Co-Founder and Curator at Wa Na Wari, Seattle WA

The Story of Wa Na Wari: Fighting gentrification with arts and culture

Wa Na Wari is creating new models for Black families to fight gentrification and displacement with arts and culture. Johnson will share case studies of how the arts are being used to create new realities for Black people to be self determined in spite of inequity.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

February 4th - Dr. Danielle Dickens
Psychological Toll of Identity Shifting: The Costs and Benefits of Black People Being Themselves at Work
March 4th - Dana Nickson Ph.D.
Cities, Suburbs, and Education Equity: Seeking Justice Across Boundaries and Borders

As we learn more, we all come to the realization that this is a daily practice. Having a plan is a good way to focus your efforts and avoid the rabbit hole of overwhelm.

Here are a few suggestions when considering your plan for 2022:

▪Just getting started? Here are few suggestions to taking a first step.

▪Expand your capacity to be uncomfortable and reduce your fragility with a self care practice (breathing, meditation, movement, somatic visualization, TRE) Here's a collection of Antesa Jensen's breathing techniques (scroll down to the "Breath Bundle"). We have other suggestions, email us!

▪Invite a friend to join you on your antiracism journey and hold each other accountable. Invite them to join the Facebook community too.

▪Think about how to incorporate your antiracist mindset into your workplace.

▪Think about how to engage family and friends about racism and othering.

▪Think about making purchasing/economic decisions with your antiracist mindset.

▪Choose a few books to read this year - history, antiracism theory and concepts.

▪Attend an [event]. We update this calendar each week with third party events. (https://transformingprivilege.com/events)

▪Attend a workshop - we will offer three workshops this year. The first coming in February for parents.

▪Join a book discussion group - a new one is starting in March! Me and White Supremacy will begin again in April.

▪Attend the Transformation in Action speaker series on the first Thursdays of each month at 6pm PT.

Registration is now open for My Grandmother's Hands

Angelina F. Gómez will lead this group in the somatic racial healing Resmaa Menakem developed.

This group will meet for 10 sessions beginning February 2nd 2022. Every Wednesday from 5:30pm -7pm PT.

The author, Resmaa Menakem is a healer, a somatic psychotherapist, and trauma specialist. His work around the healing of generational radicalized trauma is groundbreaking and offers understanding and practice to align our minds and bodies to heal racism. Our minds ache to explain but our bodies embody truth. This group is about working beyond intellectualism of racism - to explore healing the trauma of racism.

While this book is important reading for everyone in America, this discussion group will be for BIPOC only.

Register now!

Learn more about Angelina

1/6 TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION: Elisheba Johnson! - The Story of Wa Na Wari: Fighting gentrification with arts and culture

1/10 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Being Called Out/Called In
1/12 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Being Called Out/Called In
1/13 White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Chapter 8 - Last session
1/24 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - White Feminism/White Leadership
1/26 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - White Feminism/White Leadership

2/4 TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION: Dr Danielle Dickens- Psychological Toll of Identity Shifting: The Costs and Benefits of Black People Being Themselves at Work

Discussion Groups info

Transformation in Action info

We've been planning for 2022. We have new offerings coming soon, new discussion groups forming and a new calendar of speakers for Transformation in Action.

Before we leave 2021 we wanted to take a moment to look back.

Resources
We launched a new website to make it easier to find free resources like:
* Articles and Social Media
* Podcasts
* Video
* Books
* Wellbeing resources
* Good News
* Third party events

Coaches
We're so grateful to all of the coaches that joined us in 2021 to coach our community in discussion groups.
* Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone, Former Coach in Residence
* Daryll McDade, former Coach
* Talisa Lavarry, Partner Coach
* Ann Delgado, Coach in Residence
* Adanna Abakporo, Coach
* Angelina Gómez , Coach

Discussion Groups
We gathered 5 groups to learn together.
* 7 Layers of Whiteness
* The Activist Coach
* Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague
* Me and White Supremacy
* White Tears/Brown Scars

Transformation in Action 2021
We launched a new monthly speaker series in July to bring perspectives of active antiracism work from a variety of fields and disciplines. Ticket sales funded compensation of the BIPOC speakers and our coaches.
* Amanda J Calhoun, MD - Combatting anti-Black racism
* Talisa Lavarry - Microaggressions
* Antesa Jensen - Listening with your heart
* Danielle Dickens, PhD - Implicit bias
* Dr Lulu, MD - Race and LBGTQIA identities for young people

Expanding the community
With your help, we started to grow a larger community to get the word out. We're so grateful to you all for inviting your friends to the community.

