Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e8SAx6919954; Thu, 28 Sep 2000 06:59:06 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 06:59:06 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <50.b6b9d01.27047dd2@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Freemannola@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:43] Re: Examing Racial and Cultural X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 117 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 1279 Lines: 19 Bravo Jill Connoway and Lisa Gale! Social justice work is about changing the systems -- which are made up of our organizations -- so we must think collectively and strategically and not get bogged down over good intentions or my friendship with my good (black)(white) friend. Personal relationships are the yeast that give us energy for the struggle, but institutions respond not to individuals but to collective movements. Lisa (I think) asked what some folks do to address power and race issues. At our organization, we require all staff and (strongly) advocate all board to attend a 20-hour "undoing racism/community organizing" workshop sponsored by the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. The workshop gives an historical, institutional and cultural analysis of racism and poverty that has helped us re-think and re-structure our mission, values, program and staff. We are a very diverse staff-- and one of the reasons people of color come to work with us (despite our being a traditionally white cultural organization and despite the lousy wages) is because we are explicit about our commitment to being anti-racist. We have our vision statement on the wall of our offices and refer to it all the time as we do our work. Margery Freeman
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