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Inquiry Series
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Current Year 24 - 25 School Year
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- September: From where are we drawing hope to sustain the antiracist work ahead of us
- Fall: How does your community practice hope and grief in collectivity?
- November: How does your community practice hope and grief in collectivity?
- December: How do we imagine the world we’re working towards seven generations in the future?
- January: How do we build a school culture and design curriculum that engages critical hope?
- February: How do we build a school culture and design curriculum that engages critical hope?
- March: How can we take small actions to strengthen our communities in the face of racism?
- April: How can we take small actions to strengthen our communities in the face of racism?
- May: Why are relationships our best hope for building new worlds?
- June: How will your work this year move your BARWE group towards being more engaged locally and beyond to stand up for those fighting for justice?
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Current Year 24 - 25 School Year
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If this is your first year doing this series, you might consider using our Inquiry Series 3 material for the year or hosting an orientation meeting using our September material before moving on to the current month.
Don't forget to give us feedback!
Overview: We started this year by reading “Hope and Grief can Coexist” from Let This Radicalize You by Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes. We now invite you to close out the year by reading the conclusion of their book, “Relationships, Reciprocity, and Struggle.” (As before, we encourage you to buy the book! If you do not have a copy of the book, we suggest you use one of the podcast episodes below instead.)
In past years we have published Inquiry Series centered on topics of taking risks, productive conflict and struggle, strengthening relationships with, and building accountability towards, our partners in creating a just world. Taken with the arc of the current series, one thing should be abundantly clear: It is not enough to do this work alone. It is not sustainable nor transformative. We must connect with each other and struggle together, even across differences, in order to craft an irresistible movement towards justice.
We are asking you to begin to wrap your series up by considering the relationships which you have, and those which you hope to develop. Dig deep into our two discussion questions this month, taken from the Let This Radicalize You discussion guide. Push past surface answers and look towards creating a plan to bring your relationship building to fruition.
Discussion Questions:
Additional Resources:
Facilitation Reference Guide:
Feedback Form:
We have made edits to our feedback form, with the hopes that you find it faster and more straightforward to fill out. Please have one person in your group take a few minutes to fill out our feedback form to let us know how it went. It is very helpful to hear from you, and helps build our connection to you!
Thank you all for your 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.
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, consider donating to Asian Americans United. Since 1985, Asian Americans United has existed so that people of Asian ancestry in Philadelphia exercise leadership to build their communities and unite to challenge oppression. AAU has a focus towards building youth leadership, culture, and community.
Don't forget to give us feedback!
Overview: We started this year by reading “Hope and Grief can Coexist” from Let This Radicalize You by Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes. We now invite you to close out the year by reading the conclusion of their book, “Relationships, Reciprocity, and Struggle.” (As before, we encourage you to buy the book! If you do not have a copy of the book, we suggest you use one of the podcast episodes below instead.)
In past years we have published Inquiry Series centered on topics of taking risks, productive conflict and struggle, strengthening relationships with, and building accountability towards, our partners in creating a just world. Taken with the arc of the current series, one thing should be abundantly clear: It is not enough to do this work alone. It is not sustainable nor transformative. We must connect with each other and struggle together, even across differences, in order to craft an irresistible movement towards justice.
We are asking you to begin to wrap your series up by considering the relationships which you have, and those which you hope to develop. Dig deep into our two discussion questions this month, taken from the Let This Radicalize You discussion guide. Push past surface answers and look towards creating a plan to bring your relationship building to fruition.
Discussion Questions:
- Why are relationships our best hope for building new worlds?
- What are some relationships that you would like to cultivate and grow?
Additional Resources:
- Movement Memos Podcast Episode: We Must Burst Our Algorithmic Bubbles and Build Together Across Difference
- “We Don’t Get There Without The Shared Struggle” - Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba’s Let This Radicalize You (Podcast Episode 2 of 2 - Episode 1 of 2 is here)
Facilitation Reference Guide:
- Set a day and time for your group to meet - This may need to change if your school or district is cutting back on “DEI.” Get creative by meeting off campus or on zoom. Make sure to send reminders. If you’re meeting in person, snacks are always a good idea!
- Send this month’s journal prompt 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.
- When you start your meeting, read the room. What grounding does your group need? A breathing exercise? A sing-along? A dance break? A group scream? Build in a moment for that.
Feedback Form:
We have made edits to our feedback form, with the hopes that you find it faster and more straightforward to fill out. Please have one person in your group take a few minutes to fill out our feedback form to let us know how it went. It is very helpful to hear from you, and helps build our connection to you!
Thank you all for your 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.
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, consider donating to Asian Americans United. Since 1985, Asian Americans United has existed so that people of Asian ancestry in Philadelphia exercise leadership to build their communities and unite to challenge oppression. AAU has a focus towards building youth leadership, culture, and community.