Frequently Asked Questions
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How is what you offer different from Diversity & Inclusion Training?
Diversity & Inclusion training has its place, but is only a stepping-stone in anti-racism and collective liberation. Diversity & Inclusion efforts do not always address the culture change needed, and often centre whiteness and the comfort of white, cisgender and non-disabled people. What I am offering goes beyond checking boxes of who is in the room. I provide support and guidance in the deep personal work of bearing witness to prejudiced implicit biases and our work on the path of liberation. What is your accountability network?
Anti-racism is about being in process all the time, and so I have built a network of people to ensure I have an accountability process in this work. In addition to continuously reading and listening to leaders in the area of anti-racism, I have been part of an anti-racist white caucus group and have an ever deepening relationship with S.Rae Peoples of Red Lotus Consulting. I have been an active member in Reverend angel Kyodo williams' Liberated Life Network and Lama Rod Owens' online community, Bhumisparsha, as well as the greater Radical Dharma community, where I connect with and get support from others on this path. Below, in the section on Gratitude & Appreciation, I have included details of teachers I have studied with and books and talks that are resources and supports for me. Everything I offer is informed by the work of those listed below and my ongoing personal commitment to liberation. |
Why are some offerings for white people only?
I give direct credit to Resmaa Menakem's approach to anti-racist work. He acknowledges and recognises that bringing white people and Black, Indigenous, Latinx, East-Asian, South-Asian and mixed-race people together re-traumatizes BIPoC communities. As white-bodied people, we have our own work to do around disarming defensiveness, white guilt and shame, and unlearning our implicit and explicit biases. None of that work requires having non-white folks in the room. In the words of my friend and colleague S.Rae Peoples, "You don't build muscle by watching others work out at the gym. You have to lift your own weights." What is the cost of these offerings?
Offerings are priced on a sliding scale depending on multiple factors. As a human being living under capitalism, there are inevitable costs associated with this work that the fees help me to cover. Ultimately, my interest in making these offerings available are about our collective liberation and helping other white people step up. When a group or individual can pay a greater fee, it allows me to offer this to a wider audience on a sliding scale. I also make ongoing direct contributions to various organizations on the front lines of social change, including Buy From a Black Woman and Translifeline, and I pay Real Rent to the Duwamish Nation as an occupier of their unceded lands. |
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