NEW VIRTUAL SMALL GROUP / BOOK STUDY FORMING Summer 2020……
This is a watershed moment during which White Americans are collectively committing to start with themselves in lifting up Black Americans and changing our culture. In an effort to constructively address these themes as a congregation, a new book club/discussion small group is forming!
Starting With Ourselves: Reflecting on Whiteness in America will be facilitated by Pastor Jessie’s sister, Sarah Doerrer, who has eight years experience co-teaching Peace & Justice Studies classes. We will read the classic text White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. Starting With Ourselves will be a space where we can, with the momentum and structure of fellow learners, unreservedly explore how to uncover and dismantle blind spots of racism in ourselves and strategize how to be effective allies out in the world, including among other white folks.
The group can include up to 12 participants, ages 14 and over, on a first come first served basis. We will meet for five 90 minute sessions, every other Thursday from 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom, on July 9th, July 23rd, July 30th, August 6th, and August 20th.
Each session will be covering 25-35 pages of the book (which is sold out in hard copy many places but is available for free download from the DC Public Library: https://www.
Ideally those participating would treat it with commitment and aim to be present for all five sessions so that we have continuity as a learning community.
If you would like to participate, please email Sarah at sarahdoerrer@gmail.com as soon as possible. However, if you are interested but cannot attend the Summer group, email Sarah anyway, as she may offer the group again in the early Fall – hopefully in person, COVID-permitting!