www.newsweek.com/why-1870-pin-worn-state-union-1779766
· Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan: See the report “we are taking bold steps to collectively advance climate action and make Tucson a climate resilient and thriving city for future generations.”
https://climateaction.tucsonaz.gov/pages/caap
BOOKS
· Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the Southern Slave Master and His Legacy of White Supremacy, by De Kirkpatrick
Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the Southern Slave Master and His Legacy of White Supremacy focuses on the white men who composed the antebellum southern planter class in the period of 1830-1861. This book is a psychological autopsy of the minds and behaviors of enslavers that helps explain the enduring roots of white supremacy and the hidden wound of racist slavery that continues to affect all Americans today.
Marse details and illustrates examples of the psychological mechanisms by which southern slave masters justified owning another human being as property and how they formed a society in which enslavement was morally acceptable. Kirkpatrick uses forensic psychology to analyze the personality formation, defense mechanisms, and psychopathologies of slave masters. Their delusional beliefs and assumptions about Black Africans extended to a forceful cohort of white slaveholding women, as well as how they twisted Christianity to promote slavery as a positive good. He examines the masters’ stresses and fears, and how they coped by developing psychologically fatal, slavery-specific defense mechanisms. Utilizing sources such as the vast treasure trove of slavery historiography, diaries, letters, autobiographies, and sermons, Marse describes the ways in which slaveholders created a delusional worldview that sanctioned cruel instruments of punishment and implemented laws and social policies of domination used to rob Blacks of their human rights. The seismic shift in race relations our nation is experiencing right now make this book timely, as it will advance our understanding of the South’s self-defeating romance with racist slavery and its latent and chronic effects. The parallels between the psychology of antebellum slaveholding and today’s racism are palpable.
DOCUMENTARY
· This is the documentary we watched at the meeting: Mecklenburg County - A Story of Race Truth and Healing (sizzle reel):
https://vimeo.com/378169404/7a8745d533
· A full-length documentary will be released next month. The title is A Binding Truth. De and Jimmy will keep us informed. We expressed that our Tucson Loft Theatre is interested in this type of work.
EVENTS
· CTTT 2023 National Gathering, Thursday, June 15 - Sunday, June 18, 2023, Oakland, California! You can view details in the monthly newsletter from CTTT.
· Tucson Book Festival is March 4-5 at UA. I (pam) am particularly excited about Marion Mundy’s new novel as I was privileged to review the first draft.
M. H. Mundy writes fiction and creative nonfiction. She considers herself part humanitarian, part philosopher, part geek and 100% storyteller.
Her interest in what makes people tick led to degrees in both psychology and sociology. Her stories spring from an obsession with human behavior. She brings depth to her characters by blending a delicate mixture of phobias, longings, joys and fears with touches of love and kindness.
More than anything, M.H. Mundy wishes to connect with, inspire and join in community with readers who love stories about strong characters (mostly women) who overcome life’s challenges to find inner peace.
Indie Authors - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
Indie Authors - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction (Seats 18)
Sat, Mar 4, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Authors: Kara Forney, Valerie Foster, Dawn Fried, Karen Gibson, Arthur Hittner, Dana Killion, Sara LaFontain, Robert Logan, Laura Mae, Mike Manolakes, Rosa Meronek, Mary Moreland, Nooshie Motaref, David Mueller, M. H. Mundy, Kim Orendor, Mayela Padilla, Ray Ring, Jacqueline St. Joan, Ashley Sweeney
MARCH 2023
What a fine sharing with and about our ancestors! Again, many thanks to Shelly for helping to organize this meeting and especially for the questions for the breakout groups. To summarize:
1. Name three ancestors that you would like to invite to dinner. If you are not aware of ancestors, name three relatives, friends, or moral/spiritual guides. What would you ask or tell them?
2. Imagine that your ancestors left a large sack of ‘unfinished business’ or ‘regrets’ yet to be resolved. How this might affect you? How might you attempt to resolve any unfinished burdens?
3. Do you have any interest in historic events (wars, famine, genocide, economic depression, population growth, relocation, etc.) swirling around an ancestor? Do you know how these events might have affected them?
