The Tender Work: Acknowledging white responsibility in a racialized world

We know that different human 'races' don't actually exist; yet racism absolutely does. Similarly, there is no 'white race', yet the impact of culture organized around the construct of whiteness is incontrovertible. And we all know those impacts land differently on different bodies.

So what responsibility do those of us who our world sees as white have?

This is tender work; it tugs at our hearts, our sense of ourselves, our regard for others. It requires us to look deeply at ourselves, to see things alive in us we did not ask to be there, then to be gentle about the process of growth. It requires us to understand the motivations of our culture, its mechanisms and tactics, to make more visible the air we breathe.

Package your uneasiness, rage, confusion, or motivation into questions, and bring them to these monthly conversations. We'll talk, we'll listen to each other, we'll ponder and let ourselves be moved. Be ready to leave feeling mobilized to shift things: in you, in your relationships, your community, your world. 

The conversation happens in a humane, relational environment in which to experience the feelings of uncertainty that frequently accompany conversations about oppression and the desire for equity. The tone is welcoming and honest, lighthearted and exploratory, revealing and nonjudgemental.

The circle occurs on the 15th of each month. Drop-ins and committed regulars are all welcome.

What You Can Expect

We will...

• Base our conversations on your questions, experiences, concerns, ideas and successes.
• Use a non-hierarchical, inclusive format that incorporates and models liberatory and anti-oppression practices
• F ocus on our individual growth and awareness as well as the actions we can take to effect change in our environments
• Use racial equity as our entry into learning about oppressions (and remediations) of all kinds

We might...

• S tick to an agenda, or abandon it to attend to what shows up in the room
• Make connections with people that may inspire keeping the conversation after the workshop
• Experience some strong emotions

We won't...

• Be relying on Black, Indigenous & People of Color with the task of educating us
• Present a ready-made checklist of anti-racist or anti-oppression actions you can choose from
• Focus on perspectives that uphold the supremacy of anyone over anyone else
• Reach closure, success or completion around this topic

Martha Hurwitz is a coach, consultant and facilitator working with individuals, groups and organizations concerned with issues of equity. She is the granddaughter of Eastern European immigrants fleeing anti-Semitism who arrived in the U.S. as Jews became seen as 'white'. Awakened to how she benefits as a person racialized as white while others are systematically disadvantaged, Martha made an antiracist/pro-equity shift in her parenting, business concept, day-to-day priorities. She has an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a wide-ranging career centered around alternative education, democracy and liberation. She has co-founded a democratic/non-agist school, taught qigong to people with cancer, managed child welfare improvement efforts, and led Outward Bound courses.

Cancellations and Refunds

T he minimum number of participants for these conversations is 3. If 24 hours prior to the workshop there are fewer participants, I will reach out to offer you a refund or a slot at an upcoming date.

Up to 24 hours before to a workshop, you can request a refund. Eventbrite fees are nonrefundable. You also can transfer to a different date or workshop.

Within 24 hours of the workshop start time, no refunds are given.