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White Privilege in Spiritual Direction and Companionship
October 27, 2021 @ 9:30 am – 10:45 am PDT
To register, click the button above. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please note that you only have to register once for this 4-part series. We are highly encouraging live participation for people who register. We will make the recordings available to all members after the sessions, without need for registration, for those who can’t make the live sessions..
In conjunction with the SDI Engage 2022 Conference, we are offering this webinar as a free offering for SDI Members and those who have registered for the conference. This is an invitation and opportunity for SDI Members and Conference Attendees who are white to open our hearts to the work of our theme of Engage, in a safe and welcoming way.
White privilege is defined as the unearned advantage gained by simply being born White into a culture where whiteness is the norm. Although this privilege has long been obvious to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), it is just beginning to be more acknowledged and understood by most White people.
This four-part webinar is designed for spiritual directors and spiritual companions who want to explore White privilege and recognize how it shapes our vocation and ministry.
We will approach this subject using personal language and reflection. Telling and hearing stories about our experiences of White privilege will be at the heart of the webinar. Each session will include an opening meditation, presentation, reflection, small group storytelling, and large group sharing. We will end each gathering with a blessing.
Although everyone is welcome, this webinar is designed primarily for those who identify as White to explore and understand their own privilege and how it manifests. It serves as a prelude to future SDI engagements with those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) on the issue.
TAKEAWAYS
- As white people, we have a responsibility to explore the ways white privilege manifests in our lives. It is not the responsibility of BIPOC to teach White people about their privilege.
- Self-knowledge is as important, if not more important, than factual knowledge in the work for racial justice.
- Experiencing and understanding White privilege is a necessary component of spiritual companioning.
- There is a difference between diversity and inclusion. Diversity is about numbers. Inclusion is about relationship and power.
- From its founding the United States has been and still is a racist culture in which White people benefit from the oppression of BIPOC.
- Becoming antiracist is hard and courageous work and can best be done with support from a strong community.
Session 1 (October 27): White Privilege
We will begin by defining and recognizing White Privilege and share our personal experiences of this unearned advantage. We will reflect on ways White privilege has shaped our lives and how it plays a part in our ministry of spiritual companioning.
Session 2 (November 3): White Supremacy
We live in a culture of White Supremacy. We will examine overt and covert attitudes and behaviors that support this way of life. We will look at history, much of which was seldom taught in school, to understand the origins of White supremacy.
Session 3 (November 10): White Fragility
As we continue with information and self-reflection we will most likely encounter our White Fragility. This experience defines the discomfort we often feel when engaging the topic of race and can be a powerful influence in our ministries
Session 4 (November 17) : Becoming Antiracist
This final session will explore ways to integrate our learning into our lives and our role as a spiritual companion. Understanding that becoming antiracist is a life-long process, we will consider the question, “Where do we go from here?”
