Taking Action as a Team: Bi-Weekly Anti-Racism Discussions

We take racism very seriously. It is vital to our mission, and to each team member personally, to keep the conversation going and to fight systematic racism in tangible ways.
 
The first step we have taken as a team is to schedule a bi-weekly team discussion space to:
 

1. 1. Discuss how bias manifests at Pinnacle Prevention
2. 2. Navigate our roles and actions​, and
3. 3.Eliminate practices that invite/perpetuate bias by looking inward.
4.  

Each meeting is facilitated by a different team member, and no one is required to participate. It is not a “woke off” to show how conscious we are, but rather it is an opportunity to even the playing field and share knowledge and experiences with one another. This type of work requires a great deal of vulnerability, introspection, and opening ourselves up to relearning some of our most deeply rooted behaviors and practicing true listening.

We don’t expect fundamental change overnight… but there has to be a change, and this is where we start.
 
We challenge and encourage our partners and followers to create a space in your work environment for these discussions. We choose to schedule bi-weekly video calls for one hour on Zoom. Here are the ground rules we abide by:
 
1. Respect individual experiences.
2. Trust that everyone is doing the best they can.
3. Remember we are all in different places in this work professionally and personally, and that's okay.
4. No one knows everything; together we know a lot.
5. Acknowledge the difference between intent and impact.
6. Don't throw expectations at others without considering your own actions and expectations of yourself.
7. Don’t make assumptions about what others may or may not be doing to tackle racism and oppression in their personal time.
8. Keep this space safe.
 
In the interest of transparency, we will be posting what we have learned from each other and some of the resources we use. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and check our blog frequently for updates.
 
Are you sharing a space like this with your team? Let us know how it’s going for you.

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