This past weekend, AS220 Youth staff attended “Undoing Racism”, a 2 day training led by the People’s Institute.

Alongside 40-50 other community members, we developed a common definition for racism, learned the history of racism and reflected on how it has affected our lives, families and communities. The training gave us the language tools and historical knowledge needed to better understand our own lives and to better advocate for the young people that we serve. “There’s still A LOT of work to be done, “undoing racism” is NOT just a weekend thing. We need to pass on what we have learned and continue the fight.” says Janay Pina, AS220 Youth’s Education Coordinator.

The goals for the workshop, as set forth by the People’s Institute, are listed below:

• Develop a common definition of racism and an understanding of its different forms: individual, institutional, linguistic, and cultural;

• Develop a common language and analysis for examining racism in the United States;

• Understand one’s own connection to institutional racism and its impact on his/her work;

• Understand why people are poor and the role of institutions in exacerbating institutional racism, particularly for people and communities of color;

• Understand the historical context for how racial classifications in the United States came to be and how and why they are maintained;

• Understand the historical context for how U.S. institutions came to be and who they have been designed to serve;

• Understand how all of us, including white people, are adversely impacted by racism every day, everywhere;

• Address surface assumptions about how your work is (or is not) affected by racism;

• Develop awareness and understanding about ways to begin Undoing Racism;

• Gain knowledge about how to be more effective in the work you do with your constituencies, your organizations, your communities, your families;

• Understand the role of community organizing and building effective multiracial coalitions as a means for Undoing Racism.