This fall, more than 50 members of East Shore are participating in Beloved Conversations! This now virtual class is a wonderful opportunity to grow in your understanding of racial justice and the importance of a beloved community.
I had been thinking that I was doing a pretty good job of doing my own digging to discover my own shortcomings regarding racial awareness. Beloved conversations has opened some new doors for me. Some important doors. The most important one is the understanding that it requires white people to talk and listen to white people. The message has been clear and available for a long time but I haven’t been open enough. Beloved Conversations is making it clear to me that you can’t just get “woke.” It takes a commitment over time to connect and challenge other white people. I am so glad I decided to join this conversation. I am learning lots and feel supported in the process.—Mark Norelius
Beloved Conversations is a course that welcomes folks at any stage of learning about racism and antiracism. The instructors are talented, the welcome is clear, and the architecture allows learning at one’s own pace. There is a wealth of resources for study, and a robust menu of options for making sense. I particularly love this triad: the comfort zone, the learning zone, and the fear zone. We spend too much time in the comfort zone thinking we’re safe, avoiding the fear zone. Change is the only constant, and trying to stay in the learning zone feels like growth, because it is! Try it! You’ll like it! Even on Zoom, or maybe even especially on Zoom.—Paul Buehrens
Make sure you join us for the service on January 17th as we share more testimonials!
If you missed out this time, don’t worry! Beloved Conversations is offering another option in the spring. Mark your calendars for registration in February with the classes beginning in March and running monthly through mid-May.
by Nicole Duff, Membership Development Manager