4. Have you created an altar for one or more of your ancestors?
5. Thinking about the future, what kind of ancestor do you aspire to be?
· Next CTTT Tucson Meeting: April 16, 1:00-3:00pm
RESOURCES
DOCUMENTS
Send for military records of a relative:
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf
VIDEOS:
Thomas Hubl (1.5 hours; we won’t watch it at the meeting):
"Turning towards Individual, Ancestral and Collective Trauma" with Thomas Hübl:
Thomas Hubl video (10 minutes) watched at the meeting, Ancestral Collective and Individual Trauma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGzkGi1hYi0
“You can't always blame your parents: Alberto Perez at TEDxSBU”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84QWLTVjClg
“Speaking Truth” about enslavement.
https://www.speakingtruth.org/stories: confronting slavery, pursuing reconcilliation
Gabor Mate interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now about his new book, The Myth of Normal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4PyQGBvFEU
BOOKS:
Marse: A Psychological Portrait of the Southern Slave Master and His Legacy of White Supremacy, H.D. Kirkpatrick, 2023.
The Myth of Normal. Gabor Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Co-written with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.
EVENTS:
2023 Coming to the Table National Gathering: Strengthening Our Ancestral Kinship, Oakland California, June 15-18, 2023
Register here: https://comingtothetable.wedid.it/events/826
If you are not receiving the CTTT Monthly Newsletter, you may not be a member. To begin receiving the monthly newsletter and regular updates on events, trainings, resources and more. CLICK HERE to join today (free)
Spring Symposium on Indigenous Land Stewardship. UA College of Law
· Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 4:30 PM MST-Friday, April 7, 2023 at 5:00 PM MST
The Arizona Journal of Environmental Law & Policy is focusing our annual Symposium on the topic of Indigenous Land Stewardship. The Symposium will bring together a diverse array of leaders from tribal communities, academia, the public sector, & advocacy organizations to discuss current efforts & developments within the Indigenous land Stewardship.
https://ajelp.com/spring-symposium
Better Alliance (TiBA), racial justice group out of Chicago called Together Book Group:
https://www.togetherisbetteralliance.org
In mid April we will do a third book discussion of three chapters from the book 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. We are opening the group up to people outside the TiBA membership.
Black Earth Wisdom, March 31, 2:00pm ET.
Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm and author of Farming While Black and Black Earth Wisdom, joins Jonathan F.P. Rose to explore how farming and living in deep connection with the land can heal and fortify our planet and ourselves. To Register
APRIL 2023
April 16, CTTT Tucson, 1-3pm Notes
TOPIC: REFUGEE PROGRAM IN TUCSON
Abby Hungwe is the Managing Director of Owl & Panther. She has been involved with O&P since 2008. Beginning as a participant of the expressive arts program, shortly after she arrived in Tucson from Zvishavane, Zimbabwe. Abby completed her graduate studies at Southern Arkansas University, and is passionate about community building and community education. Her role at Owl & Panther helps her fulfill this passion. She works with a committed team to support refugee families in their journey to find healing in community.
https://www.owlandpanther.org/
abby@owlandpanther.org
Christian Hirwa, Resettlement Director, has been with Jewish Family & Children Services of Southern Arizona since the relaunch of Refugee Resettlement in November 2021. Prior to joining JFCS, Christian worked for Lutheran Social Service of the Southwest’s Refugee and Immigration Services for seven years, the agency that resettled him. Mr. Hirwa arrived in Tucson from Rwanda in 2012 as a refugee and quickly started helping other refugees with language barrier in volunteer capacity.
chirwa@jfcstucson.org
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
· Connect with the organizations by social media
· Share fund raising/grant writing experience
· Volunteer
· Donate
NEXT MEETING: May 21, 1:00-3:00
REFERENCES
· Podcast: Owl and Panther: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s54-wM45dRU
Video: Abby Hungwe, Owl and Panthehttps://kxci.org/podcast/abby-hungwe-owl-and-panther/
· Podcast or News Article: Christian Hirwa, https://tucson.com/news/local/rwandan-survives-genocide-now-helps-other-refugees-settle-in-tucson/article_49af8ce4-89f0-11ec-a7fa-5fc7e01d1ac2.html
· News Article: The JFCS Refugee Resettlement Program – A Volunteer’s Story
https://azjewishpost.com/2022/the-jfcs-refugee-resettlement-program-a-volunteers-story/
ABBY’S SUGGESTED REFERENCES:
· Cultural Competency Checklist - This tool was developed to heighten your awareness of how you view clients/patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations.