Our Facebook community grew from 32 people to 126 and we're grateful to David Chu for becoming a Moderator in the group.

There's more to do. We have big plans for 2022 and we're looking forward to sharing them all with you!

Join us in the Transforming Privilege Community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

We're grateful to all of you who have come together to share, support and learn from each other on our anti-racist journeys. You're always welcome to invite your like-hearted friends.

The Transforming Privilege team wishes you a happy and healthy January.

We are so honored to announce the speakers for Q1 2022!

Three amazing women will be joining us to share about fighting gentrification, identity shifting at work, and equity in education across boundaries.

Consider gifting a ticket to someone who hasn't yet started their anti-racist journey. These events will be recorded and can be viewed privately.

Elisheba Johnson
Co-Founder and Curator at Wa Na Wari, Seattle WA

Thursday January 6 2022 at 6pm PT

THE STORY OF WA NA WARI: FIGHTING GENTRIFICATION WITH ARTS AND CULTURE

Wa Na Wari is creating new models for Black families to fight gentrification and displacement with arts and culture. Johnson will share cases studies of how the arts are being used to create new realities for Black people to be self determined in spite of inequity.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

Dr. Danielle Dickens
Associate Professor of Psychology, Spelman College

Thursday February 3 2022 at 6pm PT

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL OF SHIFTING: THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF BLACK PEOPLE BEING THEMSELVES AT WORK

To cope with experiences of discrimination and to contest the negative consequences associated with discrimination, Black people may alter their behaviors, speech (code switch), appearance, and perspectives, also known as identity shifting. This may include changing one's hairstyle to fit Eurocentric standards of beauty or changing how one talks by "talking White."

In this interactive talk, Dr. Dickens will break down why people from oppressed groups may feel pressured to adopt their behaviors in the workplace, the benefits of costs of shifting, and how to create inclusive working environments to lessen the need of shifting by those who are marginalized.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

Dana Nickson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of education equity and justice in leadership, policy, and politics at The University of Washington

Thursday March 3 2022 at 6pm PT

CITIES, SUBURBS, AND EDUCATION EQUITY: SEEKING JUSTICE ACROSS BOUNDARIES AND BORDERS

Social phenomena, such as gentrification, Black and Latinx suburbanization, school closures, and school choice are dramatically changing U.S. metropolitan regions. What we typically think of as an urban or suburban school may fail to recognize the heterogeneity within communities and the interdependency across school systems. These norms in how we imagine place and space hinder our ability to adequately frame and solve education injustices that disproportionately harm families and communities of color.

Paying particular attention to the historic formations and contemporary politics of the Seattle metropolitan area, this talk will explore racial and socioeconomic demographic change in schools and communities, provide time to reflect on and locate our own educational experiences within unequal educational landscapes, and suggest how we can respectfully uplift and learn from the educational agency of Black and other students and families of color to contest unjust education policy.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE  

Dr Lulu is a pediatrician with over 30 years of clinical practice experience. She is also a coach for parents of Black children with LGBTQIA+ identities. She was recently interviewed by Gayle King on Good Morning America.

She joins us to talk about the intersectionality of race and LGBTQIA+ identities.

She will discuss how a Black gay/queer child is affected by the pressures of religion, culture, family and the community, homophobia, transphobia and gender biases.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

We have amazing events scheduled for January, February and March. We'll have a special announcement coming out soon! Please note the day change for 2022!

We are moving to the first THURSDAYS of each month.

We are bringing 2021 to a close with 3 new coaches added to the Transforming Privilege team! We're so happy to introduce you to 3 women who are generously coaching discussion groups in 2021 and 2022. We hope you'll get to meet each of them in the discussion groups launching in 2022.

Ann Delgado
Coach in Residence

Ann is currently coaching the Me and White Supremacy discussion groups meeting Mondays and Wednesdays through April.

Learn more about Ann

Adanna Abakporo
Coach

Adanna is currently coaching the White Tears/Brown Scars discussion group meeting on Thursdays through January.

Learn more about Adanna

Angelina F. Gómez
Coach

Angelina will coach the upcoming My Grandmother's Hands discussion group beginning on February 2, 2022 and meeting on Wednesdays for 10 sessions.

