Are you someone who has done significant anti-racism work? Do you ever wonder – “How could I get better at recognizing racism when I see it?” “How could I get better at knowing what to do about it?” Then this Community of Practice may be for you. As a group of both lay and clergy UCC members we meet monthly on Zoom from September through May on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 5:30 PM Arizona time.

Here is what one member of the group has to say about the experience:

The Anti-Racism Dialogue Circles furthered my understanding of racism (slavery) actually being at the foundation of the building of the United States of America. This was quite a revelation to me! The Circles allowed us to be honest and to allow others to freely express themselves. The Leaders guided us through the material with the help of Joe Feagin’s “The White Racial Frame” (2020). Hopefully, we started to move away from our state of “White Fragility” to acknowledge our position of privilege and tacit complicity in perpetuating this Injustice. We came to the end of this particular Dialogue Circle and wondered “what next?”

Now that I have been sensitized, I recognize more and more racist statements – but I needed help in how to counter them. That is where the small group “Community of Practice” comes in. This group has helped me stay focused and has given us real-life case studies of racist interactions which we discuss and try to figure out how we might have reacted differently. - Dr. Hélène Dickel

Each September we welcome new members who would like to be part of the work. You can apply to join this community of practice here. NOTE: Existing members must re-apply.

If you have questions you may contact one of the participant facilitators, Rev. Donna Cavedon donnacavedon@yahoo.com; or Rev. Randi Walker randi-walker-3891@att.net