· Project Implicit - This is an assessment used to discover whether or not you have a hidden bias between particular races
· Advocacy Competency Self-Assessment - To assess your own competence and effectiveness as a social justice change agent, respond to the following statements as honestly and accurately as possible.
· Cross Model Cultural Competency
· How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime - Nadine Burke Harris Ted Talk
· Let Me In - Alicia Keys
· Dental Hygiene Model Youtube Video
MAY 2023
MAY 21, CTTT Tucson, 1-3pm NOTES
TOPIC: Taking CTTT Tucson Temperature
Gratitude to Shelly for last minute stepping in to lead the questions and discussion when Trayce was delayed at a League of Women Conference.
—thinking over the last 12 months what personal growth do you see in your journey of racial healing , reconciliation etc?
—have there been specific insights or realizations that have been important to you?
—what do you find have been obstacles or challenges?
—what CTTT meeting stood out as most helpful and why?
—how has participating in CTTT contributed to your journey in these areas?
This invigorating meeting reflected on the work we’ve been doing toward change within ourselves, among ourselves and into our communities. Clearly, we are ‘living’ the touchstone messages, some of which are listening, learning, speak truth, speak for self, no fixing, turn to wonder, suspending judgement, and to stay at the table.
NEXT MEETING: For the June meeting, please participate in a community celebration of Juneteenth, which is Monday, June 19.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.[7] Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States, often broadly celebrating African-American culture. The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law after the efforts of Lula Briggs Galloway, Opal Lee, and others.
Some Juneteenth events in Tucson:
1. Saturday, June 17th at Kino Sports Park (Celebrating Freedom)
2. Sunday, June 18th at Kennedy Park. Last year I went to the event at Kennedy Park.
JULY/AUGUST MEETINGS: The plan at this time is to review Shawn Ginwright’s Four Pillars book. Shelly, Marge H., Lisa and Pam read this book in 4 sessions and will present the topics for discussion.
RESOURCES
From the meeting:
· Activist Climbs Flagpole At S.C. Statehouse, Removes Confederate Banner
Activist Climbs Flagpole At S.C. Statehouse, Removes Confederate Banner : The Two-Way : NPR
· User Clip: Ally vs. Co-Conspirator: What it means to be an Abolitionist Teacher
User Clip: Ally vs. Co-Conspirator: What it means to be an Abolitionist Teacher | C-SPAN.org
· True Inclusivity
· I’m a Couples Therapist. Something New Is Happening in Relationships. NYTimes. You will see work you are doing is affecting change!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/magazine/couples-therapy-orna-guralnik.html
· Film: A Wrinkle in Time Remake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BUxFMFe2W4
Other Resources
In connection to April CTTT Tucson meeting:
Refugees often arrive in the U.S. with little other than their suitcases. Those starting new lives in Tucson need everyday items like cleaning supplies and houseware, which is why we are currently collecting household essentials:
· Brooms & dustpans
· Mops & buckets
· Kitchen trash cans and trash bags
· Bathroom trash cans and trash bags
· Dishwashing sponges
· Multipurpose spray cleaners
· Toilet bowl cleaner
· Toilet plunger & scrubber combo
Items may be dropped off at:
Jewish Family and Children’s Services Southern Arizona
4301 E. 5th Street
M-Th 8:00 AM-6:00 PM, F 8:00 AM-3:30 PM
· An important note from a member about saving the Pima Wash from housing development:
·
JUNE 2023
We suspended our usual monthly zoom meeting with the suggestion that people participate in local Juneteenth events.
For the June meeting, please participate in a community celebration of Juneteenth, which is Monday, June 19.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.[7] Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States, often broadly celebrating African-American culture. The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law after the efforts of Lula Briggs Galloway, Opal Lee, and others.
Some Juneteenth events in Tucson:
1. Saturday, June 17th at Kino Sports Park (Celebrating Freedom)
2. Sunday, June 18th at Kennedy Park. Last year I went to the event at Kennedy Park.
JULY 2023
Many thanks to Shelly for taking charge with the zoom problem solution and especially for the great questions for breakout.
Welcome to new member Tom.
Circle question: How do you feel about meeting in person rather than zoom? There was general agreement that zoom is a productive way to continue to meet and that planning occasional in-person meetings would be welcomed.
We focused on Pivot 1 and will continue for the next three meetings on each of the others.