Learn more about Angelina

Registration is now open for My Grandmother's Hands

Angelina F. Gómez will lead this group in the somatic racial healing Resmaa Menakem developed.

This group will meet for 10 sessions beginning February 2nd 2022. Every Wednesday from 5:30pm -7pm PT.

This group will host BIPOC participants only and will be a closed group.

Register now!

Learn more about Angelina

11/29 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - White Saviorism
12/1 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - White Saviorism
12/2 White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Chapter 6
12/6 TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION: Dr. Lulu! - The intersectionality of race and LGBTQIAP identity for in young people
12/13 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Optical Allyship
12/14 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Optical Allyship
12/15 White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Chapter 7

Discussion Groups info

Transformation in Action info

Join us in the Transforming Privilege Community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

Our community grew from 32 to 118 members in 2021. We're grateful to all of you who have come together to share, support and learn from each other on our anti-racist journeys. You're always welcome to invite your like-hearted friends.

The Transforming Privilege team wishes you a happy and healthy December.

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE  

Dr Lulu joins us December 6th at 6pm PT for Transformation in Action

Dr Lulu is a pediatrician with over 30 years of clinical practice experience. She is also a coach for parents of Black children with LGBTQIA+ identities. She was recently interviewed by Gayle King on Good Morning America.

The intersectionality of race and LGBTQIA+ identities.

She will discuss how a Black gay/queer child is affected by the pressures of religion, culture, family and the community, homophobia, trans-phobia and gender biases.

This is an interactive event and will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS AND INFO

Experience TEDxSeattleWomen live at the Meydenbauer Theatre in Bellevue, WA in a unique, live studio setting. The Northwest’s boldest innovators and change makers will be part of this event.

INFO AND TICKETS

We will be opening registration for My Grandmother's Hands in December.

This group will host BIPOC participants only and will be a closed group.

We have a new coach with a Masters in Psychology and a background in racial trauma lined up to lead this group in the somatic healing Resmaa Menakem developed. This group will meet for 6 sessions beginning in February.

Email wapperson@transformingprivilege.com for more information or register early on the website.

11/08 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Tokenism
11/10 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- Tokenism
11/11 White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Introduction and Chapter 5
11/22 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- White Saviorism
11/24 Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- White Saviorism
12/2 White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Introduction and Chapter 6
12/6 Transformation in Action: Dr. Danielle Dickens - The Power of Perception – The truth about implicit bias

Discussion Groups info
Transformation in Action info

11/3 Decolinizing Education
11/16 Asian Americans in America's History: A Look to Xenophobia and Racism with Dr. Erika Lee
11/17 Stacey Abrams in conversation live
12/2 Train the Trainer: Strategies for Facilitating Courageous Conversations on Race

Other notable events

A day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.

Have you been rethinking your Thanksgiving traditions and plans this year? Guidance from Ingenious voices:
* Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving
* What Does Thanksgiving Mean to Native Americans?
* 9 Ways to Decolonize and Honor Native Peoples on Thanksgiving

Join us in the Transforming Privilege Community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

The Transforming Privilege team wishes you a happy and healthy November.

Dr Dickens joined us tonight to talk about Implicit Bias.

Highlights of the event:

• The ways implicit bias become part of us through our identities and in-groups
• Implicit vs explicit bias 
• How intersectionality interacts with implicit bias
• How the IAT test often doesn't accurately measure implicit bias
• Why most corporate trainings for implicit bias isn't enough
• What we need to do to begin meaningful change

Purchase access to the event recording by emailing Hello@transformingprivilege.com

Join us in December for the fabulous Dr Lulu! 

More info and tickets

Transformation in Action: September 6th at 6pm PT

Antesa Jensen    

Emotional Intelligence Expert

The 7 Layers of Listening: How to listen with your heart

Antesa is a Tedx Copenhagen and Tedx RushU speaker and an expert in the domain of Emotional Intelligence. She teaches honest, kind and compassionate communication styles that deepen connection.

We need to learn our history, anti-racism concepts and understand the impacts of racism and othering in this society. We also need to learn the skills of relating beyond our reactive responses so we can connect with one another. Listening with our hearts is key.

