Beginning in January 2021 the Central Coast Chapter of CAMFT is excited to be offering the 10-week workshop series Witnessing Whiteness based on the book of the same name by Shelley Tochluk and integrating some of the exercises included in Resmaa Menakem's My Grandmother's Hands.
Witnessing Whiteness (WW) groups are white people coming together to do work around racism in a supportive, non-threatening setting. It is about learning to speak about race and racism, exploring white privilege, and practicing allying with sisters and brothers of color. WW groups are designed for individuals who identify as white.
The work of WW groups draws on the book Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It by Shelly Tochluk. The book has nine chapters and while group sessions draw on the book, the work is about participants’ own lives, not textual analysis. During group meetings, participants consider their own lives in light of what they are learning through individual reflection as well as exercises that occur in dyads, triads, and the entire group.
The WW groups strive to:
- Create spaces where individuals who identify and experience the world as white persons can gain additional information, practice, scholarship, and insight into creating a more just and equitable world;
- Invite participants into a community of other white people committed to positive change in their lives, workplace, and region;
- Provide a loving and healing atmosphere to learn about and grow in understanding and skills in one of the most difficult topics in our country: race;
- Gain understanding of the intersections of race and systems;
- Encourage advocacy, collaboration, and strategies for change while increasing knowledge;
- “Build knowledge, skills, capacities, and communities that support anti-racism practices” (Tochluk); and
- Understand and practice interrupting racism, develop skills to act as agents of change.
Structure and Logistics:
Karen Rogers, LMFT will guide the group through ten one-hour sessions over approximately 10 weeks—one week for each chapter of the book plus one to reflect on the whole and look forward. It is understood that some participants will likely miss one or more sessions, but it is important to commitment to the group process and attend as often as possible.
The group is scheduled to begin on January 12th, 2021 and meet on Tuesday evenings of every week from 6 to 7PM. The meetings will take place via Zoom. Login information will be sent prior to the beginning of the first session. Login will begin 15 minutes early the first evening to take care of business and to familiarize participants with Zoom.
To sign up, please contact Karen Rogers animagyk@yahoo.com. There is a brief interview process and some preliminary forms to complete before the workshop series begins.
If you would like to participate in a Witnessing Whiteness Group but cannot attend the upcoming Tuesday night series at 6PM, please contact Karen at animagyk@yahoo.com and you will be put on a waitlist for future workshops.
Participants are required to purchase the book ahead of the workshop. HERE is a link to purchase the book. You can also search online for used books. While you may purchase the book in Kindle format, I do not recommend that you do so. You will want to write in your books and be able to refer to it during class.
HERE is a clip from a WW class (although please recognize that this was an in-person class and the format has been shifted to accommodate online learning).
We are offering a limited number of scholarships to pre-licensed folks. If you are interested in receiving a scholarship, please write a brief statement about why you are interested in participating and how you hope to apply the information they learn personally/professionally.
Registration is limited to 24 people so if you are interested please register as soon as possible.
Upon completion of the workshop series and the evaluation participants will be eligible for up to TEN CEUs on the subject of racial justice.
Proceeds from this workshop series will be donated to local non-profits addressing racial equality and anti-racism.