To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3skV1fAw08
Pivot 1: Lens to Mirror begins around: Reflection, Truth, Clarity
· Considering an event, what was the difference for you between turning your gaze outwards (looking at outer circumstances, other people and systems) AND engaging in deep self-reflection, turning your gaze inwards?
· With this event, did you find deeper truths that emerged as you reflected? Did you find parts of yourself that resisted the deeper knowing and sharing of your truth?
· With this event, did self-reflection and truth-knowing lead you to a greater sense of clarity about yourself and the issue / event, what Dr. Ginwright calls a "lucid certainty that comes from the soul?"
RESOURCES:
1. Dr. Ginwright with Dr. Farima Pour-Khorshid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5mSDmaRHo
2. Dr. Ginwright Kicks Conference Key Note (watched at July meeting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3skV1fAw08
3. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-four-pivots-reimagining-justice-reimagining-ourselves/
4. Day of Racial Healing (January 2024):
https://healourcommunities.org/day-of-racial-healing/
ANNOUNCEMENTS
As a part of CTTT Tucson, Pam will participate in the community planning, organized by the League of Women Voters Greater Tucson, for National Healing Day in January. Anyone wishing to participate, please let her know.
NEXT MEETING: August 20, 1:00-3:00pm
AUGUST 2023
August 20, CTTT Tucson Notes
TOPIC: Shawn Ginwright’s Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimaging Ourselves
In Pivot 1 we explored our own and others’ belonging needs that involve vulnerability and risk-taking. In this meeting, we took the discussion into the distinction between transactional and transformational relationships.
Discussion questions:
1. How am I in touch with my own belonging needs and those of others and how out of touch am I?
2. How do I express care for myself and for others?
3. What makes me apprehensive about being vulnerable with others?
4. Do I have transformative relationships with people in communities that I care about?
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. If you would like to work with the Tucson community on National Healing Day in January please contact Pam.
2. Shelly will organize a group event to see Lynn Nottage’s play, Intimate Apparel at ATC in January/February.
NEXT MEETING: September 17, 1:00-3:00pm
RESOURCES
VIDEOS
1. Dr. Ginwright with Dr. Farima Pour-Khorshid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5mSDmaRHo
2. Dr. Ginwright Kicks Conference Key Note (watched at July meeting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3skV1fAw08
3. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-four-pivots-reimagining-justice-reimagining-ourselves/
4. August 5, 2023, Hidden Brain, NPR. The Truth About Honesty.
5. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-truth-about-honesty/
6. 2. Pima County Registrar Gabriella Cazres-Kelly gave a presentation on June 10, 2023, to the Pima County Democratic Committee. The first 30 minutes provide food for thought on microaggressions and giving respect to others.
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8jdOm4F-k0
BOOKS
Stories Whiteness Tells Itself, David Mura
EVENTS
Truth and Transformation Conference (free)
https://iara.hks.harvard.edu/conference/truth-and-transformation-conference-2023/
Tohono O’Odham History and Cultural class by zoom at UA:
https://communityclassroom.arizona.edu/course/tohono-oodham-history-and-culture
SEPTEMBER 17, 2023
OPENING:
TOPIC: Lisa led the meeting to explore Pivot 3 of Shawn Ginwright’s Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimaging Ourselves.
At the meeting, we watched:
1. Dr. Ginwright Kicks Conference Key Note:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3skV1fAw08 (26:17-36:15)
2. In conversation with Dr. Farima Pour-Khorshid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5mSDmaRHo (24:04-33:16)
Questions and discussion followed.
NEXT MEETING: October15, 1:00-3:00pm
OCTOBER 15, 2023
OPENING:
Welcome to new member Katie! So nice to meet you and hope to see you again!
We had a moment of silence concerning the Middle East conflict followed by a discussion.
TOPIC:
Marge H. led the meeting, giving an excellent summary of the 4 Pivots We watched these videos:
1. Dr. Ginwright Kicks Conference Key Note:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3skV1fAw08 (36:20 – 44:00)
2. In conversation with Dr. Farima Pour-Khorshid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5mSDmaRHo (44.44-48:00)
Questions for discussion
1. Do you keep “to do” lists? How does “frenzy” show up in your life?
2. How can you create the conditions for flow (rest and reflection) in your life? What barriers stand in your way and can you think of new possibilities for eliminating these barriers and creating flow in your life?
3. How can we democratize rest? How can you help create rest space for others so that they may have time for personal reflection?
