For those who are curious about Tell Me the Truth About Racism storytelling but not yet ready or able to commit to a 7 week training, you can attend a one or half day in person gathering. Participants will experience parts of our stories and reflect in small groups. We will also talk through the practicalities and heaviness of this work on us as individuals and in our churches. Come learn and wonder how this program might fit in your community.
Jen and Will have experienced between our two churches how this work must be customized for local context and grounded personally in those who teach it. Our training sessions are designed to work with a leader in your community to not only learn the Montessori-style story of "The Lie of racism," but to make a plan for how to adapt it to your context. This includes beginning a dialogue with clergy, vestry, and parents well in advance. You'll be working with Jen and Will with guidance and support by people of color. Plus your cohort (of 10 people max) will have a wealth of information amongst you. Each training is 7 sessions (plus one follow up with your cohort a few months later to learn from each other).
The training would support you to faithfully dismantle racism with children in your community in the following ways:
Build commitments from your institution to engage children and families in this work
Find support to broach the conversation of race privately with families, host conversations among parents, and build relationships with a foundation of curiosity.
Brainstorm how to best share the story of "The Lie of Racism" with your community. How many sessions? How long will they be? For which ages? With which activities? How will graduates be celebrated by the entire community? The result will be a custom designed curriculum for presenting the story in your context.
Wonder for yourself about the history of racism and how you may have been distorted from right relationship with God by this lie. Learn to lead from love rather than guilt.
Form relationships with the other faith educators in their cohort to support you as you do this work.
Learn the depth of choices that inform the story.
Practice telling the story.
Do independent historical research that connects your context to the story.
Receive feedback about wondering questions and story presentation.
Be as prepared as one can be to take a risky step towards doing the work of antiracism in your context and to go forward boldly “with God’s help.”
The cost to join a 7 session training cohort is 375$ per organization. If cost is an issue there are likely scholarships available through your diocese, and we can talk with you more about ways to make it affordable for you.
UPDATE - Our first in-person cohort trainings will take place this fall in a 3 day format slightly different from the above. Write us if you're interested. More details to come.
Apply for the next Cohort training Here
Missions in California and the southwest, Japanese internment camps, boarding schools for indigenous people, red lining, sundown towns, or school segregation...
The Lie that Caused Racism has touched all parts of our world and left its mark. Our core 6-part story - that you can learn in the Training Cohorts - tells the big picture, but there's lots of things it leaves out. In order to disrupt the Lie, you need to remember and Tell the Truth of what happened where you live.
This new Creators cohort will support you to wonder about, research, theologically frame, and write your story, using the same principles that guided us in creating "The Lie that Caused Racism". We will wonder what is the story of your state/ region/ indigenous people? When and how has the dignity of people been disregarded, violated? What is the story that needs to be told to create healing and new life?
In the Creator’s cohort, each participant will
Tell one of the stories from "The Lie that Caused Racism"
Discern what story they want to tell about their region and what story needs to be heard
Write and tell the story, with feedback from cohort members
Each cohort participant is encouraged to have an auditor who will co-create the new story.
The Creator's cohort meets weekly over zoom for 6, 2-hour sessions. The cost is 350$ per participant. If cost is an issue there are likely scholarships available through your diocese, and we can talk with you more about ways to make it affordable for you.
Send us a request to join this cohort with a brief description of your community