COURSE DESCRIPTION
This workshop will nuance a variety of concepts related to white guilt, social & positional power, whiteness, and white privilege then discuss ways actionable allyship can occur.
Learning Goals:
• Understand why we center race when focusing on dismantling systems of oppression
• Understanding white people’s role in dismantling racist systems
• Understand the relationship between power and privilege
• Connecting unacknowledged white guilt to cognitive dissonance
• Understanding of how white silence maintains the status quo
Skill-Gain Goals:
• Gained confidence with self-reflecting on and discussing white privilege
• Gained confidence navigating conversations about race
• Ability to create an actionable goal toward dismantling racism
• Increased courage to interrupt harmful situations
• Ability to utilize harm repair strategies
LOCATION
Online via Zoom
PRICING AND REGISTRATION
For any questions regarding registration, our sliding scale, work-trade opportunities or accessibility needs, please contact the social justice team at sjp@ywcapdx.org or (971) 358-6227.
ACCESSIBILITY
This class will be held online via Zoom. Please contact us to let us know if you need specific accommodations.
VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TIPS
Thanks for joining us online! Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of this workshop:
Mute your microphone. To help keep background noise to a minimum, make sure you mute your microphone when you are not speaking. When your microphone is not muted, avoid activities that could create additional noise.
Engage with the class. These are intended to be workshops, not webinars! Please come ready to engage and participate, and help build community within the “classroom.” Not everyone is able to participate via webcam, but if you are able, we ask that you do so as much as possible.
Limit distractions and avoid multi-tasking. You can make it easier to focus on the meeting by turning off notifications, closing or minimizing running apps, and muting your smartphone. You’ll retain the discussion better if you refrain from replying to emails or test messages during the meeting and wait until after the workshop ends.
Help us improve our program! Each workshop will have a brief survey sent out. All results are anonymous and help us continuously improve our program.
Take notes. Our facilitators’ own their presentation material so it is not a requirement for the presentation to be shared afterwards.
Need an accommodation? Email us so we can create an ideal learning environment for you. sjp@ywcapdx.org
GROUP PARTICIPATION FRAMEWORK & AGREEMENTS
While guidelines and expectations will vary from workshop to workshop, most of these apply to a typical workshop session:
One speaker at a time. When one person talks, everyone else listens.
Community wisdom. Nobody knows everything, together we know a lot.
Take space & give space. Be mindful of how much you’re participating in the discussion.
Intent vs. impact. Before sharing, consider how what you say will affect others in the group.
Confidentiality. Details shared in the class stay in the class, but what’s learned goes with you.
Active participation. In this environment, it’s better to be open and imperfect than worry too much about being overly articulate.
Embrace discomfort and expect non-closure. Learning and growth can be stressful, do your best to hold space for those feelings.
PRESENTER AND CONTACT INFO
Presented by Shay Braden
Hi there, my name is Shay (he/him)! I work for the YWCA of Greater Portland, and I manage our Social Justice Education and Training Program. I transitioned from human resources-based roles into a social justice role three years ago. I'm a southern ginger gentleman from Nashville, Tennessee. I'm an extroverted-introvert and love spending time in libraries. Although most days you'd find me either gaming, crafting (like clay, painting, wood work, epoxy resin, etc), or watching Dragon Ball. I'm a neurodivergent, queer, transgender, white man with non-visible physical disabilities. I believe it’s important to focus on dismantling racism when discussing systems of oppression because all social identities are racialized. As a facilitator, I do not educate using shaming methods, but I do create a culture of accountability. It’s important to both learn in a way that helps each of us but to also embrace the discomforts that come with learning about oppression. By leading with empathy and connection, we can better understand how interconnected these systems are.
Contact Us
Email: Shay at shayb@ywcapdx.org, or
Phone: (503) 294-7395