This is an interactive event. It will be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS

Transformation in Action 2021 Calendar

Join us first Mondays of each month in 2021, @ 6pm PT

October 4: Dr. Danielle Dickens
The Power of Perception – The truth about implicit bias

November 1: Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone
The Happy Antiracist

December 6: Dr. Lulu
The intersectionality of race and LGBTQAI+ identity for children

More information and tickets

White Tears/Brown Scars - How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

This group is a deep dive into the history of white supremacy as wielded by white women in colonial America, Canada, and Australia. If you have wondered how patriarchy is woven into white supremacy or how tears can be considered manipulation, this is the group for you. If you've thought that you've understood oppression because you are in a group that is often othered, this group is for you.

This group will be meeting on Thursdays at 5:30pm PT and there are 3 spots left.

More  information and registration

9/6 Transformation in Action: Antesa Jensen - The 7 Layers of       Listening: How to listen with your heart
9/13      Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group - Racial Stereotypes
9/15      Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- Racial Stereotypes
9/16      White Tears/Brown Scars Discussion Group - Introduction and Chapter 1
9/27      Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- Cultural Appropriation
9/29      Me and White Supremacy Discussion Group- Cultural Appropriation
10/4      Transformation in Action: Dr. Danielle Dickens - The Power of Perception       – The truth about implicit bias

9/8 Othering And Belonging Institute Built to Thrive       Conference. Keynote john a powell
9/11      Afro Camp in Olympia WA
9/24      Racial Ethnic and Ethno-Religious Stratification conference
9/25      Youth conversations on race and social justice

©2021       Transforming Privilege | Seattle WA 

FEATURED EVENT IN AUGUST

Transformation in Action
August 2nd at 6pm PT

Talisa Lavarry
Author of Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague

MICROAGGRESSIONS: NOT AS SMALL AS THEY SEEM

While they might seem subtle or small, they are harmful and violent. When endured over years, they can cause trauma. Talisa Lavarry will talk about microaggressions in a workplace context, but this guidance can be applied to all interpersonal exchanges.

You need to see her live! This event will not be recorded for future viewing.

TICKETS:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/transformation-in-action-featuring-talisa-lavarry-tickets-157367768231

Join us first Mondays of each month in 2021, @ 6pm PT

September 6: Antesa Jensen
The 7 layers of listening and how to hear with your heart

October 4: Dr. Danielle Dickens
The Power of Perception – The truth about implicit bias

November 1: Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone
The Happy Antiracist

December 6: Dr. Lulu
The intersectionality of race and LGBTQAI+ identity for children

FEES
$10-$25 per event (sliding scale fee based on your ability)
Speaker series fees compensate BIPOC speakers/discussion group coaches. White speakers have generously donated their time.

MORE INFORMATION and TICKETS
https://transformingprivilege.com/transformation-in-action
More about the speaker’s subjects, their bios and where to purchase tickets.

White Tears/Brown Scars - How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

This group is a deep dive into the history of white supremacy as wielded by white women in colonial America, Canada, and Australia.

If you have wondered how patriarchy is woven into white supremacy or how tears can be considered manipulation, this is the group for you.

If you've thought that you've understood oppression because you are in a group that is often othered, this group is for you.

Every other Friday at 4pm PT for 8 sessions starting later in September.

More information and registration:
https://transformingprivilege.com/discussion-groups

8/2 Transformation in Action: Talisa Lavarry - Microaggressions: Not as small as they seem
8/9 Me and White Supremacy Monday discussion group - Color Blindness
8/11 Me and White Supremacy Wednesday discussion group - Color Blindness
8/23 Me and White Supremacy Monday discussion group - Anti-Blackness against Black Me, Women and Children
8/25 Me and White Supremacy Wednesday discussion group - Anti-Blackness against Black Me, Women and Children

Discussion Groups info
Transformation in Action info

OTHER EVENTS

8/28 NAAM’s next Descendants Series program - a virtual afternoon with Arthur McFarlane, II, the Great Grandson of W.E.B. Dubois.

Transforming Privilege believes that personal anti-racism work is the path to deeper embodiment of the learning and to making impact in our communities. We have partnered with two coaches to bring you personalized coaching opportunities for your anti-racism journey.

More info on Coaches in Partnership

ANDREA WHITCHER-JOHNSTONE
Transforming Privilege Coach in Residence

Andrea currently coaches the Me and White Supremacy discussion group and is available for personal 1:1 anti-racism coaching. She focuses on mindset shifting and works mainly with white women to become active anti-racists every day. Andrea is a frequent guest speaker and is the headliner for Transformation in Action in November 2021.

