Animated small group discussions

Tonight there was a well-organized "Racial Justice Orientation" organized by Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Marilyn Buck Abolitionist Collective, and ForWARD (For White Accountability in Racial Dialogue). About 600 people showed up, listened to speakers from the three organizations, and were engaged in small group discussions exploring ways to organize, take action, and bring the work (of dismantling white supremacy) to their own families and communities. The meeting began and ended on time, the speakers got quickly to the point and were brief and clear, there were useful handouts with lists of questions for discussion, and they encouraged us to engage other white people in conversations about the way white supremacy works. One speaker said, “Dealing with active white supremacists: that’s OUR job. We have to step up and do it, and because it’s dangerous work, we need to develop groups of people we trust who will do it with us.”