After the Rallies -- antiracism training for the Flathead Valley
After the Protests: Antiracism training and action items
6pm on Monday, June 15
online Zoom webinar
Rallies are excellent ways to fuel support for important issues, but what happens when they're over?
Love Lives Here knows that the work of dismantling discrimination never ends. We have organized an online event designed to help us all understand the long-term, ongoing work necessary to dismantle white supremacy and systemic racism in our communities and ourselves.
Our event will include:
- A time to read the names of the people who have been killed recently by police and racial violence
- A presentation by Tobin Miller Shear, Associate Professor of History and Director of African American Studies at the University of Montana. His presentation is entitled, "Facing White Supremacy in a Time of Urban Rebellion: Tactics, Tribulations, and Testimony."
- Action items to support local Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people and organizations.
We're going to admit up front that this training is far from perfect. We would love to support an event led by people who are Black, Indigenous, or come from other ethnic backgrounds because those voices are missing from so many important discussions.
Here's why our webinar is happening this way.
- Some people of color told us that they wanted an online event where they could feel safe, either from counter protesters, militia members, or COVID-19.
- We wanted to remove some of the emotional labor of anti-racism training from people of color. White people created racism, and it's our responsibility to work hard to dismantle it.
- Tobin Miller Shearer, who has 30 years of experience in antiracism work, is offering information that people of color have asked him to share with white people.
- Tobin has asked us to donate his speaker's fee to the Black Student Union at the University of Montana.
We consider this a first step into the deeper work of antiracism that we all need to commit to. We had a great conversation this week with Samantha Francine, the courageous woman from Whitefish who stood up to racist intimidation, and she generously gave her support for this event. We will look for ways to support her leadership in the future.
If you have questions, please message and let us know. We're still learning and building relationships that will make us better co-conspirators in the continual work to defeat racism.
Register for the event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HviZaZLORxGGks94z2FaRg