4. Have any of the 4 pivots particularly resonated with you?
RESOURCES:
BOOKS:
The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives by David Mura
NPR: 6:53 minute story.
https://www.pbs.org/video/the-stories-whiteness-tells-us-39960/
Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World by Gaia Vince
Review in Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/14/nomad-century-how-to-survive-the-climate-upheaval-by-gaia-vince-review-a-world-without-borders
TUCSON ACTION GROUP
Stop the Hate Collective
Weekly meeting, community education and action
Contact: stophatecollective@gmail.com
DOCUMENTS
1. Here is Marge’s summary of the 4-Pivots: Summary of The Four Pivots by Shawn Ginwright, PhD
PIVOT ONE: REFLECTIONS
• Social change is deeply connected to our own healing, reflection and well-being
• Become aware of the lenses and obscurations you have in seeing the world around you
• To understand if we are living our values, we need to be self-reflective and be honest with ourselves and others. The hardest look is inward. Give up blaming others and look inward.
• Take stock of the lessons we earn each day, month, year.
• Practice vulnerability
PIVOT TWO: FROM TRANSACTIONAL TO TRANSFORMATIVE
• Ask not “What should we do”, but “Who should we become.” Our current version of ourselves can’t create a new society.
• We need to do more than marshal resources to bring about change. We need to have the capacity to foster and sustain a beloved community, a sense of belonging, and human connection even with those who are in your out-group (them).
• Have the courage to learn and listen not for agreement but from a place of humble curiosity and the possibility of belonging.
• Transformative relationships are formed when we exchange pieces of our humanity with each other. When we do that, we give others permission to do the same.
• Personal care, interpersonal care, institutional care are are essential for social change to happen.
PIVOT THREE: FROM PROBLEM TO POSSIBILITY
• Cultivate perspective (seeing close up and far away at the same time.)
• Need understanding of 4 levels of a situation:
• Events
• Trends that occur over time
• Structures: relationships that create those trends
• Mental models (assumptions, beliefs and values)
• To create a future we wish, we need to think about possibilities, not just eliminate current conditions.
• Dream and imagine, as well as fight and resist.
• Use language of reimagining (defend vs dream; disrupt vs discover)
• Must explore our fears, concerns and pain without getting stuck in existential mud.
• To create new possibilities know Your position, anticipate their position, take a third position (listen with curiosity to learn).
PIVOT FOUR: FROM HUSTLE TO FLOW
• Tyranny of the “to do” lists
• Pressure to “succeed” regardless of personal costs
• Flow: state of awareness that is free of judgment, doubt, fear and confusion and is guided by a sense of effortless certainty. —> ability to stay focussed and stay out of frenzy
• Create resting space to reflect on where you are going and how you are getting there. Allow time for replenishment of your well-being.
• Act with both accountability and grace, which is giving ourselves and others undeserved permission to be human.
2. I’ve integrated the 14 CTTT Touchstones into how I see the Pivots; comments appreciated*
PIVOT 1: Lens to Mirror
1. Be 100% present, extending and presuming welcome.
2. Try it on. What I share is my truth. It might be the first time I’ve said it.
3. Listen deeply. Listen intently to what is said; listen to the feelings beneath the words. “To ‘listen’ another’s soul into life, into a condition of disclosure and discovery—may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another” (Douglas Steere). Listen to yourself also. Strive to achieve a balance between listening and reflecting, speaking and acting.
4. I speak my truth. I say in my heart, trusting that my voice will be heard, and respected, even if it is different from or even opposite of what of yours. I own my truth by speaking in “I” statements.
PIVOT 2: From Transactional to Transformative
5. No fixing. I am here to discover my own truth. You are not here to set me straight, to right my wrong, to “fix” or “correct” what I perceive as broken or incorrect. I must discover for myself, maybe for the first time ever.
6. Respect silence. Silence is a rare gift. After someone has spoken, I take time to reflect and fully listen, without immediately filling the space with words.
PIVOT 3: From Problem to Possibility
7. Always by invitation. I may be invited to share in pairs, small groups, and/or in the large group. The invitation is exactly that. I will determine the extent to which you want to participate in our discussions or activities.
8. Identify assumptions; suspend judgements. My assumptions, although usually invisible to us, often undergird our worldview; my judgments, frequently automatic, can block our growth. By pausing to identify assumptions and suspend judgments, to the degree possible or reasonable, I can listen to the other, and to ourselves, more fully.
