White Supremacy Culture in the Workplace: How It Shows Up & What We Can Do About It
4-part series, September 10 – October 16, 2024
Join VBSR, Rachel Siegel from Toward Liberation, LLC, and Tabitha Moore from Intentional Evolution, LLC for this interactive 4-part training series designed to deepen your understanding of White Supremacy, its impacts in your work and in your life, and what YOU can do about it!
“This work is not about those white people 'out there.' It is about you. Just you.” ― Layla F. Saad
In this series, you will get an introduction to the characteristics of white supremacy culture and explore strategies for dismantling white supremacy in the context of the unique dynamics within a workplace. This series will be helpful to anyone that works on a team – whether you manage down, manage up, or manage laterally within your organization. If you make decisions, then this knowledge is applicable to you.
The series will introduce you to the reality that white supremacy is a pattern of practices that is characterized by particular behaviors. In the first two sessions we will explore a few of the more common and insidious characteristics that often show up in the workplace. Rachel Siegel will then lead us through a session on exercises in conflict engagement to help prepare you for being an effective advocate in your workplace. Finally, Tabitha Moore will teach you about inclusive decision making and will provide you with three frameworks that can be effectively applied in the workplace setting.
DATES
Part 1: Introduction to the Characteristics of White Supremacy (Right to Comfort & Fear of Open Conflict) with Rachel Siegel
Tuesday, September 10th from 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Part 2: Introduction to the Characteristics of White Supremacy (Either or Thinking, Only One Right Way, & Power Hoarding) with Tabitha Moore
Wednesday, September 25th from 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Part 3: Conflict Engagement with Rachel Siegel
Wednesday, October 2nd from 10 – 11:30 AM
Part 4: Inclusive Decision Making with Tabitha Moore
Wednesday, October 16th from 2:00 – 3:30 PM
CONSIDERATIONS
This series is best suited to those that have a base of knowledge related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Topics such as microaggressions, classism, power dynamics and unconscious bias may be referenced. If you are not familiar with these topics, you are still welcome to attend with the understanding that some of the material might be less accessible to you.
This series won’t bring about transformation on its own – that part is up to YOU! But, it is a great place to start or continue your JEDI journey as we learn to recognize and respond to identity-based harms.
Please expect to complete about 30 minutes of pre-work in advance of this series.
Unless there are mitigating circumstances, please plan to be on camera and fully present throughout this series.
This work is influenced by, and will reference to resources from Layla F. Saad and Tema Okun and many others that have contributed to this ongoing work.
MEET OUR FACILITATORS
Tabitha Moore, Ph.D. (she/they)
Owner & Principal Consultant, Intentional Evolution, LLC.
Tabitha Moore is a mother of three and the owner of Intentional Evolution, LLC. She has consulted on identity-based equity for 20+ years, working extensively within mental health, law enforcement, education, and child welfare. Tabitha earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, the Psychology of Latin America in the Context of Its Language and Culture, from Wells College where she graduated with distinction for her research on women’s identity development in the Dominican Republic. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Syracuse University and is a licensed Family Therapist. She also completed her doctoral degree in Transformative Social Change at Saybrook University. Tabitha is the founding president of the Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP and serves as a Cultural Equity Editor for the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. Tabitha was awarded the Rights and Democracy Human Rights Award (2020), NAACP Rutland Lifetime Achievement Award (2021), and the Wells College Outstanding Young Alumnae Award (2021).
Rachel Siegel (she/her)
Rachel (she/her) is a white, queer, Ashkenazi Jewish mother, artist, activist, organizer, and educator on unceded Abenaki land in the Old North End of Burlington, VT. She worked as the Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Center, served on the Burlington City Council, and ran programs at Vermont Works for Women before founding Toward Liberation. She has been part of anti-racist and pro-liberation work for the past 25 years working with municipalities, educational institutions, faith-based communities, businesses, and front-line groups. Rachel was a founder and board member for Vermont Access to Reproductive Freedom, co-founded and co-coordinated the Old North End Mutual Aid network, and has coached and continues to volunteer for Center City Little League. Rachel believes in collective liberation and envisions a world free of chains. She brings her work forward from a place of compassion and curiosity with hope for the world.
Thank you to the sponsors of the Fall 2024 VBSR JEDI Training Series!
Since 1970, King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking. A certified B Corp headquartered in Vermont, King Arthur is the ultimate baking resource, providing the highest quality ingredients for the most delicious baked goods, while inspiring connections through baking. As a 100% employee-owned company, we believe in the power of baking to make a difference for our employee-owners, the larger baking community, and the planet. From cultivating a workplace that embraces differences and prioritizes trust to teaching children across the country how to bake bread from scratch to partnering with farmers and suppliers who share our vision for a greener planet, we strive to be a force for good in all that we do.
Interested in sponsoring this series? Contact Jeremy Gerber at jeremyg@vbsr.org.
Questions? If so, please contact Molly Rand at mollyr@vbsr.org.