Shifting To Spring Forward |
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Shift – Shifting – Shifts.
CTTT-RVA's Jo gave us this word to think about as a central part of our vision and mission. Shift gears. Shift focus. Shift position (as when I need to see around some obstruction). Shift seats to see what you see and your perspective shifts with that slight movement. Me shifting toward you and you shifting closer to me makes some creative sparks fly between us.
It was a fresh take on what we have been doing since we first started intentionally gathering across society’s racial divide. In the seven years from house dinners to Zoom rooms, we have seen ourselves moving out of ruts, creating a few new neural pathways - shifting slightly, over and over.
Those who started with the CTTT national vision – acknowledging our true racial history and connecting with each other over our own stories in order to heal the wounds and repair the systems that keep those wounds oozing – we have seen the shifts in our own lives. We are growing in our recognized, or acknowledged understanding of how we have been shaped by truth and untruth. Shift. Our vision has broadened to include what was blocked in our sightline. Shift. We have moved close enough to each other to share some secrets, gape in wonder, shake our heads, cry in anguish, and laugh in delight – together. Shift.
Those little shifts, over and over and rippling in wider and wider circles may just cause some shaky ground to maneuver carefully. Or they may be the signs of a seismic shift coming that will land us in a world we have hardly dared imagine possible. Truth to set free. Respect that connects. Equity for abundance. Health for strength. Opportunity for growth. Trust for understanding. Hope for a future. Joy in being US.
Let’s keep shifting closer to the world we long for! Thank you, Jo, for igniting some new ways of thinking!
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Let’s give a shout out to our Monthly Donors!
Thank you to our monthly givers – our Circle Keepers - for having faith in us and entrusting us to be good stewards of your money on a consistent basis. Circle Keepers have made a continuing commitment to nurturing the understanding of the importance of conversation on both sides of the racial divide where people listen, learn, and grow! Our monthly donors give anywhere from $5.00 to $200.00 per month!
Why is monthly giving important?
- Monthly giving helps with our budgeting. We can move out responsibly and confidently in our planning and implementation of programs.
- This consistent support shows the giver’s heart and desire to help our growing community work past the hurt to heal from the wounds of the legacy of enslavement.
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Our Circle Keepers help to ensure that there is a continuous circle of conversations that will build authentic relationships and community within Richmond – and beyond!
- As you provide a way for us to better plan, you also feel less of a bite out of your own monthly budget.
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3rd Tuesday Gathering
Tuesday, March 15th, 2022
6:30 - 8:30 pm ET
on Zoom
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“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” PART II
Identifying Strategies for Building Better Beloved Communities
Featuring Carillon and Northside Neighborhoods and Carillon Film Premiere!!
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Dear CTTT-RVA Family and Friends –
Our neighborhoods are changing and sometimes change can be challenging as we cross historical divides. Please join us for this 3rd Tuesday Gathering on March 15th, as we present PART II of our series addressing the challenges and opportunities we face living together in RVA.
We will explore ways to make your neighborhood more neighborly by sharing ideas and hearing from Richmonders who have successfully changed the narratives of their communities. Find new ways to open lines of communication and build relationships one block at a time.
What kind of community do YOU want to live in? How can YOU help create that kind of community? How do WE create a community culture that values all?
We will be joined by Northside Central community organizer Anita Johnson, and residents from the Carillon community, featured in a new film produced by Thriving Communities, an organization based in Seattle.
Let's build intentional neighborhoods that promote diversity, inclusion and
equity, and that honor longtime stakeholders and new homesteaders alike.
Meet us at the table and come back HOME!
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The Well Art Gallery, a Black-Owned Art Gallery in South Richmond,
Digs Deep
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Before the opening reception of The Well Art Gallery's new exhibit, Ra-Twoine "Rosetta" Fields spent one Friday taking down artwork from the previous show and repainting the gallery walls. Although the gallery was hosting a volunteer-oriented de-installation day, Fields was the only attendee.
"That's literally how it is," said Fields, the gallery's lead curator. "You have people say, like, 'Hey, I'm coming,' but it doesn't happen. But it's got to get done, even if it gets done by myself."
The Well Art Gallery is a Black-owned creative space founded by friends, classmates and entrepreneurs James Harris and Anthony “Ajay” Brewer. The two wanted to open a community space on Hull Street in the heart of Blackwell, the South Side neighborhood the gallery is affectionately named after.
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Reading For Change
Book Circle (4th Thursday of the month)
Thursday, March 24th 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET - On Zoom
The circumstances surrounding Bruce Tucker's death reflect the long legacy of mistreating African Americans that began more than a century before with cadaver harvesting and worse. Featuring years of research and fresh reporting, along with a foreword from social justice activist Ben Jealous, “This powerful book weaves together a medical mystery, a legal drama, and a sweeping history, its characters confronting unprecedented issues of life and death under the shadows of centuries of racial injustice.”
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EDUCATION FOR ACTION BOOK CIRCLE plans to resume in May
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Movie Circle
Monday, March 21st
6:30 - 8:00 pm ET - On Zoom
Charlotte "Charlie" Brooks lives with her single mother, Marie Brooks, in California. One morning, Charlie awakens to the sounds and delicious smells of cooking wafting in from the kitchen. Upon inspection, Charlie is shocked to find a strange Black man preparing breakfast. Her mother informs her that the man is Mr. Church, and he will be their new cook. Convinced that Mr. Church will intrude on the life she shares with her mother, Charlie is initially distrustful of Mr. Church and urges her mother to fire him.
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Coming To The Table (National)
Guided Meditation
Sunday, March 13th
4:00 - 5:00 pm ET - On Zoom
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You are invited to participate in CTTT National's March Zoom gathering that focuses on meditation as a tool for healing wounds related to race. This monthly Zoom is hosted by the CTTT Mindfulness Working Group. We hope you’ll join in. This month's meditation will be facilitated by Ann Reeves. |
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SAVE THE DATE!
Monticello Mini-Pilgrimage Planned
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Join Journey With Me and CTTT-RVA as we visit Monticello in the Charlottesville area on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
We are planning an exciting day full of exploring Monticello’s vast history and its impact. Interactions with our travel mates and special guest are sure to make this a memorable experience. Please join us!
The fee for this mini-pilgrimage experience is $155, including bus transportation, a full day of expertly guided activities, a boxed lunch and the rich connections you'll nurture. More details to come...
To reserve your seat on the bus call Cheryl Goode (804) 728-8081.
CDC guidelines at that time for the prevention of Covid-19 transmission will be followed.
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YWCA Stand Against Racism Challenge |
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Launching April 4, the Stand Against Racism Challenge is a virtual learning tool designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. Participants will have the opportunity to log on to the Challenge via phone app or by visiting the Challenge website and are presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience, and more! This year’s theme merges five focus areas that will guide and inform our racial equity work, including civic engagement, economic development, education, health care, and representation in media.
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Jonathan Davis, Marketing and Communications Manager
Hayat Bain, Coordinator of Communications & Partnerships
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