Our goal is to build multicultural, diverse, engaged, spiritual communities and work to dismantle racism and other oppressions. Antiracism Learning Circles are opportunities to do some of that work, to expose ourselves to our true history, to increase awareness of ongoing oppressions, and to explore and reveal our reactions to issues concerning race in America.
As Maya Angelou reminds us, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
We strive to hear every voice, provide a safe space for expressing doubts and discomfort, encourage each other, and learn in a small group setting. It is a way to deepen our relationships and our understandings.
These circles are open to all. They are conducted via video conferencing, so you can participate from any time zone. Times shown are Pacific. Please invite your friends and neighbors to join these Circles!
TO REGISTER, scroll down to the end of this page to enter your name, email, phone number, location and which circle(s) you would like to join.
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1. Seeing White: Season 2 of Scene on Radio. This is where to start your journey!
This is an award-winning podcast series about our real history -- the one none of us were taught in school. It responds to the questions: Where did the notion of “whiteness” come from, what does it mean, and what is it for? Previous participants say that their lives have been “deeply touched” by this work. We’ll listen to one episode per session, with related video or audio pieces provided. There will be 11 sessions, 90 minutes each, meeting every other week. As the hosts say, we think everyone should be exposed to "Seeing White." Led by Jody Feldman.
- # 1A) Tuesday afternoons 3:30 - 5:00 pm Pacific time biweekly October 17 - February 27
- # 1B) Tuesday evenings 7:00 - 8:30 pm Pacific time biweekly October 17 - February 27
- # 1C) Tuesday mornings - Alliance Members Only - 10:30 - noon Pacific time biweekly October 17 -- Feb 27
- Meeting dates: 10/17, 10/31, 11/14, 11/28, 12/12, 12/19, 1/9, 1/23, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27
2. This Land
https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/
Season 2 of the podcast "This Land" with Cherokee Tribal member Rebecca
Nagle, takes us through the history of a recent Supreme Court case that
threatened the entire legal structure defending Native American rights.
Under the guise of a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act, an adoption
dispute was co-opted by the far right hoping to use Native children to quietly
dismantle American Indian tribes and advance a conservative agenda. The case
has been settled but the underlying issues are still relevant. There will be 9 sessions, meeting weekly, 90 minutes each, with listening "homework" prior to each session. Led by Martha and Sandy Nichols.
- # 2) Monday evenings, 7-8:30 Pacific time, weekly starting September 18
- Meeting dates: 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/13, 11/20, 11/27
3. The Repair: Season 5 of Scene on Radio
https://sceneonradio.org/the-repair/
“The Repair '' podcast looks deep into how and why humanity went wrong in relationship with earth and other living beings and what it would really take to save ourselves. Episodes are based in the US and around the globe. Listen or read the 11 episodes and bring your life experience and impressions to our discussion. Together we will discover our own unique way of participating in the repair. We will meet four evenings, every other week. We are especially interested in a multigenerational group. Limited to 10 participants. Led by: Linda Craig and Jean Trygstad.
- # 3) Tuesday evenings, 7:00 - 8:15 pm Pacific time, biweekly starting October 10
- Meeting dates: 10/10, 10/24, 11/7, 11/21
4. Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen
phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched,
and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America
today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a
rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Facilitated by Lena Lee.
- # 4) Wednesday afternoons, 3-4:30 Pacific time, weekly starting Oct 25
- Meeting dates: 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6
5. For The Wild
In this podcast series, host Ayana Young joins some of the brightest thought-leaders and visionaries of our time – to uplift a multitude of perspectives, to amplify grassroot voices, and to tell stories that would otherwise disappear in mainstream media. Key topics include the struggle to protect wild nature, to promote ecological renewal and resistance and to heal from the disconnection furthered by consumer culture and human supremacy. The conversations between Ayana and her guests are filled with compassion and urgency. They provide space to face hard truths, to find hope in dark times, and to reimagine our world and ways in which we can be of service to it. Each episode leaves one with the feeling of having had their soul expanded. For the Learning Circle this fall, two episodes a week will be selected for discussion. The selected episodes will highlight conversations with guests of color and cover a variety of intersecting topics. The guests we will listen to include Tricia Hersey, Alok, Rachel Cargle and many others. Transcripts are available for all episodes. Meeting weekly for 7 weeks. Led by Miranda Broadbent.
- #5) Thursdays, 7-8:30 pm Pacific time, weekly starting October 5
- Meeting dates: 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16
6. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, edited by Nikole Hannah Jones
A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, The 1619
Project: A New Origin Story offers a profoundly revealing vision of
the American past and present. This book that speaks directly to our current
moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate
today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and
construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with
emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life. We will read one essay per week, and meet for 19 weeks. It is a journey well worth the commitment. Led by Jody Feldman.
- # 6A) Wednesdays 5 - 6:30 pm Pacific time, weekly, starting September 27 through January 31
- # 6B) Wednesdays 7 - 8:30 pm Pacific time, weekly, starting September 27 through January 31
7. Barred: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison by Daniel Medwed
In Barred, legal scholar Daniel S. Medwed argues that our justice system’s stringent procedural rules are largely to blame for the ongoing punishment of the innocent. Those rules guarantee criminal defendants just one opportunity to appeal their convictions directly to a higher court. Afterward, the wrongfully convicted can pursue only a few narrow remedies. Even when there is strong evidence of a miscarriage of justice, rigid guidelines, bias, and deference toward lower courts all too often prevent exoneration. This book details what is wrong with our criminal justice system and how we may try to fix it. Author Daniel Medwed has offered to provide study questions and perhaps participate in a conversation. Led by Rupert Ayton.
- #7A) Wednesday afternoons 4-5:30 pm Pacific time, biweekly starting Nov 1
- #7B) Wednesday evenings 7-8:30 pm Pacific time, biweekly starting Nov 1
- Meeting dates: 11/1, 11/15, 11/29, 12/13, 1/3, 1/17
8. The Land That Has Never Been Yet: Season 4 of Scene on Radio.
This is the sequel to “Seeing White,” a podcast series about democracy and whether we have ever really had one. The series touches on concerns like authoritarianism, voter suppression, gerrymandering, foreign intervention, and the role of money in politics but goes much deeper, effectively retelling the story of the US from its beginnings to the present. Previous participants say this information is critical to understanding how our system came to be and what it will take to move closer to the Beloved Community. There will be 12 sessions, meeting every other week, 90 minutes each, with listing or watching "homework" before each session. Led by Jody Feldman
- # 8A) Thursday afternoons 3:30 - 5 pm Pacific time, biweekly October 12 through March 21
- # 8B) Thursday evenings 7 -8:30 pm Pacific time, biweekly October 12 through March 21
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DETAILS
When you register, your Circles facilitator will reach out to you with a Zoom link & a helpful guide for your sessions.
Questions? Contact Jody at feldmanjody@gmail.com
If you like this event, please consider donating to support the work of this church. Thank you! Please feel free to add a note to direct your donation to a specific effort.
