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Writer's pictureCultures Connecting

Newsletter: June 2024 Issue 2

Cultures Connecting banner with logo and tagline.

Q&A: White Women Allies

question and answer with ilsa govan and jp anderson

Welcome to our Question & Answer segment! You wrote in and we answered! This next question is about about White women allies:


"I'm struggling with a co-worker who centers herself in our team's equity work. We are both White women. She doesn't seem to be self-aware about how she centers herself, her experiences, and her own efforts in our project's equity work. She shares a lot about how she is working hard on equity, but there are never any offerings of how she is taking on the work or the specifics of the work itself. 


Our project leadership continues to allow this to happen and lacks capacity to properly manage this person away from centering herself in the work. So, she continues to step into the work, even though she has a track record of breaking trust with colleagues, in particular colleagues of color, community members, and others..." 


To continue reading this question and our answer, head on over to our blog to read our thoughts from Ilsa Govan, with guest contributor Tilman Smith, and Dr. J.P. Anderson.



If you have a question, please email judy.lee@culturesconnecting.com with "Ask Us a Question" in the subject line.


 

What's Up with White Women Workshop Now Virtual!

what's up with white women workshop with ilsa govan and tilman smith headshots

Our workshop, What's Up with White Women? Unpacking Sexism and White Privilege in Pursuit of Racial Justice, is now virtual so anyone from anywhere can attend!


In this 2-day workshop we use a developmental model to examine how our identities change as we grow in our understanding of personal and institutional oppression. We will use highly interactive methods including reflective writing, video clips, small group conversations, and storytelling to take a deeper look into our learned patterns of behavior. During our time together we will co-create a community where our spirits are renewed and our commitment to social justice is strengthened.


Dates: June 20-21

Time: 9:00-12:30 PT / 12:00-3:30 ET

Location: Zoom


Hurry since the last day to register is Tuesday, June 18th! For questions, reach out to Judy at judy.lee@culturesconnecting.com. Sign up today by clicking the button below.



 

Register for Our Train the Trainer Workshop in August

train the trainer course details with Caprice Hollins' and Ilsa Govan's headshots

Register for our next virtual workshop Train the Trainer: Strategies for Facilitating Courageous Conversations on Race on August 14-16th at 8:30-12:00 PST.


Through engaging and interactive exercises, participants learn strategies and tips on how to successfully present sensitive information to a wide audience of learners. You will develop skills to take difficult conversations about race, privilege, and power to a deeper level and learn strategies for working with resistance.


Participants will…

  1. Gain tips for creating a welcoming environment.

  2. Learn ways to establish credibility and build relationships with participants.

  3. Identify your own triggers and learn strategies to engage people when they are triggered.

  4. Develop skills for handling common pitfalls and resistance.

  5. Improve your ability to address cultural tensions and conflict.

  6. Notice and address common expressions of white privilege in workshop dynamics.


And so much more! Sign up today by clicking the button below!




 

Juneteenth

juneteenth banner with fist and red, yellow, green brushstrokes

Juneteenth, also known as "Freedom Day" or "Emancipation Day," commemorates June 19, 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom nearly two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln on Jan 1, 1863. Read more about The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth from the National Museum of African American History & Culture.


The following are a few ways to commemorate Juneteenth in the greater Seattle area. Be sure scroll down to the Event Calendar for a list of more Juneteenth events or visit our Events Calendar!


A Days Wage Supporting Black Liberation

Creative Justice is hosting A Days Wage, where non-Black community members are encouraged to consider joining the campaign by contributing paid time off wages to Creative Justice or another Black-led organization as a form of economic justice and racial justice.


It Takes a Village

Consider donating to the organization It Takes a Village, which provides opportunities to engage with history and the Black experience and connect with community, services and resources, and more to improve overall health and celebrate the diverse cultures that make up our communities. They will also be hosting the 8th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Othello Playground on June 22nd.


Northwest African American Museum (NAAM)

Spanning three days, NAAM will be celebrating Juneteenth on the 15th with their Annual Skate Party and 16th with their Celebrating Fathers event. They will be concluding their Juneteenth celebration on June 19th with free admission to the museum, community activities, and an opportunity to see their newest exhibits Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See and Interrupting Privilege.


Eastside Honoring Juneteenth

Our colleague Delbert Richardson of The Unspoken Truths American History Traveling Museum will be featured in this celebration in Kirkland on June 17th. There will be speakers, performances, DJs, and food trucks. Visit the event website for more details.


 

My Name Story Short Documentary


Judy Lee, our Projects Manager, concluded her month long exhibition My Name Story in honor of AANHPI Heritage Month. Her project videographer, Tatyana Kurepina of Films About Artists, created a short 6-minute documentary about My Name Story and the exhibition. Watch below.



 

Social Justice DEIB Calendar with calendar and pencil

Upcoming DEIB/Social Justice Events


For details on these and other events, workshops, and conferences happening in the social justice space, visit our Events Calendar. If you have an event you would like us to share, please reach out to us!


  • 6/15: NAAM Annual Juneteenth Skate Party

  • 6/15: Tsuru Voices in Solidarity

  • 6/15: The Tender Work: Acknowledging White Responsibility in a Racialized World

  • 6/16: NAAM Celebrating Fathers

  • 6/16: Revival: Juneteenth Pop-Up Market

  • 6/16: Aware LA: Third Sunday Dialogue

  • 6/17: Eastside Honoring Juneteenth with Delbert Richardson

  • 6/17: Zine Release: Stories of Freedom & Resistance

  • 6/17: Study and Action for Palestine

  • 6/17: White & Queer: Our Legacy & Responsibility w/Cynthia Nixon

  • 6/18: NAMI BIPOC Support Group

  • 6/18: Pride! Putting the Fab into Mindfulness

  • 6/19: NAAM Juneteenth Day Celebration

  • 6/19: Africatown Summer of Soul Juneteenth Celebration

  • 6/19: Mercer Island Juneteenth Community Celebration

  • 6/20: Social Justice Stewardship: Relational Skills for Sustainable Change

  • 6/20: SURJ Abolitionist Action Hour

  • 6/20: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group

  • 6/21: Analysis, Skills, and Practices for Understanding and Dismantling Anti-Semitism and Christian Supremacy

  • 6/22: Atlantic Street Center's 23rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration

  • 6/22: 8th Annual Juneteenth Celebration

  • 6/22: Octavia Butler Birthday Bash

  • 6/24: JEDI/PACT Certification Program

  • 6/26: The Art of Framing Difficult Topics

  • 6/27: Working with the Live Wire of Oppression Intro

  • 6/29: Capitol Hill Pridefest

...and so much more! Visit our Events Calendar to see the full schedule.

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