White Aware Women’s Anti-Racism Course

The work of learning how to be an ally in dismantling racism is ongoing, and deep. As women on a spiritual path we are dedicated to getting free in all areas: finding our hearts, our voice, and our passion. And part of getting free is understanding our collective history and the impacts and hurts and inequity that bring us where we are today.

As white women, it can feel intimidating or even overwhelming to learn about privilege, white supremacy, and racism. Or you might feel that racism has nothing to do with you, or that you know enough already. Or perhaps you've been hurt by women of color (or other white women), and feel misunderstood or confused.

No matter if you know very little about anti-racist work or you have been seeped in unlearning your own internalized racism for years, we all need to be courageous and have safe, compassionate spaces to unpack and heal the toxic trauma of systemic racism.

This course is offered on a sliding scale; all money goes to support a black-owned non-profit organization and to compensate our facilitator for her time and energy.

This course is designed specifically for "white" / caucasian women of European descent (and you are welcome to join us if you are bi-racial or white presenting).

You will learn how to gently and fiercely untangle yourself from learned racism and white supremacy characteristics. We are all actively in this work together: there is no shaming, comparison, or punishment, only compassion and meeting you exactly where you are at.

This closed group will meet for six classes with Hope Ruiz.

Meet Hope Ruiz

Hope is a Warrior Goddess facilitator who has been dedicated to dismantling racism for decades.

She is inspired to compassionately help white women shift out of guilt or denial and embrace the life-long learning journey of being an aware, wise anti-racist warriors of the heart.

What this course is NOT about; a note from our facilitator, Hope:

We are not going to “fix” racism
I am not going to “fix” you, nor you others
You are not going to leave as a card carrying “ally” (there is no badge or certification, we can only work toward it…like calculus 🙂)
We are never going to be “done” with the work (see #3 above and below)
It’s not going to feel “good” all the time
I won’t have all the answers. I am also on this journey myself! At best I might ask some good questions, provide some useful tools, or offer some new perspectives that will hopefully unsettle some of our certainties (“Certainty is the enemy of growth” Mark Manson) and open us to be more curious & keep asking questions
Not a guarantee to make BIPOC like you, accept you, or thank you
NOT a spectator sport! We all have skin in the game…that’s kinda the point!

What you CAN expect:

To do your own work…no one is going to tell you what is right or wrong, but we will challenge you to examine what you think to see if it is right/wrong or at least make you wonder
Invitation to stay open, vulnerable, and curious even when, especially when, you might feel shaky and most want to cling to something easy, secure, and easily definable.
Process over product. Sorry: no end in sight, a lifelong journey with no quick fix
To be held & the opportunity to hold space for others as we all do our own work. A place to be seen and acknowledged for the hard work you are doing.
Opportunity to build resiliency and chip away at white fragility
Metabolize emotions, wounds and trauma around race. Practice regulating and grounding.
Practice being wrong! Just dust yourself off and try again (like roller skating)
Hopefully gain some helpful tools and perspectives for navigating the crazy shit we are all facing each and every day (whether we choose to see it or not)

Note: We are not affiliated with, but completely supportive of the non-profit White Awake. Visit their website at https://whiteawake.org for "educational resources and spiritual practices designed to support the engagement of people who've been socially categorized as "white" in the creation of a just and sustainable society."

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