TALISA LAVARRY
Transforming Privilege Partner Coach

Talisa works 1:1 and with entire forward-thinking organizations on the importance of inclusion and equity in a workplace setting. She is a frequent guest speaker with Transforming Privilege and is a DEI and anti-racism coach in 1:1 setting for business or workplace focus. Talisa is the headliner for Transformation in Action in August 2021.

Join us in the Transforming Privilege Community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

The Transforming Privilege team wishes you a happy and healthy summer.

Sign up to get the newsletter in your inbox!

SUBSCRIBE AND GET THE JULY NEWSLETTER DELIVERED

JULY HIGHLIGHT

TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION on July 5th @ 6pm PT

Amanda J Calhoun MD - Adult/Child Psychiatry Resident at Yale School of Medicine

BEYOND DISCUSSIONS: COMBATING ANTI-BLACK RACISM IN REAL-TIME

PURCHASE TICKETS!

Abstract discussions about anti-Black racism are nice, but what do you do in the face of racism? Although some will say there are many resources out there, most focus on conceptual frameworks rather than real-time scenarios. Many people attend anti-racism lectures that focus on “systems” that absolve responsibility, but continue to engage in racist behaviors. Let’s talk about combating racism in real-time. 

This event will be recorded and future viewing will be available to those who purchased tickets.

2021 CALENDAR

Join us first Mondays of each month in 2021, @ 6pm PT

August 2:   Talisa Lavarry – Author of Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague

Microaggressions – Not as small as they seem

September 6:   Antesa Jensen – Emotional Intelligence Expert

The 7 layers of listening and how to hear with your heart

October 4:   Dr. Danielle Dickens – Associate Professor of Psychology, Spelmen   College

The Power of Perception – The truth about implicit bias 

November 1:   Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone – The Antiracist Coach

The Happy Antiracist

December 6:   Dr. Lulu – Pediatrician and Coach to parents of LGBTQIAP children

The intersectionality of race and   LGBTQIAP identity for children

FEES

$10-$25 per event (sliding scale fee based on your ability)

Speaker series fees compensate BIPOC speakers/discussion group coaches. 

White speakers have generously donated their time.

Please note our statement about financial accountability.

MORE INFORMATION AND PURCHASE  TICKETS

ANTI-RACISM COACHES IN PARTNERSHIP

Transforming Privilege believes that personal anti-racism work is the path to deeper embodiment of the learning and to making impact in our communities.  We have partnered with two coaches to bring you personalized coaching opportunities for your anti-racism journey.  

ANDREA WHITCHER-JOHNSTONE

Transforming Privilege Coach in Residence

Andrea currently coaches the Me and White Supremacy discussion group and is available for personal 1:1 anti-racism coaching. She focuses on mindset shifting and works mainly with white women to become active anti-racists every day. Andrea is a frequent guest speaker and is the headliner for Transformation in Action in November 2021. 

TALISA LAVARRY

Transforming Privilege Partner Coach

Talisa works 1:1 and with entire forward-thinking organizations on the importance of inclusion and equity in a workplace setting. She is a frequent guest speaker with Transforming Privilege and is a DEI and anti-racism coach in 1:1 setting for business or workplace focus. Talisa is the headliner for Transformation in Action in August 2021.

More info on Coaches in Partnership

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE EVENTS IN JUNE/JULY

• 7/1 Confessions from Your Token Black discussion group: session 4
• 7/5 Transformation in Action: Amanda J Calhoun MD - How to combat anti-black racism in real time7/12 Me and White Supremacy Monday discussion group - White Silence
• 7/14 Me and White Supremacy Wednesday discussion group - White Silence
• 7/15 Confessions from Your Token Black discussion group: last session!
• 7/26 Me and White Supremacy Monday discussion group - White Solidarity
• 7/28 Me and White Supremacy Wednesday discussion group - White Solidarity
• 8/2 Transformation in Action: Talisa Lavarry - Microaggressions: Not as small as they seem

Discussion Groups info - Register now

Transformation in Action info

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS IN JUNE

• 7/8 In Partnership with WA Na Wari: “Serious Tings” Wayne Chen in conversation w/ Steve “Urchin” Wilson and special guest Maxine Walters
• 7/15 Exploring the intersections of Antisemitism and Racism
• 7/19 Microaggressions: How Do They Impact the Academic Environment for Health Professional Trainees
• 7/20 Diversity Grand Rounds Lectureship: "Why Racial Justice Matters in Medicine"
• 7/21-22 Multicultural Women's National Conference 

There are many more events on the Events page.  The Events Calendar is updated several times a week, so check back often!

