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Finding common ground is essential when building a more just world. This month we are again looking to Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes’ book Let This Radicalize You to help us reflect on how to build solidarity with others in spite of differences. Though Hayes and Kaba write from the perspective of organizers and activists, their message is applicable to all facets of the work we are trying to do in our schools, from supporting our colleagues and students of color and engaging more of our white colleagues, to organizing against anti-CRT laws, to having productive conversations about Israel and Palestine, to modeling empathetic discourse for our students.
In Chapter 9, “Organizing Isn’t Matchmaking,” they propose that anyone who decides to pursue social change must take on the responsibility of listening to others even when they are offensive and discomforting. Doing so opens up a range of possibilities. We may learn what motivates others to action, enabling us to effectively meet people where they are. We may find a thread of agreement to build on together. We may even learn a new truth that evolves our own views.
Primary Resource:
Excerpt from Let This Radicalize You
Questions:
*We borrow and adapt some questions from the Discussion Guide for Let This Radicalize You*
In Chapter 9, “Organizing Isn’t Matchmaking,” they propose that anyone who decides to pursue social change must take on the responsibility of listening to others even when they are offensive and discomforting. Doing so opens up a range of possibilities. We may learn what motivates others to action, enabling us to effectively meet people where they are. We may find a thread of agreement to build on together. We may even learn a new truth that evolves our own views.
Primary Resource:
Excerpt from Let This Radicalize You
Questions:
*We borrow and adapt some questions from the Discussion Guide for Let This Radicalize You*
- Where do you see yourself in the reading? What did it bring up for you?
- What barriers come up for you that keep you from building solidarity with others across differences? Barriers might include past harm, self-doubt, fears of judgment, language, and lack of depth of knowledge.
- How have you worked together with people that are different from you—or that you may even dislike?
- How can you stretch and grow in order to work with more people who believe a different world is possible?
- Aly Wane learned to become curious rather than reactive in his organizing. Think of times when you responded to offensive or uncomfortable comments with curiosity and times when you became reactive/defensive in response.
- How did those responses feel different?
- How do you make sure you enter a conversation fully ready to listen (to suspend your own beliefs, to learn a new truth, to evaluate your view in the face of someone’s story/ideas, to hear someone’s motivations/experiences)?
- Who do you believe has the responsibility to listen?
Secondary Resources:
Facilitation Reference Guide:
Feedback Form:
As we grow in year six, 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.
- Words to Win By podcast
- The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground
- "In Common Struggle against a Common Oppression": The United Farm Workers and the Black Panther Party, 1968-1973 by Lauren Araiza
- American Exchange Program
- The Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF)
Facilitation Reference Guide:
- Set a day and time for your group to meet - Make sure to send reminders. If you’re meeting in person, snacks are always a good idea!
- Send this month’s Primary Resource to your group. 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 Norms and Discussion Protocol.
- Pass the Hat and collect donations for either ReBuild or Lifted Voices this month.
- Complete the Feedback Form.
- Prepare yourself for next month by setting a date and time, inviting colleagues, and looking out for our next Discussion Guide on January 1st.
Feedback Form:
As we grow in year six, 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.
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.
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 either ReBuild or Lifted Voices. ReBuild is an organization supported by Mariam Kaba which connects formerly incarcerated people to culturally competent therapists. Lifted Voices, which Kelly Hayes helps lead, is “an all Black and Indigenous organizing collective committed to defending the lives and rights of marginalized people. [Their] work includes mutual aid, political education and direct action, as well as other projects. Direct action education plays a key role in our work.”
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.
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 either ReBuild or Lifted Voices. ReBuild is an organization supported by Mariam Kaba which connects formerly incarcerated people to culturally competent therapists. Lifted Voices, which Kelly Hayes helps lead, is “an all Black and Indigenous organizing collective committed to defending the lives and rights of marginalized people. [Their] work includes mutual aid, political education and direct action, as well as other projects. Direct action education plays a key role in our work.”