Plan to be with us for this important day in our year, when we remember those we have lost and reflect on all they have meant to us. Nationally-acclaimed poet Gayle Danley will share some of her work, and then offer a special workshop for the WES community, inviting you to process grief through poetry.
At the request of Black Lives of UU, WES will explore core anti-racism concepts and turn the lens on our own culture, to see more clearly how white culture and a preference for whiteness shows up in our community.
We often have to hide parts of our selves, either because they are explicitly unwelcome or because we imagine them to be so. Amanda will share stories of the courageous among us, who have found ways to be fully themselves, despite all odds. Music from singer/songwriter LEA.
Many of us are engaged in social justice work, or political action, seeking to change the recent direction of our country. How do we maintain hope and build up our bravery for that work? And, at the same time, how do we stay true to our Ethical Culture principles? Music from the WES Chorus.
As WES seeks to become a more intentionally anti-racist, multicultural community, what tools do we need to learn? How does it feel to be part of the majority culture at WES, and how does it feel to be part of the minority cultures also represented? Music from the WES Chorus.
What does it look like to welcome into our lives all that is…the good, bad, and ugly? How do we increase our capacity to accept the reality we live with, while still holding a sense of the possibility of change? Amanda will explore the Buddhist tradition in this experiential platform.
Imagine you were a traveler from a far-off land, or another time…or even just a different Ethical Society! When you arrived at WES for the first time, what would you find? Would you understand our language, our customs, our (humanist) rituals? Together we will imagine welcoming the stranger to our unique and ever-changing community.
10:30am. Join Amanda for this always popular “question and answer” platform. Send her your questions about ethics, social justice, WES, and more ahead of time, or just bring your questions with you–you’ll have an opportunity to write them down. Amanda will address as many as she has time for! Music from the WES Chorus.
Engagement with anti-racism and other social justice work often includes the experience of making mistakes & even worse, having them pointed out! How can we develop our muscle both to we hear criticism, & to we give it? Amanda will explore the idea & reflect on how we learn together. Music from Lilo Gonzalez.
10:30am. How do we build a culture in a community like ours–one that values communication and allows us to navigate conflict well? Amanda, joined by words from Jo London and Bob Pokorney, will reflect on WES’ historical Relationship Building curriculum and the ways that work informs our unfolding culture. Music from Josh Blinder.
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