Will we ever get there?
Envisioning Equity
Now that I am sharing what was only 8 months ago an idea that came to me in a moment of deep reflection, anger and resolve to DO SOMETHING, I want to tell you how I got here. It took me back to a series of moments at Brown University when I was reading Francis Cress-Welsing for the first time, listening to Kwame Toure speak on campus, and deciding to join the All-African People‘s Revolutionary Party. These encounters inspired me and led me to a vision. I had a vision that we could teach people to understand racism as it unfolded in America using courses, speeches and lived experiences that make it plain - and that it could be done from a sense of pride and commitment to Sankofa (the African tradition of going back to our history, culture, roots and core values to move forward). Over the last 30 years, I have tried to offer a way… to teachers, families and youth development professionals. Whether it was an independent school, the song ABC’s of Unity for young learners (Thank you, Dr. Asantewaa Sunni-Ali), SETCLAE for teachers (Thank you, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu), a framework for a liberatory pedagogy for educators (Thank you, Rosalynne Duff) or an Equity Facilitation Fellowship within a teacher residency (Thank you, CREATE).
The series of racist events in May of 2020 drew so many of us to search for new solutions, to the removal of all fears, to say the damn thing no matter who was in the room - in fact, to make sure the people who need to hear it most are in the room - to write new books and post powerful truths. For me, that was Listening 4 Justice. I had no idea when I asked people to join me for the pilot of this eight-week experience two hours a week that 50 of us would come to look forward to Tuesday night. Where the learning was sometimes painful and the opportunity to deeply listening was healing. A small mighty 20 of us would continue to connect weekly and learn together and we are crafting ways to smash the damn thing and co-construct something new, something life-affirming, something that offers a way to heal. Across cultures and continents, we are rising to the challenge. Whether you have found your way or all still searching for a way to contribute to the dismantling of racism and the building of communities of action and criticality. We invite you to experience deep listening with us. The outcomes are unforgettable and its impact long-lasting.
~ Dr. Folami Prescott-Adams
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