It’s a joke that in one room of WES members, there will be more opinions than people. We prize our ability to speak our minds and share our many viewpoints. In the past few years, we have been talking a lot about race, racism, and white supremacy. If you’d like to continue these conversations or maybe to join in, there will be several opportunities over the next few months to lend your voice, ask your questions, or state your concerns.

WES will be hosting Beloved Conversations, Meditations on Race and Ethnicity in late February and into early April. Beloved Conversations is a curriculum that provides a supportive space, which is intentionally multiracial, for community members to talk about their own experiences and figuring out where growth is necessary as we learn how race and ethnicity shape our spiritual and social lives. WES is recruiting facilitators and training them to lead these conversations. There will be room for 30 participants in these facilitated small groups. Beloved Conversations will start with a weekend retreat on Feb 22-23 and then eight weeks of small group work. What a great way to discuss our experiences, ideas for WES’ growth and next steps in our common path towards an anti-oppressive world. If you’re interested, please register here.

In addition, the Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Multi-Cultural (ARAOMC) Team will be following up on the community-wide survey conducted last summer by holding a series of facilitated discussions on four Sundays, starting at 1:00pm (see below). Combined with the analyzed survey data, these discussions will provide guidance on where WES is now and what we need to work on. A small preview of survey results was presented at the November membership meeting and you can view them here. The full report will be available later this year.

The ARAOMC Team also created an audit based on a review of WES’ governance documents, staff policies and processes. You can access the audit here and you can contribute during our open comment period until Feb. 15 by emailingaraomcaudit@ethicalsociety.org. At the spring membership meeting, the ARAOMC Audit Team will share a summary of any feedback and next steps for WES.

Jan 20 – What is the culture of WES?

Jan 27 – Defining our terms: bias, prejudice, discrimination, and systemic racism

Feb 3 – How to build effective partnerships in anti-oppression work?

Feb 10 – What has helped you grow in the past? How can WES help you be active?

As an Ethical Society committed to anti-racism, it’s important to find ways to get involved. We look forward to growing and deepening with you, as we stay in relationship and do this important work.

By Trang Duong & Danna Pope