TIP: give the page a moment to pull and load updated events from our database. Then scroll through them with "More Events ->" at the bottom left of the list.

Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18th

The UN invites you to mark Nelson Mandela International Day by making a difference in your communities. Everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better! This is an occasion for all to take action and inspire change. 

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE COMMUNITY

Join us in the community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE AND GET THE JULY NEWSLETTER IN YOUR INBOX

JUNE HIGHLIGHT

Announcing the launch of TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION!

This speaker series focuses on the many aspects of our anti-racist daily life - family, work, community, health, friendships, worship - how we take care of each other. We’re gathering experts in a variety of fields, all with extensive knowledge about how to be actively anti-racist.

We are so excited to share with you the 2021 Calendar of speakers, experts in the fields of medicine, psychiatry, social psychology, emotional intelligence, anti-racist coaching and diversity-equity-inclusion!

2021 CALENDAR

Join us first Mondays of each month in 2021, @ 6pm PT

July 5:   Amanda J Calhoun MD – Resident in Adult/Child Psychiatry, Yale Medical School

Beyond discussions: Combating anti-Black racism in real-time

August 2:   Talisa Lavarry – Author of Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague

Microaggressions – Not as small as they seem

September 6:   Antesa Jensen – Emotional Intelligence Expert

The 7 layers of listening and how to hear with your heart

October 4:   Dr. Danielle Dickens – Associate Professor of Psychology, Spelmen   College

The Power of Perception – The truth about implicit bias 

November 1:   Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone – The Antiracist Coach

The Happy Antiracist

December 6:   Dr. Lulu – Pediatrician and Coach to parents of LGBTQIAP children

The intersectionality of race and   LGBTQIAP identity for children

FEES

$10-$25 per event (sliding scale fee based on your ability)

Speaker series fees compensate BIPOC speakers/discussion group coaches. 

White speakers have generously donated their time.

Please note our statement about financial accountability.

MORE INFORMATION AND PURCHASE  TICKETS

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE EVENTS IN JUNE/JULY

• 6/3  Your Token Black Colleague discussion group
• 6/11  Me and White Supremacy series 2 discussion group – Final meeting!
• 6/14  Me and White Supremacy series 3 discussion group
• 6/16  Me and White Supremacy series 3 discussion group
• 6/17 Your Token Black Colleague
• 6/28 Me and White Supremacy series 3 discussion group
• 6/30  Me and White Supremacy series 3 discussion group
• 7/1  Your Token Black Colleague
• 7/5  TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION! Amanda J Calhoun MD

Register now on the Discussion Group page (or reply to this email).

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS IN JUNE

• 6/3 Moving with the hard questions
• 6/4 and 6/10 Building Racial Equity Training with Race Forward
• 6/11 Bystander training for police violence from Hollaback!
• 6/19 Art for Change – Family series
• 6/19 Unmute  the Voices – radio program

There are many more events on the Events page.  

The Events Calendar is updated several times a week, so check back often!

WHAT WE’RE READING THIS SUMMER

Some of these are being read for the second (and third time), some listened to. Rachel Ricketts reads her audiobook version! Sometimes we really need Rachel in our ear to remind us to be humble. Hoping you find something to feed your soul and challenge a belief system or two this summer!

• Open Veins of Latin America – Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano
• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• My Grandmother’s Hands – Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
• White Tears/Brown Scars – How White Feminism Betrays Woman of Color by Ruby Hamad
• Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague – True Stories and Candid Conversations About Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace by Talisa “Tali” Lavarry
• Do Better – Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts
• You Are Your Best Thing – Vulnerability, Shame, Resilience, and the Black Experience edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown

JUNE IS PRIDE

LGBTQIAP Pride Month occurs in the United States to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, many pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBTQIAP people have had in the world.

Pride Celebrations on the west coast:

• Seattle Pride
• Portland Pride
• Los Angeles Pride
• San Francisco Pride
• San Diego Pride

About the Stonewall 

• Stonewall Forever
• Stonewall Uprising

About LBGTQIAP lives

• Disclosure
• A Secret love
• Equal
• We Were Here
• The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson 

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE COMMUNITY

Join us in the community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

SUBSCRIBE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER!

