Hello friends--
Summary of Sunday discussion 10/1
We moved on to step two of becoming a better ally, which is:
Step 2: Educate yourself on oppression and privilege in our society
Everyone in our society has been exposed to stereotypes and misinformation about ourselves and others. An ally should always be on the lookout for ways in which he may have come to believe these lies, consciously or unconsciously, and challenge that internalization in himself.
So we talked about just the nice little light concepts of oppression and privilege.
Using the work of Dr. Donna Beegle, we thought about the lessons that our class backgrounds (or other social backgrounds) may have taught us. Dr. Beegle talks about the lessons that poverty teaches, drawing on her own background as a child of migrant farm workers. You can see her share some of these ideas in this YouTube video.
I shared some of the lessons that I learned from growing up middle class, and from my working class grandmother and extended relatives. Jim Smith then shared some of his experiences growing up in the segregated south, and what he was taught about race and class and how that affected him.
Finally, we explored a quote from Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator who wrote some classic works on class oppression and liberation. We reflected a bit on what does it mean to be an oppressor (even recognizing that most of our identities are a layered mix of oppressed and privileged identities, and that even being an oppressor can be a source of pain and isolation). Freire talks about how allies (revolutionaries in his words) can try to work against the "marks of their origins" to "enter into communion with the people." A quote and some discussion questions are attached.
Reading reflection for the coming week 10/8
This week we will continue our discussion of oppression and privilege and how we may have internalized those. This will be a final week of more inwardly focused reflection before we move on to the nitty-gritty of developing alliances and solidarity with others interested in social change.
If you're reading along, we're on pages 54 - 76. And even if you're not reading along, here are a few questions to consider:
1) We all have a tendency to "diagnose" others and make judgments about why people behave as they do. How do you challenge your own thinking when you catch yourself making assumptions, or get confronted with the inaccuracy of your assumptions?
2) Are there ways in which your personal sense of worth or pride comes from comparing yourself to others? More educated than others, more politically astute than others, more spiritually engaged than others, or more generous than others?
3) How can we cultivate humility and not get caught in the temptation to make ourselves feel more worthy by creating divisions and distinctions between ourselves and others?
You're all worthy and wonderful in my estimation! And I promise this week I'll make time for us to talk. You've been great listeners, but it's time for me to step back and hear the wisdom of the room.
See you soon,
Annaka
Summary of Sunday discussion 10/1
We moved on to step two of becoming a better ally, which is:
Step 2: Educate yourself on oppression and privilege in our society
Everyone in our society has been exposed to stereotypes and misinformation about ourselves and others. An ally should always be on the lookout for ways in which he may have come to believe these lies, consciously or unconsciously, and challenge that internalization in himself.
So we talked about just the nice little light concepts of oppression and privilege.
Using the work of Dr. Donna Beegle, we thought about the lessons that our class backgrounds (or other social backgrounds) may have taught us. Dr. Beegle talks about the lessons that poverty teaches, drawing on her own background as a child of migrant farm workers. You can see her share some of these ideas in this YouTube video.
I shared some of the lessons that I learned from growing up middle class, and from my working class grandmother and extended relatives. Jim Smith then shared some of his experiences growing up in the segregated south, and what he was taught about race and class and how that affected him.
Finally, we explored a quote from Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator who wrote some classic works on class oppression and liberation. We reflected a bit on what does it mean to be an oppressor (even recognizing that most of our identities are a layered mix of oppressed and privileged identities, and that even being an oppressor can be a source of pain and isolation). Freire talks about how allies (revolutionaries in his words) can try to work against the "marks of their origins" to "enter into communion with the people." A quote and some discussion questions are attached.
Reading reflection for the coming week 10/8
This week we will continue our discussion of oppression and privilege and how we may have internalized those. This will be a final week of more inwardly focused reflection before we move on to the nitty-gritty of developing alliances and solidarity with others interested in social change.
If you're reading along, we're on pages 54 - 76. And even if you're not reading along, here are a few questions to consider:
1) We all have a tendency to "diagnose" others and make judgments about why people behave as they do. How do you challenge your own thinking when you catch yourself making assumptions, or get confronted with the inaccuracy of your assumptions?
2) Are there ways in which your personal sense of worth or pride comes from comparing yourself to others? More educated than others, more politically astute than others, more spiritually engaged than others, or more generous than others?
3) How can we cultivate humility and not get caught in the temptation to make ourselves feel more worthy by creating divisions and distinctions between ourselves and others?
You're all worthy and wonderful in my estimation! And I promise this week I'll make time for us to talk. You've been great listeners, but it's time for me to step back and hear the wisdom of the room.
See you soon,
Annaka