Agents
of Social Change
Organizing for Racial Justice
By Sandra Bernabei, CSW, CASAC
What can happen when 110 seasoned and experienced social worker practitioners and educators complete an Undoing Racism Workshop? We give birth to a movement.
Equipped with an analysis of power, an understanding of our roles as gatekeepers, a common framework including agreement of terms and language, tools for organizing and teaching and a schedule of ongoing support….we are ready to go!
Veteran trainers and organizers from the New Orleans-based People's Institute for Survival and Beyond facilitated an Undoing Racism Workshop in New York City July 1, the third such training in the Westchester County-New York City area since April 2003.
Faculty from six graduate schools of social work completed the training along with administrators and practitioners from New York City and Westchester County human services agencies.
The following comments capture the spirit and value of the experience:
“Thank you for your groundbreaking work. You have organized and mastered the presentation of material, not new but profoundly understood and heard.”
“This is the first conference in many years that I am pleased to have attended.”
“I appreciated the white social worker's struggle and willingness to accept the challenges to each other and with one another.”
“I have a clear understanding of power and the role that I play in it.”
“All the presenters were amazing, articulate and challenging.”
“I learned more about history in 20 minutes than I learned in the past 50 years.”
We are deeply grateful to Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service for its commitment to racial justice. Dean Peter B. Vaughan has offered to continue to host ongoing trainings at the Lincoln Center and Tarrytown Campuses.
Join us at the upcoming training scheduled for November 9, 10, and 11 at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Lincoln Center Campus.
For more information click here or contact Sandy Bernabei, at AntiRacist Alliance, 212 957-5305.