NEW DISCUSSION GROUP!

We begin the Your Token Black Colleague group on Thursday May 20th at 6pm PT. 

The group will meet every other Thursday for 5 sessions.

As featured in Forbes Diversity and Inclusion Reads, “Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague” (2020) provides a first-hand account of the discrimination endured by author Tali Lavarry while working for corporations that failed to rise to the occasion of fostering a sustainable work environment for diverse hires. She demonstrates what has to be done to create real solutions that protect and fortify people of color and other marginalized groups.

This group discussion will focus on white supremacy in the workplace and what it takes to be actively anti-racist where you work every day. Reading schedule is posted! 

Register now! 

MAY HIGHLIGHT 

We’re thrilled to welcome Talisa “Tali” Lavarry, author of Your Token Black Colleague to the first session of the discussion group for a Q&A session!

Thursday May 20th at 6pm PT

Tali is a Harvard Business Review Expert, Forbes Contributor and a member of Washington State University’s Foster School of Business Alumni. Before devoting her life to workplace race relations, she worked as a corporate event manager, planning and producing events in the pharmaceutical, government, education, non-profit and tech sectors. 

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE EVENTS IN MAY 

· 5/10 Me and White Supremacy Group series 3 (new groups began April 26th) – White Privilege

· 5/14 Me and White Supremacy Group series  2 – Family and Values

· 5/20 Your Token Black Colleague Group Begins!

· 5/24 Me and White Supremacy Group 3 – White Fragility

· 5/28 Me and White Supremacy Group 2 – Losing Privilege

Register now

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS IN MAY 

· 5/5 Keisha N Blain - historian and essayist in Four Hundred Souls

· 5/12 Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome with Harvard Business Review authors Jodi-Ann Burey and Ruchika Tulshyan

· 5/12 We need to talk about Cancel Culture - hosted by Teveor Noah

· 5/15 Social Justice Education Conference with Dr. Jamila Lyiscott

· 5/17 Bystander intervention training for police violence from Hollaback

· 5/27 Lessons from the Past: Yellow Peril in COVID-19 Times

There are many more events on the Events page.  

It’s updated several times a week, so check back often!

MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN & ISLANDER PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH!

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is observed annually in May to celebrate the contributions that generations of AAPIs have made to American history, society, and culture.

Additional resources:

· Federal Asian Pacific American Council

· Asia Society

· United States Census Bureau

· National Today

Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for next month!

APRIL HIGHLIGHT

Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone is The Activist Coach! 

Have you considered working privately with someone to focus on your personal needs to transform your privilege into active antiracism? Ms. Johnstone will talk with us about her work and answer questions about working with her one on one. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet The Activist Coach!

Thursday April 15th 5-6pm PT.  

Register on the Events page.

NEW DISCUSSION GROUPS!  

Me and White Supremacy beginning late April!

This is a great group for someone at the beginning of their journey and also a great group to join if you haven’t done a lot of personal work to recognize the dominance of whiteness in your own life. We’ll discuss the emotional and intellectual barriers to doing the work and begin to move past those defensive responses.

Register now on the Discussion Group page (or reply to this email). 

Registration closes April 15th.

Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague beginning in May!

Ms. Lavarry's book explores her own experiences of racism and observations about the components of the problem in corporate America. It also includes conversations with white professionals who have used their power to counteract racism in their workplaces. For those of us wondering what can we do at work, this is a great first step. Ms. Lavarry will be joining us for the first session of this discussion group!

Register now on the Discussion Group page  (or reply to this email). 

Registration closes April 23rd.

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE EVENTS IN APRIL

· 4/1   - 7 Circles of Whiteness 7pm PT

· 4/8   - 7 Circles of Whiteness 7pm PT

· 4/15  - The Activist Coach 5pm PT

· 4/19  - Transformation in Action 6pm PT

Later in April - Me and White Supremacy discussion group begins

Register now on the Discussion Group page (or reply to this email).

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS IN APRIL

· 4/5   - Milagros Phillips – Race and Retraumatization

· 4/6   - Redlining and the Climate

· 4/14   - Ibram X. Kendi

· 4/24  - Sunny Hostin and Maria Hinojosa

· All through April hollaback is hosing bystander interventions trainings 

There are many more events on the Events page.  It’s updated several times a week, so check back often!

