Being and Belonging

Photo by Harry Grout, Unplash.com As a white woman, I am noticing how my language is shifting on an almost-daily basis! Our evolution is happening quickly. That said, I won’t be quiet for fear of being clumsy with my words. I make mistakes. But if I say something awkward or inept, I own it, apologize, and move on, learning from my misstep. My intention is to support inclusion for everyone. I often remind myself of these truths that have so long lain dormant: There is no such thing as "not racist."  We can be or act in racist OR anti-racist ways. If we are claiming "not racist," it is because we  likely have  not named and deconstructed the ways we have been conditioned in white supremacy. White folks are the ones who need to do the work of dismantling white supremacy . It is ours to do. We need to lean on other white people in our learning, grieving, discomfort, guilt, shame, advocacy— not  on BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color). It is not their job to fo

If you've found this page, you've also found lists of resources and actions. There is so much. Where do I start? How can I possibly make a difference? I know it matters but... So, pause, breathe, go within and listen for what is yours to do. That's always where we start. Each of us chooses our path. 

What’s Mine to Do? As a spiritual community, we cultivate the expression of all the qualities of our Divine Source—love, intelligence, harmony, order, etc. The result is the forming of a connection with the Divine and an inevitable urge to relieve the sufferings of others. As Spirit-centered and compassionate beings, what is ours to do in this time when suffering is exposed everywhere so that we make permanent and positive changes? How do we cement in place our new understanding of compassionate living so we don’t revert to the old “normal?” Here are some suggestions from people in our community recorded at open community meetings.  These thoughts represent ideas that came forward spontaneously in our community meetings in a brainstorming session and are personal to those who made them. EDUCATE Inform yourself:  Me and White Supremacy :  Combat Racism, Change the World  by Layla Saad. Our center will have a discussion of this book Wednesdays, noon to 1 pm, August 5 to September 9. Get

The Being and Belonging Group began almost four years ago as the inspiration of practitioner Wayne Haught. The intention of the group was to learn more about racism as a systemic structure. Since then, we have broadened our explorations to talk about the many unique ways that human beings show up and how to celebrate the diversity in our Oneness. At the beginning of this year, the core team realized that our goal wasn't to talk about diversity. That's a given, how creation shows up. Instead we wanted to learn more about how to authentically include people in ways that honor and acknowledge the richness of our differences as well as the One that lives as us all. That has led to conversations about social rank, racism, oppression, and privilege. We renamed the conversation Being and Belonging , reflecting our goal more accurately. Over the past month, the brutal realities of racially-focused police violence made it impossible to believe that racism in the US ended in the 1960s. I