Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism (Day 1)

This three-day intensive workshop, facilitated by Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training, will explore racism as entrenched, systemic, institutional misuse of power that goes beyond personal prejudice. It will introduce the idea that oppression (and in particular, racism) is not primarily a matter of individual prejudice but is rather an historically rooted systemic reality which requires structural intervention to dismantle. Participants will experience first-hand Crossroads effective methodology for facilitating productive conversations about race and racism. Participants will also be introduced to tools that can assist them in effective base-line assessment of structural racism and bias within their own organizational culture.

This workshop is designed to introduce a shared definition and analysis of racism that includes an intersectional power analysis of the relationship between a dominant culture and marginalized persons and communities of color. A rationale will be explored for developing a full analysis of racism, including understanding its historic and legal roots, and contemporary functioning.

Details: This is a 2.5 day workshop. Space is limited. 

Participants will be introduced to racism as a systemic and structural problem that:

• Shapes individual attitudes and actions in ways that pull people into complicity with dominant societal norms.
• Impacts institutional norms and behavior in a way that inhibits the ability of institutions to fully and appropriately serve all constituents.
• Creates institutional mono-culture that makes it difficult for People of Color, immigrants and refugees to access and receive services in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways.

Requirements:

• Must be able to bring 4 representatives from your organization. This can include the CEO/ED, leadership team, board members, or staff members. 
• Must be able to attend the entire 2.5 day workshop.
• Must complete organizational assessment and pre-work prior to attending.
• Must be able to commit to working towards being an anti-racist organization.

This is an advanced level anti-racism course for organizations with prior knowledge of Systemic Racism. If you are unsure if your organization is ready to commit to the workshop, we recommend attending our Introduction to Systemic Racism courses, offered Aug. 25 and Aug. 26. 

Cost: $1560 per team (CNM member organizations); $3120 per team (nonmember organizations). Please note, there are limited scholarships available for CNM member organizations. If your organization has a budget size under $2 million and you are interested in scholarships for this event, please contact training@cnm.org for information before registering. 

Food: Lunch and beverages will be provided.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why must organizations participate in teams of 4?

A: This intensive training is meant to be a catalyst for organizational change. We realize that multiple people need to be part of that conversation to create change. We are limiting the number of people per organization in order to ensure enough space for many different nonprofits to benefit from this session. If you have more than 4 people who are interested, we recommend you send one group of 4 in April and the next group of 4 in October.

Q: My CEO or board members cannot attend. Can our organization still participate?

​A:  Yes, other individuals can attend. It is important that the CEO/ED/President and board members to attend the session in order to maximize change on a systemic level for your organization. However, it is not a requirement that they attend.

Q:  What if we want more/or less than four people to attend? 

A: Each organization will pay for 4 spots. If you have less than 4 people, we recommend you reach out to your network to see who would benefit from this extra spot. If you have more than 4 people who are interested, we recommend that you send one group of 4 in April, and a second group of 4 in October.

Q: This topic is very new to me and my organization. Should I attend?

 A: Likely not. This advanced level session is great for individuals who have previous knowledge about systemic racism. If this topic is new to you or your organization, we recommend you attend the Introduction to Systemic Racism course on Aug. 25 or Aug. 26. 

Q: I have already taken this course before, at least a year ago. Can I take it again?

A: Yes. It is great to continuously interact with this topic of systemic racism in a meaningful way regularly. The session is fluid depending on who is in the room, and in each session new topics emerge organically from the participants. Participants who have attending this session multiple times have stated that they took away different things each time, and gained a greater understanding of the concepts.