February Affinity Groups
On February 1st a small group of parents, Pathfinder staff, and SPS District folx came together for our first affinity group!
During the affinity group, we started with everyone so we had a clear understanding of what affinity groups are, what affinity groups are not, and why we are here.
What racial affinity groups are…
- A time for White folx to embrace, excavate, and reckon with their Whiteness, including their privilege and power examine how to center the voices and experiences of BIPOC without harming and/or re-traumatizing BIPOC
- A time for BIPOC folx to take care of themselves and one another while unpacking racism, internalize oppression, and racialized trauma, discussing the impact of White Supremacy Culture and the pressure of assimilation in the absence of Whiteness.
What racial affinity groups are not…
- Racist or segregationist
- A replacement for doing mixed-race racial equity work
- A time for White folx to avoid discussion about race by focusing on other identities
- A time for White folx to rely on BIPOC to educate or coddle them
Why we are here…
- The Survey — administered during the 2020-21 academic year by our family based Racial Equity Team.
- Student Voice – a few anecdotes that including “I’ve been here since Kindergarten, and I have never felt a part of this school…” “They care, but they don’t see me…” “My skin color is a curse here…”
- Community Café – during this time we learned of specific requests from our families of color. Learning in The Compass.
- The Noose – opened the need have continued conversations and unpack what is happening in our community.
We then broke into small groups to discuss and unpack what was shared.
Finally, we came back as a whole group to share the gifts we received from each other!
We encourage more folx to join. Prior to our April Affinity Group we will be reading the first 26 pages of My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialize Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem.
Please register for any of the Affinity Groups you will be attending. We ask that each adult register separately. Please note, this is one of the few places that are reserved for adults only.
