Owning Our Racial Bias: A Multicultural Interfaith Dialogue Seeking Reconciliation and Healing
Sunday, Sept 27, 2015 4:00-7:00 pm
Church of the Epiphany 4900 Nathan Lane N, Plymouth, MN 55442

Church of the Epiphany Episcopal Church in partnership with St. Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN), and the Islamic Center of Minnesota invite those eager to understand racial bias in new ways.

Consulting both a panel of west metro youth for their experiences with racial bias AND a multicultural, interfaith panel of experienced voices, this event examines realities about racial bias, challenges and opportunities to move toward racial reconciliation and healing. The evening includes a meal (no payment required/free will offering only, please rsvp via link below) and small group discussion of the topic. To register, click here.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (MN-NAME)
Insisting on Equity conference

Our conference is titled: Translating Urgency into Action. This will be an all day event on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at Washington Technical Magnet School (much appreciation to St. Paul school's Office of Equity for sponsoring the location) and will feature national and local presenters.

You may visit our website to learn more about the conference and MN-NAME. Space is limited at the conference so register soon, especially since we sold out last year. Registration costs vary from $35-$50, depending on type of registration. This lower cost is a great opportunity to send multiple folks from your organization so they can learn and plan together.

Discussions that Encounter facilitates open discussions about race, racism and white privilege. These events are open to all and sponsored free of charge in Minneapolis. We use video or prepared materials to pursue a specific topic with ample time for facilitated conversation. The objectives of these forums are to raise awareness, build relationships, assist all along the journey of overcoming racism, provide education on historical and current topics, and facilitate open conversations that can't usually be approached across the "races." Contact Bill Keatts to receive information or to be added to the regular distribution. *Brotherhood Brew offers sales of organic, free-trade coffee, exotic teas, and hot cocoa at our Discussion Forums.

Discussions Forums are every 2nd Thursday at Phillips Community Center (2323 - 11th Avenue, South, Minneapolis) and 4th Thursday at St. Olaf Church (215 South 8th Street, Minneapolis) with free supper at 6:30PM and program from 7-8:30PM. All are invited at no charge – no need to register.

Upcoming YWCA of Minneapolis Racial Justice events
Confronting Racism: Knowledge --> Skills --> Action

How to Talk with Kids about Race Wednesday, October 7, 2015 6:00-8:00 pm (Trained YWCA Racial Justice Facilitators are invited to stay for facilitation practice from 8:00–8:30 pm) YWCA of Minneapolis - Downtown
Whether it's your own kids, your classroom or simply a group of kids you care about, it can be tough to know when and what to say to them about race. How do we teach kids about history without saddling them with pain, shame, guilt or hopelessness? How do we create young people who will grow into adults ready to take action and advocate for racial justice? Join us to discuss these questions and more.
$50 ($25 for YWCA members) RSVP by September 30, 2015

On November 4, 2015, the YWCA will host the Thirteenth Annual It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race featuring keynote speaker Claudia Rankine, and introducing new initiatives to increase the sustained impact of this gathering of 1,200 leaders. Diverse leaders from business, education, arts and community service came together to move Minnesota forward through honest conversation and powerful action.
More info and online registration

Racism as Trauma - Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 6:00-8:00 pm YWCA of Minneapolis - Downtown
Dr. Joy DeGruy spent 12 years of doing quantitative and qualitative research to understand and develop her theory of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS). Come join us in a conversation about PTSS and the residual impacts of generations of slavery.
$10 ($5 for YWCA members) RSVP by November 10, 2015

Free online resources: Bridging Activist Class Cultures
There are many reasons progressive groups run into trouble, but class culture differences don't have to be one of them. In fact, understanding diverse class backgrounds makes us more likely to succeed. A few years back, our own Betsy Leondar-Wright studied 25 varied social justice organizations to find class patterns in culture traits and problem solving approaches. Her findings, published in her book Missing Class and taught in Class Action's Bridging Activist Class Cultures workshops, are now available free online in the Activist Class Cultures Kit.

This kit is a comprehensive guide to understanding your own class experience, seeing class culture traits around you, collaborating better with others from class backgrounds different than your own, and implementing the strengths of each class to help your social justice organization succeed. It's full of videos, quizzes, tips and stories about real progressive activist groups facing class culture challenges. It even features a discussion guide for groups reading Missing Class. For all these resources and more, visit www.activistclasscultures.org online.

Join us for our next monthly planning and coordination meeting, October 14, 9-11 am at Cherokee Park United Church 371 Baker St. 55107, St. Paul. This meeting will primarily focus on conference organizing. We normally meet on the second Thursday each month, and generally begin our meetings with time for shared learning related to racial equity.