9. Be aware of and allow for the difference between intention and impact. I give myself and others the grace of assuming that no one present intends to harm others, while also being ready to acknowledge that words or behavior/actions (nonverbal communication) can have a harmful impact.
10. Respect Difference. I recognize that different cultures have different norms for speaking in groups (such as interrupting, or degrees of assertiveness). There may be differences regarding power dynamics. Over-emphasis on norms of politeness and “safety,” for example, can be an unconscious way to reinforce white fragility and prevent expressions of anger.
PIVOT 4: From Hustle to Flow
11. When things get difficult, turn to wonder; try "both/and," rather than "either/or." When someone else’s truth challenges mine, I try turning to wonder: “I wonder what brought them to this place?” “I wonder what my reaction teaches me?” Also, allow for the possibility of multiple experiences and perspectives: let “both/and” create a larger, shared space.
12. Expect "non-closure." Stay in the present. We probably won’t get to the end of the road today.
ALL PIVOTS:
13. Whenever possible, acknowledge uncomfortable responses: say "ouch!" or "whoops!"; then explain. Let others know when you are responding with pain to remarks in the group, either from others (“ouch!”) or yourself (“whoops!”), especially when your feelings are impeding your ability to stay connected to others. Help them understand the reason for your reaction.
14. Maintain confidentiality. Create a safe space by respecting the confidential nature and content of discussions in the circle. What is said in the circle remains here.
*For review of Dr. Ginwright’s 4-Pivots, please see his book: The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimaging Ourselves.
For review of the Coming to the Table Touchstones, please see
https://comingtothetable.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CTTT-Touchstones-rev-Nov-2020.pdf
(P. Burris, October 2023)
NOVEMBER 18, 2023
What an absolute pleasure to have everyone at the table! What a difference from those little zoom squares! We shall continue with this for our December meeting on Sunday December 17. Anyone wishing to meet my zoom, please let us know and we'll have the connection open during the meeting.
At the December meeting we will continue our discussion about what we are doing and where we are going. Two books were mentioned as possible resources and are included below in the book references. Please bring ALL ideas, about book topics or other things. If we select book topics it will be with Dr. Ginwright's fourth Piller in mind and will not be a book group. What we are trying to do is to move deeper into ourselves while deeply listening to others in order to continue to uncover our obstacles to including all in every way, every day.
For the January meeting we will plan to attend the National Day of Racial Healing on SATURDAY January 13 at the Y. We will distribute more information at a later date.
MOVIES
1. The Metropolitan Opera: X: The Life and Times of Malcom X:
https://www.atomtickets.com/movies/the-metropolitan-opera-x-the-life-and-times-of-malcolm-x/345932
There is a 1:00 and 6:30 showing on Wednesday, November 22.
2. Killers of Flower Moon
TELEVISION
1. Little Bird
PBS Passport; Canadian; 6 episodes plus an incredible ‘making of Little Bird’ episode.
2. Peace of Chocolate
Amazon movie; Syrian refugee family are settled by the Canadian government in a small town.
3. Rustin, Netflix drama.
Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground, the film stars Colman Domingo in the title role, alongside Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald. It is based on the true story of Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington.
4. Stamped From the Beginning, Netflix documentary.
Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams brings Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's New York Times bestseller to the screen with Stamped From the Beginning. Published in 2016, Dr. Kendi's National Book Award winner chronicles the entire story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history.
VIDEOS VICTOR TALKED ABOUT
1. Understanding Native American Heritage
https://youtu.be/4dLKcFADwP4?feature=shared
2. Speaking Freely: bell hooks
https://youtu.be/g2bmnwehlpA?feature=shared
3. Mankiller
https://youtu.be/N8n0soGu7i0?feature=shared
BOOKS
1. White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao
What impresses me in the title is ‘everything you ALREADY know about your own racism’ and how easy it is to avoid awareness at every turn of the day.
From Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Your Quest for Perfection is Killing Us. And You
Chapter 2: Your Nice Is Actually Evil
Chapter 3: Your White Silence is Violence
Chapter 4: You see Oppression through a Gender Lens.
You Erase Your White Power.
