WE acknowledge and identify the white supremacy structure in which we all live
WE acknowledge that we are on Indigenous land and Indigeneity is specific to wherever you stand
WE acknowledge that the America Project was, and continues to be, built on chattel enslavement of Black people(s); their resistance is the basis for Critical Race Theory
WE acknowledge that white people are settlers on the territories known as “The Americas” and are beneficiaries and participants of settler colonialism
WE acknowledge that racism is an inherent part of the cultures of the Americas, which includes territories now known as North America, Central America and South America
WE acknowledge that racism is foundational to the forming of the political, social, economic and realms of U.S. culture and is pervasive, and preventable
WE acknowledge that modern capitalism is a racialized ideology and therefore exists to benefit and privilege whiteness;
And therefore, we ask for accountability in the following: - Center Black, Indigenous, Brown & Marginalized Bodies, Narratives and Knowledge
- Decenter whiteness - this includes internalized or embodied whiteness/racism
- Examine bias, ask yourself why you think what you think and what ideologies inform your process
- Pivot the Center (Patricia Hill Collins) - acknowledge your own and another’s body and being
- Expand on the definition of labor itself to emotional labor and acknowledgement of how bodies are utilized
- Acknowledge and contextualize power and positionality
- Mistakes and failure are part of the individual and collective engagement with the learning process
- Accountability and positionality go hand-in-hand
- Recognize, acknowledge and question your discomfort
- Hold your opinions with humility and practice accountability
- Focus on the immediate, personal, and local
- Avoid speaking in universals
- Recognize and critically engage with your communication style with the understanding that power and positionality always impact the way one communicates
- Engage in the process while understanding your power and positionality
- Speak from your own experience; speak from the “I” & use personal stories - stay in your lane
- Participate honestly/openly pass; ask yourself: Why/how am I/aren’t I sharing my story?
- Expect to learn something new
- Confidentiality; learn the lessons but don’t share stories
- Take responsibility for what you say
Respect the cultural autonomy of ideas; Acknowledge the historical harm of usurping (Keela…)
- Expect microaggressions to be interrupted: We will not tolerate further harm to be caused to those bodies who are already systematically marginalized
- Acknowledge and appreciate your learning curve
- This is a process→ ongoing and lifelong, don’t expect closure
***The work that we do is not based on abstraction, the consequences of racism harm people, damage our society and destroy the earth every day.