July 14: Diversity in Publishing

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Learn: Background on the publishing industry; summary of diversity assessment in children’s fairy tale collection at Port Orchard branch
  • Share: How does what you read reflect or form your sense of self? How does what you read change your sense of others?
  • Take action: When it comes to the publishing industry, what power(s) do you have as a reader? How can you wield that power for greater equity?

Follow-up resources:


June 9: Anti-Racist Pride History

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Watch: "Stonewall Forever - A Documentary about the Past, Present and Future of Pride" (NYC LGBT Community Center)
  • Learn: The complicated history of the Pride movement and the struggles of LGBTQ+ people of color
  • Share: Why is intersectionality so important in equality-centered social movements?
  • Take action: Learn about a leader of color in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, past or present

Follow-up resources:


May 12: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

Follow-up resources:

  • Video series: "We Are Not a Stereotype" (Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center)
  • On our ability to assess our own understanding of something new: Dunning-Kruger effect 
  • Books by Mia P. Manansala (adult cozy mysteries), Kelly Yang and Karina Yan Glaser (children's fiction)
  • Poets.org Poem-A-Day, featuring AANHPI poets in May

April 14: Anti-Racist Poetry Month

Recommended resources:

  1. Read: "Poetry is experiencing a new golden age, with young writers of color taking the lead" - Leah Asmelash (CNN), "Meet the student who made powerful poetry from a weak statement on racism" - Diti Kohli (Boston Globe)
  2. Watch: "Using poetry to uncover the moments that lead to racism" - Claudia Rankine (Poetry Foundation)
  3. Read and Listen: "'Today, I Am A Witness To Change': A Crowdsourced Poem Against Anti-Asian Hate" (with text) - Rachel Martin and Kwame Alexander (NPR), "Claudia Rankine Reads From Citizen: “You are in the dark, in the car...”" (full text) (Poetry Foundation)

Discussion:

  1. Learn: How can poetry build energy in social justice movements and support antiracist action?
  2. Share: Antiracist poems that have inspired and energized us 
  3. Take action: Explore the work of BIPOC poets and share with your networks
  4. Examples:

Follow-up resources:

  1. Read: works by poets of color
    1. Joy Harjo, US Poet Laureate, and her signature project "Living Nations, Living Words" (print companion available through KRL)
    2. "Isabella Ramirez, a finalist for the National Youth Poet Laureate, on her poem 'Mama'" (All Things Considered, NPR)
    3. Ntozake Shange, Saul Williams, Chrystos, Nayyirah Waheed
  2. Watch: "Poets Against Racism: In This Together" (Watershed Journal and Poets Against Racism)
  3. Bonus: "Poetry Moment: Jason Reynolds offers a pep talk for everyone" (Hocopolitso)

March 10: (Intersectional) Women's History Month

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Discussion:

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February 10: Black History and Black Futures

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Opening quote on Black History Month (Dante Stewart, @stewartdantec)
  • Learn: What do we gain by shifting our view of “history in the past” to “history in the making”?
  • Share: Resources to envision equitable, compassionate Black Futures; opportunities to build those futures together
  • Take action: Next steps to start building this future together

Follow-up resources:


January 13: Cultural Competence

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Watch: Cultural Competence: Segment 1--Introduction to Cultural Competence” – Fairfax County Public Schools (start at 5:25)
  • Learn: What is cultural competence? What does it look like in everyday life?
  • Share: Experiences that have shaped your cultural competence or demonstrated the need for further learning, and resources for cultural learning and connection
  • Take action: Commit to an action to strengthen your cultural competence in the next month

Follow-up resources:

  • Exploring your culture using The Cultural Iceberg
  • Questions to keep in mind:
    • What are my various cultures? How do they impact my identity and lifestyle?
    • What cultures do I want to learn about and why?
    • How will I begin to learn about these cultures? What’s my entry point?