You Are Colorblind
You Are White Feminists
Chapter 5: Your White Entitlement
Chapter 6: How schools – and White Mothers – Uphold White Supremacy
Chapter 7: Microaggressions and How You Kill Us at Work
Chapter 8: Every Time You Say Love Trumps Hate
Chapter 9: White Allies, White Saviors, White Violence
Rao and Jackson are the founders of Race2Dinner, a program that initiates and empowers radically honest conversations about race and oppression. Deconstructing Karen, the documentary about Regina Jackson and Saira Rao's work, is out now. They are the authors of White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better.
2. Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
Topics from Leyla Saad’s book
1. WEEK 1
Me and White Privilege
Me and White Fragility
Tone Policing
White Silence
White Superiority
White Exceptionalism
2. WEEK 2
Color Blindness
Anti-Blackness and Men
Anti-Blackness and Women
Anti-Blackness and Children
Racist Stereotypes
Cultural Appropriation
3. WEEK 3
Allyship
White Saviorism
White Apathy
White Centering
White Tokenism
Called Out
4. WEEK 4
White Feminism
White Leaders
Friends
Family
Your Values
Losing Privilege
Commitments for Future
Author recommendation: Read/journal 6 days a week for 4 weeks
Meet with small group (3-5) once a week by zoom
3. The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives, by David Mura.
From the country’s founding through the summer of Black Lives Matter in 2020, David Mura unmasks how white stories about race attempt to erase the brutality of the past and underpin systemic racism in the present. Mura shows how deeply we need to change our racial narratives to dissolve the myth of Whiteness and fully acknowledge the experiences of Black Americans.
DECEMBER 2023
The MEETING
We reviewed the Circle Process, which we are all aware of from our time in CTTT.
We identified who would be Host, Guardian and Scribe for this meeting.
In the Circle Process, everyone at the table is leader; these three functions will rotate and three people have stepped up for the next meeting to fill them.
There are four forms of conversation council:
Social Council: informal, non-structured talk and sharing
Talking Piece Council: intentional talk while passing an item as each speaks, slows conversation, all voices heard without interruption or interpretation or note to another speaker i.e. without cross-talk
Conversation Council: a time for injection of new thoughts.
Reflection Council: a time to reflect, maybe take moment of pause or silence, call for a question, write.
We decided to read Me and White Supremacy by Leyla Saad. This will be an exploration by each of us and ‘us’ together. It is not a book club. Ms. Saad’s 5-6 page sections are viewed as a springboard for this work, to take this journey, to more deeply process toward truth.
We decided to create pairs to explore and debrief about what we are experiencing through the readings. The pairs will meet at their own schedule and in person or by zoom; anyone can establish a free zoom account. We encourage each pair to bring a question or quote to the monthly meeting that particularly touched them.
January 13, SATURDAY Meeting
We have an opportunity to spend the afternoon, 1:00-6:00pm, of January 13 at the YWCA Southern Arizona on 525 N Bonita Ave to participate in the National Day of Racial Healing celebration. Victor is at the helm of organizing this event with the League of Women Voters of Southern Arizona and the Y. Trayce will moderate for a panel starting at 1:30 on the topic of ‘Beloved Community’.
In the time between now and the February meeting, we will read the first 26 pages of Me and White Supremacy. This section gives an overview of what is ahead in the rest of the book.
This is the schedule for the rest of the book:
February 18, 2024
WEEK 1, pg 31-74
Me and White Privilege
Me and White Fragility
Tone Policing
White Silence
White Superiority
White Exceptionalism
March 17, 2024
WEEK 2, pg 75-123
Color Blindness
Anti-Blackness and Men
Anti-Blackness and Women
Anti-Blackness and Children
Racist Stereotypes
Cultural Appropriation
April 21, 2024
WEEK 3, pg 125-170
Allyship
White Saviorism
White Apathy
White Centering
White Tokenism
Called Out
May 19, 2024
WEEK 4, pg 171-203
White Feminism
White Leaders
Friends
Family
Your Values
Losing Privilege
Commitments for Future
FIELD TRIP
We plan to see the play, Intimate Apparel, at Arizona Theatre Company, on January 21st. If you need information, please email Shelly.
RESOURCES
Film
Stamped from the Beginning, Netflix
Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13871094/
Leave the World Behind, Netflix
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVBi_e8o-Y
American Symphony, Netflix
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKSMsdq8ONs
Also, don’t forget about Rustin on Netflix which was mentioned in last month’s notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZ-UONInl4