Racial Justice Workshop

Meeting One

“Personal Awareness, Racism & Racial Justice”

Introductions:

The “host”Stephen Fetter

Program Coordinator for Continuing Education

The “presenter”Alcris Limongi

Program Coordinator for Racial Justice, Gender Justice & Sexual Minorities

How to Use the Online System

How to ask a question

How to “report back”

How to respond to a poll

Poll

Do you describe yourself as male? Female?

Press “1” for Female

Press “2” for Male

Other Gender Identity *

Gender Identity refers to our innate, deeply felt sense of being male, female, both, or neither. It can be different from the biological sex we were assigned at birth; many (but not all) people who are living this experience refer to themselves as “transgender.”

Poll

Are you a member of Canada's “racial majority?”

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

Not sure

Poll

What's your age?Under 30

30 – 40

40 – 50

50 – 65

Over 65

Today's Agenda: 90 minutes

Introductions to the process

– Why are we doing this?

– Why is it “mandatory”?

– Small group discussion

“Understanding Privilege” Using the polls

“Walk through History” Small group discussion about the history of

racism in Canada

Theological Reflection

Why are we doing this?(statement from General Council's website)

“Mandatory” training

Commitment to being “an intercultural church”

Consultation to share “best practices”

Norms & Standards for our Meetings

“Holy manners”

Confidentiality

Small Group Discussion 10 mins

What is your name? Church? Role?

Share a story about how racism has touched you personally.

Why is talking about racism important?

Why is talking about racism difficult?

Please be prepared to report back on the last two questions via the “Flip Chart”

“Understanding Privilege”

Respond to the “poll” questions with Yes or NoKeep track of how many “yes's” you entered, and

how many “no's”

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

1. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that the store personnel will not follow me.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

2. I can be ignored in a store and I don't really notice the race of persons being served out of turn ahead of me.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

3. I can turn on the television or open the newspaper or websites, and see people of my race widely represented in positive ways.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

4. When I am told about “our national heritage” I am shown that people of my colour made it what it is.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

5. When I say I am from “Quebec” or “Ontario” or “Canada” I am rarely asked where I'm really from or “what” I am.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

6. I can remain ignorant of the language and customs of Canadian persons of colour and Aboriginal peoples without feeling ashamed of my ignorance.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

7. If a traffic cop pulls me over in Canada, I can be sure it is not because of my race.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

8. I can talk about racism without being seen as oversensitive, over-reacting or biased.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

9. I can take a job without having my co-workers suspect that I probably got hired because of political correctness, and not because I was the best qualified person.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

10. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys & magazines featuring people of my race.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

11. I can choose blemish cream or band-aids in colours that more or less match my skin tone.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

12 I can see in the news a mass murder committed by a person of my race and not worry that others might implicate all people of my race.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

13 When I am in my church, I see many pictures and symbols that represent my race and culture.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

14. Most music and hymns in my church are written by people of my race and accompanied by musical instruments common to my racial heritage.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

15. I can attend any number of churches and easily find several ministers of my race.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

16. Sermon illustrations and children's stories in the church I attend are usually about people of my race.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

“Understanding Privilege” Poll

17. Racial diversity in the Bible is rarely mentioned in reference to Scripture readings in worship at the church where I attend.

Press “1” for Yes

Press “2” for No

Poll

18. How many times did you answer “yes?”

1 – 3 times

4 – 6 times

7 – 10 times

11 – 14 times

15 – 17 times

Small Group Discussion 10 mins

What did you personally notice?

How are we affected by “white privilege?”

How are our neighbours affected?

What happens when we take our privilege for granted, or are not even aware of it?

Walk Through History: Legalized Racism in Canada AND Resistance to

Racism

Adapted from an exercise by Jennifer Janzen-Ball; original idea by Rusa Jeremic; with material from Historical Overview of Prejudice and Racism in Canada, by Dorothy

Wills, Timeline, by Wenh-In Ng, in That All May Be One: A

Resource for Educating Toward Racial Justice (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2004),

and fromLegalized Racism from Canadian Race Relations Foundation, http://www.crr.ca/diversfiles/

en/pub/faSh/ePubFaShLegRac.pdf, accessed 23 October 2009

Additional information & graphics added by Stephen FetterSources noted on the appropriate slides

Objective:The idea of this exercise is for us to review

together some key moments of the history of legalized racism in Canada and resistance to

racism, and to share our knowledge.

The “Game”We'll show pairs of slides about particular

moments in Canadian history. When you see the first of each pair, try to guess the “year” that the

event occurred. The answer will be shown on the second slide.

Theological Reflection

In small groupsWhere is/isn't God in this history?What's the responsibility of God's people?Is there a story from the bible that comes to mind

for you as you go through this exercise

Please choose one person from each group to report back to the plenary via the “Flip chart”

Thank you for joining us today.

Please join us next week at the same time for Part Two

Notes from our session will be posted atwww.united-in-learning.com/racialjustice