Welcome to the January installment of the BARWE yearlong inquiry series. Recently, we’ve heard from folks having these conversations in schools and organizations from California, Arizona, Ohio, and Vermont.

On January 17 at 8pm EST, we’ll have our first Twitter chat at #barwe215. Please mark your calendar and join us!

If this is your first month, please start with Section 2: Facilitation Information.

If you have already participated in a previous month's discussion, we are glad you are continuing the work! Start with Section 1.

Information regarding norms, discussion protocol, and pass the hat can now be found in Section 3: Inquiry Tips & Information.

Don't forget to give us feedback!

Section 1: January Inquiry

Overview:
Black Lives Matter is the social movement of our time, and one we must engage with as we do anti-racist work in our schools and lives. The movement, which was started by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi in 2012 after the murder of Trayvon Martin, inspired Black Lives Matter at School in Seattle in 2016, Philadelphia and Rochester in 2017, and nationwide in 2018. On February 4th-8th 2019, Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action will reach more schools and districts nationwide, and will be embraced by the National Education Association, the largest Teachers Union in the United States. As we prepare for the Week of Action, we will read a piece that outlines the demands for the week and explains some of the ways we can value Black lives in our schools. To get involved, visit the Black Lives Matter at School website.

Primary Article:
Introduction to Teaching for Black Lives from Rethinking Schools

Guiding Questions:
  • How has the Black Lives Matter movement impacted you, your school, and your students?
  • What does it look like when Black lives matter in schools?
  • How do the demands of the Black Lives Matter Week of Action apply to your school and district?
  • How will you participate in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (February 4th-8th)?

Additional Readings:​

Section 2: Facilitation Information

If this is your first month participating in the inquiry series, welcome! There are a lot of materials in this email, but here are some quick tips that can help guide you through them:
  • If your group is just starting this month - we recommend that you start with the August materials, and then pick up with the current month. Find all past month resources on our website.
  • Set a day and time for your group to meet - during lunch, before school, after school. If you start with a group of 2, that’s great! If 20 folks at your school are interested now, even better! The goal is to grow our work.
  • Send this month’s Primary Article to your group. You could even send this to a broader group of your colleagues - maybe it will pique someone’s interest! Also look through the additional readings to see if there is another reading that might be better suited to your group and its interests.
  • Prepare yourself to facilitate by reading through our Overview, Norms, and Discussion Protocol. If you have a large group, maybe ask a colleague to help facilitate.
  • Pass the Hat at the end of your discussion and collect donations for Black Lives Matter this month.
  • Complete the Feedback Form.
  • Prepare yourself for February by setting a date and time, inviting colleagues, and looking out for our next Discussion Guide on 2/1/2019.

Section 3: Inquiry Tips & Information


Norms:
As you facilitate this work with your peers, it is important to keep some norms in mind. You can open your sessions by reviewing these (and more, if you’d like to add) with your group.

This BAR-WE Inquiry series was designed with the understanding that it is not the sole responsibility of people of color to educate white people about race. White people must take responsibility for our own growth to be anti-racist educators and community members. It also matters how we approach this work, so please keep the following norms in mind while engaging in these discussions:

  • Please approach this inquiry series as a learner. We all have room to grow with our understanding of race in our schools and communities. No one is an expert who has come to explain race to others; we are striving to be in dialogue with one another to learn and grow collectively.
  • The inquiry series does not take the place of anti-racism or diversity trainings that school districts can and should offer. When done well, such trainings are valuable. Nevertheless, we believe that any one-off training is inadequate, and this inquiry series is designed to encourage the ongoing reflection on race in our teaching and in our schools.
  • As white people engaged in this work, it is important to maintain humility around the topic of race when in dialogue with our colleagues of color. The goal will never be to explain to a colleague how they should feel about race; rather, we want to learn how to be productive allies in the work towards racial justice in education and society.
  • Keep the focus on RACE. It is easier to shift the conversation to colorblind versions of the topics; nevertheless, we must persevere through any discomfort to identify how race is central to our work and advocacy for justice in our schools.
  • Finally, as you keep in mind the ongoing nature of this work, please expect and accept non-closure. It is OK to “hang in uncertainty” and not rush to quick solutions. We believe sustainable, meaningful growth will result from the commitment to reflection.

Suggested Discussion Protocol:
In our experience, we have found conversations about racism and white supremacy to be most fruitful when primarily done in small groups (4 or fewer people). This makes folks more willing to share, and also gives each person more time to talk and process. We have also found it productive to use a protocol for these conversations - and have someone serve as a timekeeper during each segment.

  • 10 mins - If you have the time, give everyone a chance to write and reflect on the article and questions at the start of the session. You can also ask people to do this in advance and bring their reflections with them. We don’t recommend starting without giving everyone time to reflect individually first.
  • For the rest of the protocol, it is recommended that you split into groups of 2-4 people, so that everyone can have a chance to share and discuss. If you have limited time, use smaller groups.
    • 3 mins - Person 1 shares their reactions and reflections on the article and questions
    • 5 mins - others ask questions of Person 1 and Person 1 answers
      • Key point: Other group members should limit their reactions to each Person’s reflection with ONLY questions, not statements. This can be hard at first, but we’ve found it to be a fruitful structure for conversation.
    • Rotate through the group members following the Share-and-Question structure
  • End with open discussion - however much time you have.
    • If you have a larger group, this would be the time to bring the small group discussions back together.

Feedback Form
We want to know who is using these resources, what they find useful, and any recommendations for improvements in the future. We hope that one person in your group can take a few minutes to fill out our feedback form to let us know how it went.
  • “It's not enough to just be a caring person who listens to all voices and tries not to be racist;  we need to change institutional racism...and focus on outcomes. We need to call out the systems of white privilege that we have invisibly and visibly benefited from, and we need to focus on SEEING that privilege.”
  • “We recognize our Black boys struggling to "fit into" this system that we're working and we struggle to figure out what the "solution" is. What is the answer? As a site? As a school district?"
Thank you all for you feedback so far, please keep it coming!

​Pass The Hat
In addition to being accountable to our colleagues and students of color, we believe it is important to be financially accountable to people of color who are doing this work on a daily basis. Each month, we will recommend an organization led by people of color, in education and beyond, doing the work of pushing for justice.
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At the end of each monthly discussion, pass a hat (or a box) and collect donations for the designated organization. You can then have one group member go online and donate in the name of your school. If you want, you can add “Building Anti-Racist White Educators” after your school name.

This month, we encourage you to donate to Black Lives Matter, “an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.” With more than 40 chapters, BLM is at the forefront of this work.

If you are looking to buy refreshments for your session, we recommend supporting businesses owned by people of color, especially Black-owned businesses, if at all possible. In Philly, we recommend Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, Franny Lou’s Porch, and Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books.