Musing Outloud: A Multigen Podcast for Change

For the final episode of this season, we touch on racial healing at both the collective and personal level. We speak to the importance and power of collective acknowledgement of racial trauma as an essential first step in the process of healing. We offer examples of structural expressions that speak to such acknowledgments. We talk about our own personal journeys around racial healing, specifically lifting up racial healing circles, re-evaluation counseling and somatic practices as examples of our key tools. We share tips for facilitators on how to proactively engage with clients on racial dynamics in organizations and groups. We conclude with the following invitation for our listeners: In what practices have you engaged (or would like to explore) around racial healing?

In this episode,  we use the ToP facilitation technique known as the Wall of Wonder retrospective review to reflect on three generational, geographic, and multiracial/ethnic viewpoints on how the concept of race has impacted our lives. Rangineh, Stacey (our guest) and Barbara share stories from different decades, including our earliest experiences of the role that race played in our lives and in relationships with our friends and family. We also explore when and how we began to understand the wider systemic reach of racism. We reflect on our respective recollections and experiences of 9/11 in the USA and the way it expanded our understanding of the depths of racial trauma. We leave our listeners with the question: what is really true about race and racism?

Resources of potential interest:

AfriFuTrinity, A Quantum Cosmic Futures Afri-Sci-Facts Series by Shannon Harris and Stacey Gibson

Wall of Wonder - Looking Back to Move Forward: https://academy.northstarfacilitators.com/courses/looking-back

Today, we feature a new guest, Stacey Gibson, Chicago based, with her company Transform the Collective. She is among many things a mother, author, professor, facilitator, and artist. In this session, we reveal patterns of stagnation in equity work, often presented as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and training. Even though some observable elements (people, mission statement) change,  the core practices remain the same and nothing really changes. Hence the illusion of change. We reflect on some of the 'silent' practices white people consciously or subconsciously use to communicate their racial dominance. We address unspoken expectations for People of Color to carry extra labor. Finally, we speak about the importance of building trusting cross racial relationships as an important step in making anti-racist work sustainable and successful. We end with a question to our listeners: What have you learned about race and your relationships and what are you still learning?

In episode three, we explore the importance of both educating ourselves AND taking action in the context of racial justice. We begin by honoring US civil rights activist John Lewis. We reflect on our journeys of education and activism and implications for facilitators. We ask listeners to explore these questions:

Resources:

In this episode, we define what we mean by racialization and explore our (Rangineh & Barbara's) respective journeys of racialization. We share how we  have come to “do our work” with respect to our racial identities. We briefly look at how five white identity characteristics can affect how we facilitate and how the group perceives the experience. We end by offering our listeners the following question: What are the ways that your racialization has shaped your life? And, if you don’t know, what can you do to begin that journey of inquiry?

Resources we noted in the podcast include:

Rangineh and Barbra kick off Season 2 by talking about the recent surge of racial protests in the USA and the world. What does that mean for us as facilitators leading groups? We reflect on radical humility in particular. Borrowing on concepts from narrative and cultural humility, we share what it might look like to be a radically humble facilitator in this unprecedented time of protests and pandemic.

In our final episode, we explore the idea of "resolve" and reflect on the good that we've created over this time of sheltering in place. We also explore: What will it take for us to hang onto the good that we've created? Are we resolved enough to make this "Great Realization" happen? And what is our role as facilitators in supporting movement in this direction? We offer up some concrete tools for how to engage with these questions, point to some resources that we think will be helpful while we are temporarily away, and end with our signature inspirational poem.

Resources While We are Away

While we are temporarily away, we invite you to check out the following great resources that we refer to in our last episode:

We talk mainly about the concept and process of “returning”. We are returning to a different world, forever changed by the COVID-19 experience. We share an inspiring example of a profound policy change that reduces inequities. We offer a quote to help us hold onto important values as we cautiously move to “open up” our world again.  We explore Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey model as it relates to us entering this next phase of COVID-19, changed forever by the journey. We share ways process facilitators need to behave differently in the now-pervasive online meeting world versus the in-person meeting world.  We leave you with a note of hope and encouragement to hang onto the beauty we have thus figured out.

In episode 7 we explore “The Seven Phases of Image Shift” that comes out of the Institute of Cultural Affairs Canada as a roadmap for change in these unprecedented times. This image shift concept is one process facilitators use consciously and unconsciously when helping groups navigate immense change. We consider where we are as a society in relation to the seven phases, and what possibilities and opportunities the remaining phases hold for us on a global scale during this pandemic.  We conclude by asking our listeners (and each other): What is the shift we are being called to make right now?

In our latest episode, we weigh in on where we are sensing and seeing loneliness show up within and around us as a result of the shelter-in-place order, and how we might re-imagine shifting from loneliness and isolation to connection and community. We muse outloud about how we, as facilitators, can create spaces and processes that mitigate loneliness and bring people closer together. Finally, we speak to the role of levity as a way to balance the inner work of addressing loneliness as one of many feelings that may be coming up right now.