December 9: Year in Review

Recommended Resources:

Discussion:

  • Watch: "Ibram X. Kendi: Highlights from the 2021 MLK Commemorative Address" (University of Rochester)
  • Learn: If you’ve attended previous Learning Circles, which topics stuck with you and why? If you haven’t, what topics are you curious about?
  • Share: Books, movies, articles, etc. that are moving our media diets in a more inclusive direction
  • Take action: Identify discussion goals and topics for 2022

Follow-up Resources:


October 14: Hope and Resilience with Dr. Kimberly Riley, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • How well do I understand my own culture?
  • Have I ever used who I am to remain hopeful and resilient?
  • Does understand myself help me understand others better?

Follow-up resources:


September 9: Disinformation and Anti-Racism

Recommended resources:

Discussion

  • Learn: Explore some information literacy tools in the context of racism (featuring CRAAP Test and First Draft's 5 Pillars of Visual Verification)
  • Share: What are our information-seeking and -sharing practices like? Where do we get our news? What makes a trusted resource?
  • Take action: Examine our information seeking practices and broaden our circles to include more diverse voices and topics.

Follow-up resources:


July 8: Colorism

Recommended resources:

Discussion: 

  • Watch: "Conversation with Lupita Nyong’o"(Library of Congress)
  • Learn: What is colorism and what does it look like in everyday life?
  • Share: Have you experienced or noticed colorism in your community? If you’re learning about it for the first time, what questions do you have?
  • Take action: Recognize and address instances of colorism using the Do Something “Confront Colorism” Guide

Follow-up resources:


June 10: Juneteenth

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Explore: "The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth" - Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (Google Arts & Culture)
  • Discuss and share: What is Juneteenth? How is it celebrated? How can non-Black people celebrate and support in a genuine way?
  • Take action: How is our community celebrating Juneteenth?

Follow-up resources:


May 13: Art and Anti-Racism

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Watch: "Portland Painter Jeremy Okai Davis Celebrates the Pixel" (OPB)
  • Share: Works of art that have helped us in our anti-racist learning
  • Learn: What is it about these works of art that make them impactful?
  • Take action: How do you find and share impactful artwork and diverse artistic voices?

Follow-up resources recommended by the group:


April 8: Intersectional Feminism

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Discussion:

Follow-up resources:


March 11: Activism for All Ages

Recommended Resources:

Discussion:

  • Breakout Room 1: Microaggressions from peers/people in power
  • Breakout Room 2: Fairness and Justice; Protests: What’s that all about?

Follow-up resources:


February 11: Hidden Black History

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • When we think of the phrase “Black history,” what words come to mind?
    • From the group: struggle, Civil War, unsung, learning, rediscovery, pioneers and visionaries, artists and creators, inclusion, feminism and the fight for the right to vote, today in history (31st anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in South Africa)
  • Explore the stories of Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Black History”; Lillian Walker, Bremerton civil rights activist; and John Henry “Dick” Turpin, US Naval hero 

Follow-up resources recommended by participants:


January 14 - Health and Race

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Discussion:

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December 10: Practical Allyship

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • Examples of practical allyship: What does it look like in our lives? Who can we look up to?
  • Performative allyship: What is it? How can we avoid it?
  • Community allies: Who’s doing the work already and how can we support it?

Follow-up resources:


November 12: Anti-Racism Post-Election

Recommended resources:

Read: "Will The Biden-Harris Administration Rescind Trump’s Diversity Training Restrictions?" - Dana Brownlee (Forbes)

Discussion:

  • What anti-racist ideas and actions have we focused on so far?
  • What anti-racist actions do we want to see happen in the next four years?
  • How can we use this energy as momentum moving forward? Where do we start?

Follow-up actions:


October 22: Racial Injustice in the News

Recommended resources:

Discussion

  • View: “Unconscious Bias: Do Newsrooms Struggle To Report On Race Issues?” (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
  • As you interact with news about racial injustice, have you noticed differences in how certain stories are reported?
  • What are some ways that Black, Indigenous, and people of color are treated differently in news coverage?
  • Should a person's merit/accomplishments be considered when reporting on a crime they committed?

