Roots of Justice Training

https://www.rootsofjusticetraining.org/

The Anti-racism Analysis training by Roots of Justice was a very eye-opening experience. Going into this training, I was a bit nervous given the topic of racism is very big right now in media and politics with ICE deportations and DEI being revoked. The conversations surrounding racism and current media that I have had outside of the social work department and with close friends have been hard conversations to have due to having various opinions and political views, which caused a lot of anxiety surrounding this training but pushed me, even more, to want to go.

Although I came in with these feelings, I left feeling very hopeful, educated, and more vocal. The environment was very welcoming and allowed room for conversations of all natures. At any time, I felt like I could speak up with a question, and the staff were so welcoming of everyone and encouraged learning from each other throughout the process.

The training started with an open circle and an introduction to what we would be seeing throughout the training. I loved that they started with a grounding technique that they carried out throughout the training. This was very important due to the conversations we were having and the feelings that they brought up. The grounding focuses on your body and your breathing and releasing the tension you hold.

During our first session, we were asked to write down historical events from 1492 to today. This activity was called the Sea of Resistance to Racism. There were icebergs drawn on posters around the room, which depicted racism surrounded by a sea of resistance. Participants were instructed to write down evidence of racism within the outlines of icebergs and then the resistance outside the icebergs. The periods of the posters were split into 1492-1848, 1849-1896, 1897-1945, and 1946- today. The first period was focused on colonization, the genocide of Native Americans, and slavery. The second was a period of emancipation, empire, and reconstruction. The next consisted of Jim Crow segregation, immigration, World War II, and Double V. The final period was the freedom struggles, the Cold War, and retrenchment.

Through this activity, I felt very ashamed due to not knowing much about the history between 1492 and 1896. It was also very sad to find that much of what was written on these posters was not something that I learned in school. On the last day of our training, we walked through each of the posters and went over the meanings of every event the participants wrote down, and we were given different leaders and resources to look up to further our understanding after the training. 

Throughout the whole training, I think the biggest thing that stood out to me was one of the videos we watched, where a teacher taught her 3rd-grade class what racism was and why it is wrong. The teacher had kids separate based on brown or blue eye color, and the students of one group would have privileges like recess and drinking from the water fountain one day, and then the next they would have them taken away and given to the other group of kids. It was very interesting to see the dynamic of the groups and how each acted based on which day it was.

Another big thing that stood out to me was the topic of power and authority. They do not go hand in hand, and within most institutions where we are seeing racism and imbalance of power, there are people of color in authority positions who are having their power taken away from them. Along with this, I thought that the sections of the iceberg were very eye-opening. The part above the water is the oppression that you can see within personnel, programs, policies, practices, and procedures. Under that, there is White power, which involves interpersonal and institutional phenomenons that provide privileges. Finally, the last portion that should be a big focus and something that everyone evaluates is Identity Power. This section focuses on constituency, structure, missions, purpose, and identity.

Overall, this training made me realize how important it is to educate yourself, as well as how important it is to ask questions and speak up. Don’t be scared to start a conflict and create a place and space for awareness and learning. It is not up to people of color to educate White people on what is right and wrong. It is not up to them to be the only ones speaking up. But while speaking up and advocating, it is important to not step into a White savior role. We are not there to save someone or do something for someone.

Use your voice to uplift others and direct attention; don’t speak for others. I also realized that I should be more mindful of the situations I am in, the privileges I have, and how they affect others around me. It is also important to be aware of those in your community and inner circles, to pay attention to the voices within them, and to help educate those around you or bring awareness to this issue of racism.