Racism, Masks, and Manhood
A Radical Soul Care Exploration in Two Parts
Wednesdays, August 5 & 19, 2020
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Mountain
Men Ages 18+
Session One – Inner Work – August 5th
What you are, the world is. Without your transformation, there can be no transformation of the world.
~ J. Krishnamurti
Most of us have been appalled by the latest expressions of racism exposed in policing and embedded deeply in our culture. Will this be a time of real change and much needed transformation or of a return to the status quo of systemic racism after superficial attempts at being politically correct?
Are you among the men who are ready and willing to be part of the long overdue healing process? Are you willing to use this time as an opportunity to explore how racism lives in you both personally and social/politically?
If so, we invite you to join with other white men who recognize that our work on racism is a deep dive into radical soul care both personally and collectively.
In the first session of this re-training and awakening seminar we will begin the process of sourcing our racism in our beliefs and thinking, our feelings and relating, and in the masks we men wear and the shadows we project onto others.
We will take a hard look at those masks of manhood psychologically/socially and now also physically. We will explore how those choices impact our racism and how wearing or not wearing a mask became a metaphor of what version of manhood we aspire to.
One of the most powerful of all white privileges is that we men with less skin pigment can choose to deal with racism and the pain that division causes or not. If we don’t want to confront with racism we can deny, avoid, and dismiss the issue in so many ways.
So what will you do with that privilege? Hide out and ignore or actively work to become antiracist within and in your world?
Questions we may explore as we look at how racism shows up in our inner life might include:
- When and how do we maintain our white privilege within?
- What are the wounds of white privilege to our souls?
- Are we willing to feel the depth of our anger and grief at racial injustice?
- If so, how can we work with those feelings in a supportive and productive way?
- What would motivate us to sustain anti-racist within our hearts, minds and souls?
- How would that look?
- What support would we need to continue that soul work?
We will do our best to approach this transformational work with the utmost compassion and creativity for ourselves, our families, and our communities!
Session Two – Outer Expressions – August 19th
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
~ John Stuart Mill
In Part 2 of this re-training opportunity, we will explore our racism and how it impacts our families, friends, and communities.
It is the hard truth that virtually everyone reading this sentence has a bigger slice of the economic pie than those with darker skin colors.
Systemic racism impacts all levels of society including health care, education, religion, media and entertainment, travel and social mobility, agriculture, science and tech, the military, the police and legal system, jobs and virtually everything in the world of business and the economy.
Questions we want to explore with you are:
- Knowing that each of us would have to do a lot to change those dynamics, what are the risks of looking at our racism and the privileges and benefits whiteness provides?
- How can we use our white privilege financially, socially, and politically to balance the books?
- How would that look for each of us personally?
- Where do you find the motivation and inspiration to take action?
- How would a commitment to antiracism for the rest of your life look?
- Knowing this soul work is a very long road, what support would you need to keep deepening your antiracism work and stay on track?
We will end this stage of our exploration by reflecting on how the convergence of Black Lives Matter, The Me Too Movement, the Covid Pandemic, and The Climate Crisis has precipitated a collective rite of passage at a global level and what part we might play in this transformation.
Our bottom line desire in offering this exploration is to catalyze a healing movement of the soul both within us and in the world. Please join us if your heart is called to expand both internally and into the world.
Facilitators
Tom Daly, PhD, is a co-founder of The Men’s Leadership Alliance, and creator 4Gateways Coaching. He has led men’s support groups since the 70’s and continues his work through MLA as a mentor and leadership trainer. Tom has a passion for creating a world of diversity, justice, and creativity that works for everyone.
John Harrington is a Transformational Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, and MLA Holistic Leader. He has dedicated much of his life to personal growth and helping others on their own unique path. As a lifelong learner, he has immersed himself in multiple cultures and approaches to life throughout the world. This has inspired and reinforced his desire to help eliminate illogical fear, hate, ignorance, and injustice through exposure, understanding, and compassion for the human experience.
Registration
Registration is required to participate in this seminar.
Click the link below to register as soon as you feel called to this courageous work. Space is limited to 22 participants.
When you sign up for the seminar you will receive a Zoom link and pre-seminar materials that we encourage you to read before Part 1.
After Part 2 there will be an opportunity to continue our exploration with evening follow up sessions.
Investment
Tom and John are offering this seminar as a service to the community. AND we would certainly appreciate a donation of $20 (or what works for you) to MLA to continue making our classes, trainings and workshops available to everyone.
You can make your donation here: PayPal.me/mensleaderalliance/
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