Follow-up actions: 

  • Read: Race Forward's 2015 Race Reporting Guide: "Seven Harmful Racial Discourse Practices to Avoid" (pp.19-24)
  • Support more diverse newsrooms and newspapers that are representative of different communities
  • Seek out additional news coverage if you find yourself getting comfortable with one news source
  • Ask yourself: which details of this news story are missing? Which details are being unfairly scrutinized?

October 8: Policing

Recommended resources:

Discussion with guests from Bremerton Police Department: Laurel MacIntyre-Howard (behavioral health navigator), Sergeant Tim Garrity, and Lieutenant Aaron Elton

  • Improving outreach to community groups and strengthening existing connections; identifying job boards to invite people of color to consider careers in law enforcement
  • Identifying grant writing resources to assist with hiring more behavioral health navigators
  • Improving police accountability measures and changing the culture of policing from within

Follow-up resources: 


September 24: The Wealth Gap

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • For BIPOC participants: have you experienced financial barriers?
  • Why are proposed solutions (like "baby bonds", reparations, or increased taxes on the wealthy) so difficult to discuss with each other?
  • As individuals, what are some short-term and long-term actions we can take/support to begin to close the wealth gap?

Follow-up actions:


September 10: White Culture

Recommended resources:

Discussion

  • View The Whiteness Project
  • If you identify as white: What is your experience of white culture? How do you describe your culture?
  • If you don't identify as white: How would you describe white culture? What are some similarities and differences between your culture and white culture?
  • For everyone: How have aspects of white culture led to the casual and overt racism we see in America?

Follow-up actions: check out these resources recommended by the group


August 27: Talking to Family & Friends

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • View "How to talk about race with racist white parents and family" (WA Post)
  • Have you tried to have conversations on race with your family/friends? How did it go?
  • What were you feeling at the time? E.g. nervous, angry, scared
  • What worked? What would you do differently next time?
  • What tools/skills do you feel would better equip you for these conversations?

Strategies/Tips from Dispute Resolution Center trainer Sophie Morse:

  • Listening to Understand & Curiosity 
  • Ask open-ended Questions … and question the answers! 
  • Develop agreements – how are the two of us going to have these conversations so neither of us walks away feeling scarred (uncomfortable is ok, and expected). 
  • Preparation; Do research. I don’t like being caught off guard by [racist] talking points. I want to have my facts handy. If they have different facts, one approach is to keep with either I statements or “We” statements: “We don’t seem to have the same information on this topic” and see where that goes. 
  • Find common ground and build from there. Always connect first. 
  • Avoid jargon. Just not helpful. 
  • Set boundaries. Your house, your Facebook page, your rules!! 
  • Assume best intentions, and point out that intent =/= impact! 
  • Part of white supremacy culture is about not revealing emotions, and having to do or say things “just right.” Both of which serve to keep us from having conversations that deeply matter, because those conversations will be messy. 

August 13: Intersectionality

Recommended resources:

Discussion

  • View the Social Identity Wheel.
  • In your own life, do you think about some identities more than others? Which ones, and why?
  • Which identities are important to you that others don’t always acknowledge?
  • By prioritizing certain identities over others in our society, how do we perpetuate systems of oppression?

Follow-up actions: 

  • Explore media from different identities, cultures, and perspectives: books, movies, TV, music, art
  • Ask yourself: whose perspectives are you prioritizing? Whose perspectives are you ignoring? Why?
  • Article: “Go Ahead, Speak for Yourself” - Kwame Anthony Appiah  

July 23: Exploring (Micro)aggressions

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

Follow-up actions: check out these resources recommended by the group


July 9: Acknowledging Our Biases

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

Follow-up actions:


June 25: What is anti-racism?

Recommended resources:

Discussion:

  • What have you found challenging about anti-racist work?

Follow-up actions: check out these resources recommended by the group