White Supremacy and White Privilege
Inner Work
for Spiritual Directors and Companions
Presenter
Rev. Jane
Vennard
Dates
Wednesdays: February 5, 12, 19, 26
11:00 – 12:30pm Pacific
2:00 – 3:30pm Eastern
Duration
6 hours (total)
Webinar will be recorded.
“The reality of white supremacy and white privilege is in the news, in our communities, and in our families. We might be tempted to turn away but after we have seen it, we can no longer not see it. White supremacy must be faced if we are committed to a just and peaceful world.”
This webinar is designed for white people and open to all. I am a white woman and was taught by my Black teachers that the education of other white people is our responsibility. We will discuss the origins of white supremacy, the experience of white privilege, racism in our world today, and guidelines for becoming anti-racist.
However, the focus of our time together will primarily be formational rather than informational. We will not just hear the history of white supremacy and white privilege in the United States, we will attend to our own experiences that can open our minds, eyes and hearts to our own unearned privileges.
This work is challenging and best done in a safe and contemplative community as we face parts of ourselves that may not have been acknowledged. This coming to fullness is spiritual work that is important for spiritual directors and companions to do. What better place to explore it together than at SDI.
Each session will include information, guided reflection, break out rooms, large group sharing, silence, and blessing. Suggestions for reflection between sessions will be offered.
Building on SDI's previous White Privilege Series
This series offers a continuation and deepening of our previous series, White Privilege in Spiritual Direction and Companionship (available free for all SDI Members).
Webinar Description
Session 1 (February 5) - White Supremacy
We will begin with an overview of our time together and then jump right into an exploration of our white supremacy culture. We will talk about origins of white supremacy including the Doctrine of Discovery, manifest destiny, and slavery; then the more recent history of the Native American boarding schools, the Civil War, reconstruction, and Jim Crow.
Session 2 (February 12) - White Privilege
Defining and recognizing the white privilege that comes from the white supremacist culture will guide us to our own personal experiences of this unearned advantage. We will reflect on the ways white privilege shapes our lives and how it plays a part in our ministries of spiritual companioning.
Session 3 (February 19) - Complexities
As we go more deeply into our topic and our own experiences, we begin to realize how complex this study is. In this session we will look at and describe terms and experiences such as intersectionality, the difference between intention and impact, micro-aggressions, and white fragility. We will share our insights as well as any confusion or discomfort we may be feeling.
Session 4 (February 26) - Becoming Antiracist
Am I a racist? Am I racist? What does it mean to be antiracist? What does it mean to become an ally? In this final session we will explore ways to integrate our learning into our lives and our role as spiritual companions and consider the question, “Where do we go from here?”
- Participants from all religious traditions and spiritual orientations are welcome in this webinar series.
- Each session runs 90 minutes, and will include teaching, spiritual exercises, breakout discussion groups, and Q&A.
- All sessions will be recorded and be viewable for at least 12 months after the last session goes live.
When
The webinar series will run 4 consecutive Wednesdays: February 5, 12, 19, and 26
- 11:00 AM Seattle/Los Angeles
- 1:00 PM Chicago
- 2:00 PM Eastern
Find your own local time here.
You are invited to join us live so that you can engage others in discussion, exercises, and ask questions. However, each session is recorded, so you can watch at your convenience.
Presenter
Reverend Jane Vennard has led peer supervision groups for over 20 years, and previously facilitated SDI webinars including White Privilege in Spiritual Direction and Companionship, Eldering in the Time of COVID-19, and A Guide to Peer Supervision for Spiritual Directors. She was called to the ministry of teaching and spiritual direction and ordained in 1987 by the United Church of Christ. She is retired senior adjunct faculty at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, USA. Jane has presented workshops at SDI conferences and offered a Plenary Address at the 20th anniversary celebration in 2010. She has led programs for Spiritual Direction Colorado’s continuing education events including an afternoon on the topic of racism. A number of church groups have also sponsored programs on white privilege including UU, Catholic, Episcopal, and UCC. Jane has taught in spiritual direction formation programs at Garrett Theological Seminary, Columbia Theological Seminary and The Community of Christ spiritual formation program. She is a spiritual director in private practice and the author of eight books.
Additional Information
- Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience.
- Each session will run approximately 90 minutes. We understand that the timing of the seminar will not be convenient in every time zone on the planet. For those who have trouble making this time, a recorded copy of each session will be made available to all those who sign up.
- CEU credits are available for all those who participate. SDI will provide a certificate of completion for self-reporting to agencies. More information can be found here: continuing education units (CEUs).
- This is a paid webinar series, with discounts for SDI Members. We hope you will participate, learn, grow, and help support SDI's work.
- Scholarships are available for those facing financial hardship. Please apply here.
Free - Or Pay What You Can
We’re excited to offer this course on a sliding scale to make it accessible to everyone in our community. We encourage you to choose an amount at a level that feels right, which helps us continue offering these resources to all. Your presence matters more than payment!
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Registration
By registering for the event, you will receive an email with the Zoom details for this webinar series. Please fill this form out so we know to expect you!
Once you fill out this form, you will be registered for all 4 sessions.
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