Many White-identifying colleagues have expressed uncertainty about identifying concrete actions they can take in their professional and personal circles to promote anti-racism and more fully understand systemic racism in the United States. In response, we are piloting a reading group for White-identifying individuals interested in and committed to developing their knowledge related to race and racism. Our plan is to continue these reading groups beyond the pilot that at the moment includes staff and faculty from the Office of Academic Affairs and the School of Social Work. Those who sign up for this pilot will start by reading one of two texts related to white racial identity development: White Awake by Daniel Hill, and Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad. We will meet in groups of 8-10 people on a weekly basis to discuss the reading.
Our plan is to continue these reading groups beyond the pilot, and we have ideas for texts that focus more directly on anti-racism, as well as the history of race and racism in the United States in general, and Baltimore in particular.
If you are interested in participating in this pilot, please complete this form by July 6, 2020. We ask that individuals who sign up commit to doing the reading and attend all the meetings, as this will result in richer discussions. We also ask that you purchase the books from a Black-owned bookstore. You can find a list of Black-owned bookstores here.
Our goal is to start these pilot groups by mid-July, and end by mid-August, and then discuss how to continue this work.
Thank you for considering participation in this group.
Sincerely,
Isabell May, Amy Ramirez, and Courtney Jones Carney