Aiming for Allyship is a 12-hour multiracial intersectional antiracism training occurring on four Tuesdays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific / 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern.
Session 1: November 4
BREAK/ Pod: November 11
Session 2: November 18
BREAK/ Pod: November 25
Session 3: December 2
BREAK/ Pod: December 9
Session 4: December 16
Continuing Education certification is available upon request to Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, DRUUMM Community Minister at revjoseph@druumm.org.
This virtual program will be facilitated by Justice Movement and sponsored by DRUUMM. The training is open to all and includes opportunities for caucusing in racial groups.
Updated sliding scale options: In addition to General (default) registration, we offer options that take your financial circumstances into account: Sustaining, for those with stable incomes and ability to save, is what allows us to offer the sliding scale. Accessible is intended for students and those without much extra in their budget. Guest Passes are available for those with little to no income. The Redistributive option is for those with the ability and desire to pay for one or more others in addition to themselves. A Custom option is also available.
UPDATE: Registration has been extended to October 31.
About the Training
This twelve-hour, four-session course is designed to deepen relationships, understanding, support, and commitment to living into our UU values.
UU calls on us to center love and fight for social justice and equity. You’ve heard the term ally, and you want to be there for people. You don’t want to unconsciously contribute to sexism, ableism, racism, and other forms of systemic oppression in your life and community. But what to do? What to say? We’re here to help.
Acting as an ally can be and feel complicated. We specialize in breaking down complex concepts into manageable and illuminating pieces, prioritize intimacy, and make learning to act as an ally deeply personal. Our goal is to build the confidence in our participants to address challenging topics with empathy and understanding.
To do so, we will unpack privilege, and why it both enforces unhealthy power dynamics and limits you personally. We will also investigate the ways we are guided by UU principles towards action, plan and practice how to respond when you are called in or out, and how to do that for others. Learn in community about cancel culture, tone policing, radical love, and so much more. This course will be an opportunity to do some inner work, grow as a person, ask hard questions, and be a force for change in your congregation and beyond. Join Justice Movement founders and facilitators Natalie, Danya, and Atena as they guide you through a deep dive into allyship and accountability.
Each session is structured to challenge, inspire, and empower participants, culminating in a roadmap for active allyship that respects and enhances the dignity of all individuals. Don't miss this chance to build your intersectional antiracism skills and continue your journey toward being an effective ally!
Important note to White allies: We are prioritizing BIPOC attendance and may ask White registrants to yield space in this popular training to BIPOC folks on the wait list.
Natalie Brewster Nguyen has over 20 years of experience in teaching strategies related to privilege, oppression, and structural racism, notably in Unitarian Universalism contexts. They began their anti-racism journey with Groundworks and The People's Institute, focusing on institutional accountability and capacity building within organizations. Natalie’s background in gender studies and sociology, combined with their personal experiences as a queer POC and sex worker, enrich their comprehensive anti-racism trainings. They co-own and are the Executive Director of an historic art studio warehouse called Splinter Collective in Tucson. Splinter Collective is a space for artists and a 501c3 non-profit focused on amplifying marginalized artists, housing justice, and community building.
Danya (Xena) Davis, with two decades in social change and adult education and degrees in economics and international development, has worked extensively in South Africa, developing educational programs on race and social justice. She has a long practice of integrating social justice into her innovative acrobatics teaching that emphasizes inclusivity and power dynamics. Her experience includes working on large scale discussions about race at the University of Cape Town and leading the Acro and Social Justice Teacher Training.
Atena Danner is an educator, a writer, and a critical thinker who uses creativity to facilitate connection, curiosity and discovery in joyful learning environments. Her years of experience as an adult learning facilitator and cultural worker culminate in an anti-racist approach that warmly challenges learners to expect rigor, care, and just practices. Committed to authenticity and justice, Atena designs engaging experiences for learners who want more for themselves, their networks, and their communities.