This year’s virtual workshop responds to ongoing health, economic, and racial crises by providing a brave space where US-based, white inheritors of wealth can enact partial and imperfect race-based redistributive justice. Honoring the legacy of Black neighborhoods that have been targeted in a white supremacist state, participants will commit and transfer money to legacy Black residents from two neighborhoods impacted by gentrification. In order for the workshop to happen, registrants must commit $20,000 collectively. Prior workshop participants will facilitate a series of pre-workshop monthly discussions about charity vs. justice (on November 7), the inheritance advantage (on December 12), and preparing for a popular education experience (on January 9). Each discussion will take place 4pm – 5:30pm Eastern Time, with invitations sent to all registered participants. We hope that you will register soon and take advantage of these pre-workshop conversations.
The month-long workshop will involve three 90-minute synchronous web-based meetings each week, organized around assigned readings, videos, and assignments. Carol Anderson’s White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership will be featured texts. Over the first three weeks, participants will develop statements that explain the significance of their race-based reparations before transferring committed funds. In the final week of the workshop, white participants will share prepared reflections and meet legacy Black residents, who will share their stories.
To read a history of this workshop, click here.
To read an interview with Melchor, click here.
This program will be online via Zoom, 3 times a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – for 4 weeks and will follow this schedule. All sessions are Eastern Time (US & Canada).
Week 1: Acknowledging White Rage
Feb 1, 3, 5 ~ noon-1:30pm
Week 2: Understanding Black Homeownership
Feb 8, 10, 12 ~ noon-1:30pm
Week 3: Planting Sankofa Seeds
Feb 15, 17, 19 ~ noon-1:30pm
Week 4: Transferring Resources to Black Blocks
Feb 22, 24, 26 ~ noon-1:30pm