APRIL IS NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

April is National Minority Health month. The purpose is to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. This year the NIH is using the month to highlight their theme of #vaccineready. We’ve already seen that both covid-19 treatment and vaccines have not been equitable across racial and ethnic groups across the country. The covid-19 virus is only the most current and blatant symptom of an inequitable health care system in this country. 

TRANSFORMING PRIVILEGE COMMUNITY

Join us in the community space on Facebook to share articles and experiences!

Remember to register for events early to save your space.

There are a limited number of spaces for Discussion Group participation and some are closed groups – once they begin meeting they will not accept additional members.

Author and Coach chats will be open to everyone who is interested!

NEW GROUP STARTING!  We're beginning a new series of group (the third since 2018!) for the book written by Layla Saad. This book focuses on racism and antiracism terminology and asks for the commitment of honest and vulnerable self-reflection to dive into our own white supremacy:  where it came from, how we continue that harm, most times unknowingly, and how to shift our words and behavior. The group participation increases the learning experience with shared stories and helping each other to be accountable.

This is a great starting place for someone at the beginning of their journey and also a great group to join if you haven’t done a lot of personal work to recognize the dominance of whiteness in your own life. We’ll discuss the emotional and intellectual barriers to doing the work and begin to move past those defensive responses.

We’re planning to start in late April. This series is a long-form group. That means there will be about 24 meeting times to complete the work. We’ll meet every other week. (We’ve found doing it over a longer period of time helps us digest the new material and begin to integrate it into our understanding more deeply). 

Register on the Discussion Groups page and we'll send you a link to the survey that will help us all choose the best day/time for everyone to participate. 

If you plan to join this group, purchase the book now! Here’s a list of Black owned bookstores listed by state.   This discussion group is free to all participants.

Excited to start this series with you all!

It was wonderful seeing a mix of familiar and new faces last night!

For those of you who weren't able to make it, in addition to kicking off a new discussion group, we touched on the plan to learn about anti-racism and explore our privilege while highlighting and centering BIPOC voices. 

In addition to continuing long-form reading discussion groups (Me and White Supremacy), we will begin offering other formats to better serve the community's needs and expand the types work. 

• Short-form reading discussion groups (7 circles of Whiteness). Anyone is welcome to join and these groups will offer an option for those of you who are unable to commit to lengthier readings. 
• Workshops and author chats by experts and published authors from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. (Talisa Lavarry, author of Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague) 
• 1:1 coaching for those who wish to dig deeper in individualized sessions on top of the group work or for those who aren't yet ready to join group discussions and want assistance on their journey. (Andrea Whitcher-Johnstone, the Activist Coach) 
• Discussion groups focused on practical implementation (Transformation in Action). We've heard from several of you that the reading groups were a great start and you want to get feedback and tips on how to apply what you're learning in daily life. 

We're constantly updating the Events page as we learn about events being hosted by various organizations.

And in the meantime, if you want to learn about a couple of the experts we plan to engage, The Activist Coach and Dr Lulu (Uchenna Umeh, MD) are hosting a 21 day challenge on how to teach your children about racism. The challenge is based on Dr Lulu's book and will take place on Instagram Live (https://www.instagram.com/p/CM29VbAjjeD/?igshid=1w5j1yt49p6fg).

Have a transformative weekend! 

We’re building an inclusive and diverse community that will host intersectional racism experts and discussion groups. Some are mini-series that last 3-4 sessions for a shorter bite of work at a time. In fact – that’s what this announcement is all about: join us for the first mini-series that will focus on the 7 Circles of Whiteness developed by Alisha McCoullough. 

We’re using our celebration of the launch of Transforming Privilege to dive into the core mission: to grow and support a community committed to learning about their privilege and systemic structures, and to help each other be accountable for changing ourselves and the systems that perpetuate racism and othering. We   are working to be actively anti-racist and would like you to join us!

We will be meeting for 3 weeks on Thursdays from 7-8:30pm PT to discuss Alishia McCoullough's medium article The 7 Circles of Whiteness. 

We’ll use her discussion questions as a guide to walk through. You’re welcome to join for  just the first session as your calendar allows! Check out the details here.  Register on the Events page!

Suggested donation of $25 to Alishia McCullough for the use of her work in this series.

Looking forward to seeing you on March 25th!