Resources for Fostering Vital Friends Meeting
Related articles: Overcoming Racism and Bias

Anti Bias and Anti Racism Programs

by Joan Broadfield, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Preparation for Doing Programs on Overcoming Racism:

It's important to have a clear explication of 'racism' and 'privilege'.

I recommend training or consultation with someone who does training on working in the field of Overcoming Racism and Bias. (Friends need quality programs that will help transform people. It's important to avoid having well meaning people provide unhelpful or badly done programs.) My formal training in this field has been with CCRC (Children's Creative Response to Conflict). I've also had sessions with trainers from MCBI and with Paul Kivel. (Paul Kivel, the author of Uprooting Racism, which is an excellent resource, works on issues of racism and anti Semitism.)

Description of Two Workshops

Goals of the Programs:

Start with the goals of the group you are working with in the areas of bias and racism.

To those, add (if not already mentioned):

• to recognize bias and/or racism, how it affects us and how it determines actions we take

• to find ways to interrupt harmful behavior appropriately

I: Transforming Barriers of Bias: Looking at 'isms and the Role of Bias

• Through an elicit approach, participants are invited to explore their own biases in general by sharing, examining experiences and specific situations, and taking the chance to practice and take risks.

• Participants are offered opportunities for private revelations through journaling, checking things out confidentially with another person, and elective sharing in the larger group.

• Information is provided about different ways of experiencing communication, anger, fear, shame and the impact these have on our relationship with others. We also look at prejudice and 'isms in general, all in the context of culture.

• Participants are urged to set some goals for themselves as they leave, and find ways to check on their progress.

• Some group exercises that are used include:

• concentric circles

• fruit basket

• visualization of what you wish to see

• listening exercises

II: What is Racism?

Understanding our History of Racism and its Invisible Impact

The facilitator begins by sharing observations and definitions, and reviewing some basic information including:

• racism, prejudice, and the differences

• lifting up the heroes and truths Friends have witnessed

• looking at some areas where Friends have been disappointed in their history

• Quaker culture vs. Quaker faith issues

Participants consider some issues in one of several ways of sharing

Issues:

• White Privilege

• Visualizing 'my baggage'

• The role guilt plays

Possible ways of sharing:

• "fish bowl"

• small group sharing

• full group sharing.

• journaling,

Participants visualize what it would take to make the changes necessary and journal some next steps for themselves.