THE CONCEPT
IBM says, "Think."
Macintosh says, "Think different."
We say, "Think again."
What does it take for us — especially those of us who are white — to see white privilege and power? How can those of us who hunger for racial justice find ways to point at whiteness and to help white people see it?
The purpose of the fourth national conference on whiteness is to bring together those who work with white people against systems of white power and privilege in order to Think Again. To look and see again. To notice what had escaped our notice previously. Our intention as planners has been to create containers for looking and thinking again and for finding ways to work together.
To work together, we must move in, over, and through our differences — of culture, religion, political analysis and strategy, age, class, life history, work experience, geographic origins, language, physical and mental ability, gender and sexual orientation — and the systems of superiority and inferiority we internalize.
This conference is an opportunity for
- becoming more cognizant of some "old ruts" that may tempt us and choosing instead more promising paths for our collective work
- sharing our wisdom and deepening our understanding of what we know and what we experience
- learning from others whose work and life experiences are different from our own
- hearing about different approaches to the work of fostering racial equality in an atmosphere of dialogue, not divisive debate.
The fourth annual conference will begin with visits to and a history of Boston which will ground our collective attention on one city’s experience with white power and privilege and the ways it is preserved or challenged.
The middle portion of the conference will be devoted primarily to dialogue in small groups, in some cases, preceded by very brief presentations. Such presentations will be offered, not to showcase any particular individual, approach or project, but as a stimulus for the dialogues in which we share our wisdom and learn from each other.
The final sessions of the conference will give participants an opportunity to assess what they have learned and the implications they see for action. It will allow time for networking and strategizing for action.
WHO SHOULD COME
If you are a parent, public official, student, artist, spiritual leader, community activist, educator, organizer, or anyone else who works and lives for racial justice and equality specifically with white people in white communities and organizations — whether you get paid to do that or not — please consider coming to this conference.
We ask that you come with an intention
- to share with other participants what you know about white privilege and power
- to listen to the wisdom others bring
- to work with others to find creative and life-affirming ways to interrupt the power of systems that benefit some while punishing others
- to participate in all three days of the conference.
Space at the conference is limited. Register early.
VISITS TO NEIGHBORHOODS
The focus of these visits — guided by people who know the neighborhoods well — will be on the ways in which white power and privilege have operated in that neighborhood historically and how they operate today.
At the time of this printing, the neighborhoods considered for these visits include the South End, Beacon Hill, Fields Corner, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and Chinatown.
We assume a lot can be learned about whiteness when we are intentional about focusing on it. Participants will be asked to focus not only on what they see in and hear about the neighborhood they visit, but also on what they observe about their own reactions and feelings both about the neighborhood itself and the interactions they have with others in their group and people they meet along the way.
THE COUNCIL PROCESS
The Council Process was developed by Earth Drum Council, inspired by council processes of many cultures (including Native American, African, and ancient European), and influenced by modern business facilitation practices. Council Process creates a space for deep listening to others speaking from the heart. Freed from debate, participants will have an opportunity to examine assumptions and discover our collective wisdom. Facilitators trained in this process will create a space for deep listening, soulful speaking and the discovery of how individual perspectives inform the whole. Participants will be assigned to a small group of 15 to 20.
COST
We ask that individuals pay as much as they can between $50 and $175. We estimate that the average cost per participant will be $75 — which covers publicity, space, clean-up, telephone, food, printing, and so on. If $50 is prohibitive, please call 617-536-8782 to discuss options. The sliding scale for those sponsored by their organizations is $75 to $175.
SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS
Women’s Theological Center
P.O. Box 1200, Boston, MA 02117
617-536-8782 / WTC@world.std.com
S.P.A.R.C.
56 Lincoln Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
1-800-686-4809 / Lschecter@pobox.com
Simmons Institute for Leadership and Change
Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
Diane Hammer / 617-521-2480
Partnership Against Racism
1507 E 53rd St., #132, Chicago, IL 60615
773-643-5732 / lowellt@enteract.com
Public Conversations Project
46 Kondazian St., Watertown, MA 02172
617-923-1216 / www.publicconversations.org
Earth Drum Council
Jimi Two Feathers, P.O. Box 1284, Concord, MA 01742
978-371-2502 / www.earthdrum.com
Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries
474 Center St., Newton, MA 02458
617-244-3650
Community Change
14 Beacon St., #605, Boston, MA 02108
617-523-0555
Center for the Study of White American Culture
245 W. 4th Ave., Roselle, NJ 07203
908-241-5439 /
Contact@euroamerican.org
www.euroamerican.org
Boston African American National Historic Site
National Park Services, 14 Beacon St., #503
Boston, MA 02108 / www.nps.gov/boaf/
SCHEDULE
Friday, June 23, 2000
Ancient and Honorable
Hall, Faneuil Hall
8:30 to 9:00
Gathering
9:30 to 11:00
Welcome and context setting
11:00 to 3:00
Visits to Boston neighborhoods (includes getting lunch)
3:00 to 5:30
Debrief visits and create collective
picture of Boston
Saturday, June 24, 2000
Simmons College
8:30 to 9:00
Continental breakfast *
9:00 to 10:00
Full group context-setting and
introduction to the day’s process
10:00 to 1:00
Council process in small groups
Details above
1:00 to 2:00
Lunch *
2:00 to 5:00
Council process in small groups
5:00 to 7:00
Dinner*
7:00 to 9:00
Full group gathering
Sunday, June 25, 2000
Simmons College
8:30 to 9:00
Continental breakfast
9:00 to 10:00
Creating open space options
10:00 to 1:00
Individuals participate in activities/groups of their choosing
1:00 to 2:00
Closing lunch *
* meals provided
(Schedule subject to change)
REGISTRATION / DONATION
DEADLINE: June 9, 2000 or while space is available
Registration questions? Call 617-536-8782
NOTE: Please do not register if you cannot commit to participating in the whole event.
Name: _______________________________________
Organization: _________________________________
Address: _____________________________________
____________________________________________
Phone: (______) _______________________________
Email: _______________________________________
Please check all that apply
___ I wish to attend this conference and commit to being a participant for the full three days.
___ I am able to house __ participants from out of town.
___ I would like to stay at a local participant’s home.
___ Please send information about local hotels.
___ I wish to pay $_____. (Please pay as much as you can between $50 and $175).
___ I am enclosing $___ as a donation to subsidize costs.
___ I am paying by check, cash or money order which is enclosed. (Checks can be made out to WTC.)
___ I wish to pay with credit card
Circle type:
American Express / VISA / MasterCard
Card No.: _________________________________
Name on card: _____________________________
Exp. Date: ___ / ___
Signature: _________________________________
To help planners create groups, please complete the following:
Racial/cultural identity __________________________
Age _________ Gender _________________
Forum for your anti-racism/"whiteness" work
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Occupation ___________________________________
Disabilities or other things we should know about — particularly with regard to food
and/or transportation to a neighborhood:________________________________________________________________________________________
Return this form to:
WTC, P.O. Box 1200, Boston, MA 02117-1200
Information on previous conferences