Workshops and Other Learning Opportunities
Workshops
Perhaps your organization has decided that you are ready to devote more time and energy to shifting into better alignment with equity. But you aren’t sure where to begin. We believe that starting with workshops about oppression is a great way to make sure that everyone on your team has a fundamental understanding of the essential background information that is required to do additional meaningful work. We recommend considering our foundational package of 3 workshops:
- Terms and Concepts: Talking about equity and anti-oppression work can be difficult when we aren’t all on the same page. Even members of the most educated team will have disparate definitions for terms and concepts related to these ideas because everyone has learned from different sources. This session will allow your team to establish a shared vocabulary that will help us move forward together.
- History of Race, Racism, & Other Forms of Oppression in the US: Many people struggle to understand just how deeply embedded oppression is in every aspect of life in the United States. How did we get to where we are today? This workshop helps participants identify patterns across history and trace the throughline from how racism was established during European colonization to how it is perpetuated today and how other forms of oppression are a part of that historical picture as well.
- Understanding Where We Are Today: How is white supremacy subtly present in your organization? This session helps participants connect the history of racism and other forms of oppression to where we are now by exploring the characteristics of white supremacy culture. This will give your group a framework that can be used to spot oppression in action and begin to flip the script.
We also are able to facilitate workshops on a number of other topics including those described below. If you have other topics you are interested in that are not included, please contact us to see if we are able to accommodate your needs.
- Introductory Learning: For organizations where some or all team members are less familiar with foundational topics related to anti-oppression work, this session guides participants through exercises that explore concepts like identity and privilege. This will serve to build trust and understanding between team members and set participants up with the skills they will need for the rest of the foundational workshops .
- Moving Forward: Using the characteristics of white supremacy culture that are examined in workshop 3 of our foundational series, (Understanding Where We Are Today) we explore how these characteristics show up at your organization and work together to begin to identify antidotes that can be put into place to help address them.
- Establishing Accountability: In this workshop, we work together to define what accountability should look like at your organization and who the organization is truly accountable to. Participants will discuss the obstacles to accountability and come up with ideas for how the organization can remain accountable, even in challenging circumstances.
- Consensus Decision Making: How can your organization make decisions in an equitable manner, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard? This workshop will teach participants how to make decisions through a consensus process so that equity is always at the forefront.
Coaching
As teams engage in equity work, CommunityConnective can provide coaching to support staff and leaders (including board members) to help them better understand their role and how they can show up most effectively in this work. For example, as equity is prioritized, coaching can help people understand the changes that are taking place and how those changes impact their role in the organization. Coaching can also help leaders learn how to model behavior that aligns with equity and anti-oppression, or help them guide others through organizational changes that are reinforcing and strengthening equity. We are happy to work with you to determine what your coaching needs may be and how those needs are best addressed.
Identity Caucuses/Affinity Groups
We are all impacted by white supremacy culture and we all have work to do. However, because of the identities we hold, some of that work is different. Identity caucusing allows us to have the conversations we need when the work is best done in spaces with others who hold that same identity.
Racial Healing Circles
In any space where white people and people of color interact, there is healing that needs to take place from the harm that has likely been caused. Racial healing circles allow us to connect in a multiracial setting through our stories and commonalities while honoring our differences.
Heidi has a wealth of experience, knowledge and resources that she brought to the group.
Sourced some interesting readings and helped us begin to develop accountability tools and muscles.
Brought resources and information to the group, good balance of being supportive and challenging,
Tracy Bishop
Forest Preserves of Cook County Director of Permits, Rentals and Concessions
Alex Cornwell
Chicago Lights Director of Evaluation and Impact Racial Equity & Social Justice Committee Co-Chair, Chicago Women in Philanthropy
Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodríguez
Immigration Law & Justice Network Culture & Outreach Manager