Who Am I? Why Does it Matter?

Dismantling Racism from a young White man’s perspective – practices to stay aware and grounded in the reality of my culture and others.

Aaron C. Nosich

EL_3539_01, 2/5/2021

Visio Divina �1 John 3:1-11

• See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
• ⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. ⁷ Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 
• ⁸ The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 
• ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. ¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 

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The Power Flower

Personal Social Identity

• Sex
• Race
• Geographical Location
• Education Level
• Age Group
• Height
• Ability/Disability
• Sexual Identity

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Group Social Identity

• Ethnic Group
• Language
• Religion
• Family
• Social Class

Let’s Take a Look at this Power Flower

• As this exercise reveals aspects of our social identity that we are often not aware of, sometimes the unveiling can cause pain, anger, or even denial. A person who feels personally powerless is confronted by the fact that regardless of how she might feel, she is seen as wielding quite a bit of power by society in general. On the other hand, someone who feels personally responsible for not having succeeded may be freed from self-blame when they see that there are structural reasons holding them back. Helping one another untangle the personal from the structural can help us move forward with anti-racism work and with our struggle to seek justice against other oppressions.

Reflection Questions

• How do your social identities relate to those who have societal power? 
• Do you share certain identities? 
• What does this exercise illustrate about oppression and power structures? 
• Who holds power and who does not? 

https://www.homelessnesslearninghub.ca/learning-materials/2slgbtqia-toolkit/anti-oppression-and-power-flower-exercise

The Day I Discovered My Life Was Different

• I went on a Mission Trip to Mexico
• I stepped foot into an all-Black church
• I lived in another country and states
• Music
• In Daniel Hill’s book, White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White he shares in the privilege of being a part of an Indian wedding.
• Reflecting on Hill’s story and looking at the questions for Ch1 on p. 185
• Do you have any resistance to the idea that “white” is a primary cultural identity in the United States? Why or why not?

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How are you doing?

• As we dig deeper into this presentation, we are going to start to feel different emotions.

Do What You Need to Do to Take Care of Yourself ☺

• Roll your Shoulders
• Stand up
• Stretch
• Pay Attention to Your Breathing

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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are an American hip hop duo, formed in 2008, from Seattle, Washington. The duo is composed of Ben Haggerty, a gay man and a rapper who goes by the stage name of Macklemore,^[2][3] and Ryan Lewis, a record producer, DJ, and professional photographer, who met the former at a photo shoot. In 2009, they released their first collaborative effort, an EP titled VS. EP. They later followed up with VS. Redux (2010), the Grammy Award-winning album The Heist (2012) and This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016).

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7965849/macklemore-gemini-ryan-lewis-not-produce-why

Jamila Woods

Jamila Woods (born October 6, 1989) is a Chicago-based American singer, songwriter and poet. Woods is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Brown University, where she received a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies. Her work focuses on themes of Black ancestry, Black feminism, and Black identity, with recurring emphases on self-love and the City of Chicago.

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White Privilege II

*Trigger Warning*

*Explicit Language*

Take a Moment�Body Practice (p.63-64)

For now, find a quiet, comfortable place where you can be alone for 15 minutes. Once you’re settled, take a deep breath. Then consider the following questions

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• When were your ancestors first declared Black or white (or Asian, or American Indian, or something else)? Who determined this? How was that determination communicated to your ancestors?
• Where did this happen? What were the surrounding circumstances?
• How did this categorization change your ancestors’ immediate situation? How did it change their future?
• How is your body responding to these questions? Where do you experience resistance or constriction? Where do you sense a recognition or affirmation?
• Do these questions seem insightful and important, or stupid and pointless? Do you want to laugh, or cry, or cuss, or run away?

R. Menakem. My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies(Central Recovery Press, 2017)

Visio Divina �Galations 3:23-29

• Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 
• So, the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
• So, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  
• There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 
• If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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Unlocking Leadership Mind Traps

• Rightness
• Simple Stories
• Agreement
• Control
• Ego

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Where do you identify yourself in these Mind Traps?

Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps: How to Thrive in Complexity, by Jennifer Garvey Berger (Stanford University Press, 2019)

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I believe that if we want meaningful, lasting change we need to get clear on the differences between shame and guilt and call for an end to shame as tool for change. That also means moving away from labeling. ��-Brene Brown

End of the Evening

• Who are you and where do you want to go next in your journey on understanding yourself and race?
• Who in your family do you need to have a tough conversation with regarding race? (Take note of your energy before you start a conversation you may not be ready to have)
• Who in your family or past friends have you “written off” because their view on race is different than yours? How might reconciling with them help or harm the parties involved?
• What other white people do you need to be talking to and maybe looking to form a group?
• How can you move beyond “us” versus “them” and move toward collective accountability?

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Play Video and once complete recite this Glory prayer 

�Leader: God of justice and God of peace. Hear our prayer.�All: *Deep breath in… *Deep breath out...

�Leader: God, when will enough be enough? When will our broken relationships be enough? When will we find the full glory of your presence in all our lives? No justice, no peace. To know justice is to know peace. God, you are those attributes. �Listener: God may your glory shine?

�Leader: God, may your glory shine into the darkness and asphyxiate the evil of racism and white supremacy. May our hearts, minds, and bodies be filled with your spirit. May we courageous in the pursuit of justice? God may we be used for Your purposes. God bring your kingdom here! God is your kingdom here? How do we find it, where can we see it? �Listener: God may your glory shine?

�Leader: Where do we go from here? God, there comes a time when we need to say something. Who do we need to say something to? �Listener: God may your glory shine?

�Leader: God, there is no greater time than these. We have to make a little noise. We have to move our feet. God, where are you calling me? God, where are you calling us? We cannot be complicit in our white identities and mask ourselves with fear disguised as humility. God, who am I? God who are you? Know justice know peace. �Listener: God may your glory shine? 

�Leader: We need to stand together so we can be one. Lead us in the solidarity of Spirit, Son, God the Father/Mother. God, we pray all these things in Christ’s name. May your glory shine?�All: Amen

All sources are cited and embedded in this PowerPoint