Joining the struggle for collective liberation
View this email in your browser

Defecting from Supremacy


Joining the Struggle for Collective Liberation
Begins August 15

An Online Course for White Men with White Awake 
Facilitators: Chris Crass and Topher Stephens

 

 
"When enough of us relinquish injustice that only pretends to benefit us, we tip society toward justice."  – adrienne maree brown

“We must call on masculinity to become whole and nurturing of self and others.”  – Nora Samaran
 


For centuries, white men have been told lies—lies created to manipulate our most intimate sense of self and mold us into foot-soldiers of empire. Capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy fracture our sense of wholeness and keep us disconnected from one another. 

Standing on the shoulders of a long line of feminist and anti-racist leaders, we believe that personal and collective healing are essential practices to resist these disembodying and divisive forces. We also know that inner work must be accompanied by deep engagement in social movements striving to create a truly egalitarian democracy. These tasks will require tools different from those we have been given by the oppressive systems around us.

This course is designed to support men who are socially categorized as white in defecting from the roles we have been groomed to play while constructing renewed identities grounded in a commitment to anti-racism, feminism, and economic justice.* Incorporating political analysis, mindfulness, expressive practices, and strategies for taking action, our goal is to help participants break free from this socialization and join with people of color and people of all genders in building a society that works for all.

This course is designed to help you: 

  • Develop basic understanding of patriarchy, white supremacy and the role these forces have played in a centuries-long project of the ruling class to divide and control. 

  • Build resilience as we face the vast harm caused by these systems of oppression; deepen personal awareness of how our racial and gender socialization has created suffering and disconnection in our own lives.

  • Cultivate a positive identity connected to a legacy of resistors, radicals, and allies.

  • Practice non-hierarchical and healing ways of relating through vulnerability and storytelling.

  • Connect to our authentic selves through mindful, embodied and creative practices.

  • Learn about opportunities to engage in coalition-based movement spaces for collective liberation.

Live sessions are being held as a caucus for white men and/or anyone exploring both masculinity and whiteness as parts of their identity. For more information about this, and to determine if this course is a good fit for you, please see our ground rules for group participation. Supplemental, identity-based caucus calls will be held for gender non-conforming and/or non-cisgendered men, for multiracial/biracial men, and for gay/bi/queer/non-hetero men.


Aug 15, 22, 29 & Sept 12, 19 
4-6:30pm ET (1-3:30pm PT)


Sliding scale $100 - $300 fee for course

No one turned away for lack of funds

 

Click here to register on our site

 

Sessions will be recorded. Live attendance is not mandatory. 

 

Meet the facilitators ...

Topher Stephens

Topher Stephens is an experiential educator creating culturally relevant and collaborative learning environments for youth and adults. Trained in mindfulness, nature connection, non-violent communication, and embodied and expressive arts-based facilitation, he brings a multi-modal and holistic approach to social justice education and collective liberation praxis.

Growing up in a working class community on ancestral Cherokee land in Southern Appalachia, Topher, like so many white men, was socialized and shaped by the divisive and domination-based ideologies of patriarchy, racism, and colonialism. He is committed to the processes of personal and collective healing and has spent many years studying, practicing, and recieving guidance from leaders in feminist and anti-racist organizing.

Aside from facilitating anti-oppression workshops for white men, Topher designs and leads immersive social and environmental justice programs at the Eco Institute in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is an avid bird-watcher and folk singer.

 

Chris Crass

Chris Crass is one of the leading voices in the country calling for and supporting white people to work for racial justice. He’s a social justice educator who writes and speaks widely on courage for racial justice, feminism for men, lessons from past movements, and creating healthy culture for progressive activism. He works with community groups, schools and faith communities to develop leadership and momentum for collective liberation praxis. 

He was a founder of the anti-racist movement building center, the Catalyst Project, and helped launch the national white anti-racist network, SURJ. Rooted in his Unitarian Universalist faith, he works with congregations, seminaries, and religious activists to build the Spiritual Left, and he is a leader in the national network, Organizing White Men for Collective Liberation. He is also the author of Towards Collective Liberation: anti-racist organizing, feminist praxis, and movement building strategy and Towards the “Other America”: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter. He is a Dad who loves his two young Padawans, helping them be the Jedis of their dreams. Learn more about him at chriscrass.org.

“When we understand that working to eradicate patriarchal domination is a struggle rooted in the longing to make a world where everyone can live fully and freely, then we know our work to be a gesture of love. Let us draw upon that love to heighten our awareness, deepen our compassion, intensify our courage, and strengthen our commitment.” 

– bell hooks  

This course is actively supported by White Awake Advisory Council Members:

To read more about White Awake's mission and organizational oversight, see our About page. You can also reach out directly to: info@whiteawake.org
Sometimes we are asked "why do you charge for your work?"

White Awake focuses on education. We help promote a clear understanding of how global, corporate capitalism is the driving force behind the structural inequity of these times. We shed light on how white supremacy perpetuates inequity by dividing those of us with common interests, making it difficult to replace capitalism with a system that serves our mutual well being.

White Awake and our instructors support a transition away from global, corporate capitalism; we support reparations to historically targeted groups, communities and Peoples; and we make our work available to all regardless of financial means.

We believe the work that we do is significant, and we want to do it well. To this end, we charge a modest fee for our online workshops, and solicit donations from our participants and supporters, in order to meet our financial needs. This allows White Awake staff and instructors to focus their time and energy on the educational work this project promotes, for the benefit of all.

If you have further questions, please contact: info@whiteawake.org
Photo credits (clockwise from top left):
Oakland Women’s March, Coal Miners in West Virginia, BLM Uprising in Ottawa, Southern Tenant Farmers Union, Korean War Soldiers, Cowboy “Stag” Dance
Copyright © 2021 White Awake, All rights reserved.

White Awake combats white supremacy by focusing on educational resources and spiritual practices designed to engage people who've been socially categorized as "white" in the creation of a just and sustainable society.

To stay connected to our work, you can join our mailing list here.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list