Posts

Touching into Growth -- Gently and Compassionately

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                                 Photo by  drmakete lab  on  Unsplash Over the past several months, there has been a shift in how I my view of what is mine to do. I suspect a part of the shift is my "compassion fatigue," that there is so much that needs to be addressed, I am overwhelmed. And yet, I am not willing to retreat into  doing nothing. So, my practice of late is to be present, aligned with my values, fully authentic and vulnerable. Sometimes it takes courage to interrupt a statement or an action; when I am aligned with what matters to me, it is simply what needs to happen. In that context, I recently received a list of resources to deepen my understanding of racial justice and equity. I share it not to suggest you must take in everything on the list. Instead, I invite you to savor, now and then, as something calls to you.  https://mailchi.mp/racialequitytools.org/honoring-our-ancestors_february-2022-new-resources?e=0d85268a4f    With love and blessings, Tara Steele

A Radical Friendship - A Play by Jane Marla Robbins, Saturday, February 19, 7 pm

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  In her outstanding two-person play, “A Radical Friendship,” Jane Marla Robbins envisions an ongoing conversation between spiritual leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taking place between 1963 and 1972. In the historically accurate interchanges, Dr. King refers to the rabbi as “Father Abraham” and “my Rabbi.” The Shomrei Torah Cultural Committee brings this production to Sonoma County in honor of Black History Month. The play was last seen starring Ed Asner in Southern California. We are fortunate that the Raven Performing Arts Theater’s Artistic Director Steven David Martin will be directing the play with two talented local actors to portray these historic heroes. Saturday, February 19, at 7 pm. For more information and to register to attend this event on Zoom free of charge, go to  https://www.cstsr.org/event/a-radical-friendship.html

Powerful Summer Reading - You Are Your Best Thing, edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown

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This book is written to give voice to the experiences of Black people. Too often, they may be only be seen at those who are impacted most directly by racism. That is a part of their identity, and they also live lives of blessing and strength and challenge. This book is a collection of essays from writers, artists, educators, activists and others. They speak in the first person, in Tarana Burke's words, to "give our humanity breathing room." You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience , edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown. From the introduction by the editors: Brene: I kept thinking about bell hook's concept of lovelessness and how she talks about lovelessness as the root of white supremacy and the patriarchy and all forms of oppression. And that the answer to lovelessness is love. I've read bell hooks for thirty years, but these essays and the process of co-creating with you taught me what love in the face of lovelessness

Community Conversations on Race, Mondays, 5:30 to 6:30 PM

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  Here's an opportunity to listen in on conversations about the impact of racism as well as plans to change the institutionalized policies and practices that support it. In addition to the live conversations on Facebook, you can go to the Community Action Partnership website to see recordings of earlier discussions. You'll find those here: Community Conversations on Race I welcome your comments on what you hear.

A Daughter and Her Mother Talk about Being Black in the United States, 5 pm, Sunday, September 13

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Rev. Karen Frost Two generations of black women, a mother and a daughter, talk about the experience of being black in the United States, touching on interracial marriage, dreadlocks, Emmett Till, and more. It promises to be a rich and important conversation.  Rev. Karen Frost is a minister with Centers for Spiritual Living. Her mother is Chair of the Education Department at Hebrew Theological College.  Here  is the Facebook event link. Here  is a seven-minute promo to give you a taste of where the conversation will go on Sunday , September  13, starting at 5 pm PDT.   

Antidotes to White Supremacy Culture - What Do You Choose?

  Being and Belonging Meets Sunday, September Thirteenth       1:30 to 3 pm Many of us have been reading up on, discussing, Googling to learn more about racism, white supremacy, how to be an anti-racist. At some point, the book study ends, you've watched a video, you've listened to a podcast.  For those of us who now realize we have white privilege, now what? At the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa, the  Being and Belonging Group, How Diversity Becomes Inclusivity , meets every month on the second Sunday afternoon. On September 13, we'll begin to explore the ways that white supremacy culture shows up, for example, perfectionism, individualism, and either/or thinking. At least as important, we'll touch on antidotes to those cultural strategies and the principles and values of Science of Mind that support those antidotes. Click  HERE  to read the article before Sunday's gathering which begins in Zoom at 1:30 pm. You'll find the link to the Being & Belong

Simple Things Count: Seven Ways to Be More Inclusive of People with Disabilities

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I am not a fan of the ways in which Microsoft tracks what I view in my browser and then decides what else I might want to see. However, this morning the algorithm called up a series of recommendations on how to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. It's worth taking the time to watch the seven episodes, each is under two minutes. This first one grabbed my attention. My mother was injured hiking in the snow when I was eight months old. She learned to do everything "normal" people did, just in her own way. That included having five more children. When we were out and about, going shopping, to a movie or whatever, people would come up to her, speak slowly and loudly, asking if she needed any help. She was a brilliant woman and her physical limitations didn't impact her brain or her hearing. They made ridiculous assumptions and missed getting to know a remarkable human being. So in tribute to my mom and all the differently-abled people in our world, I share this