Conference

On Saturday, I attended the Follow Black Women Conference, held at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Here is my not-very-good photo of the building:

Catrice Jackson is the organizer of this annual conference. From the website, the whys of this conference are:

• Black and brown people are emotionally, spiritually and literally dying because of racism.
• THIS conference will move you beyond theory into intentional action. 
• This conference won't dance around the taboo issues of racism and oppression.
• We will not be sugar-coating the truth by talking about diversity and inclusion.
• We will stare racism and white supremacy in the face and unflinchingly dig up its lethal roots to talk candidly about how racism is detrimental to the lives of black and brown people.
• This conference will be relevant, real and raw.
• THIS conference is for people who are sick and tired of talking about racism in theory and who are ready to do their own personal anti-racism work.
• This conference is for those who are ready to take swift and strategic action to dismantle white supremacy.
• This conference is for those who are ready to advance the women's movement by listening to and following the brilliant and unapologetic leadership of black women. 
• This conference is for black women who are ready to lead their own personal and social revolution. 
• This conference is for ALL women who are ready to create space for black women to lead and to be the wind beneath their wings. 

The speakers and their topics were:

• Sandy Broadus, attorney--No Is A Complete Sentence: Strategies For Black Women to Reclaim Their Time 
• Rachel Cargle, writer and lecturer--Root to Rise: The Ancestral Figures of Anti Racism-Work
• Layla Saad, ancestress, writer, and speaker: Become a Good Ancestor
• Fawntice Finesse, sound healer--Heal With Sounds: Sound Bath Meditation for Support & Inner Peace (for Black women)
• Catrice M. Jackson, Transcending White Guilt: From Fragility to Resiliency  (for White women)

The event was sobering and enlightening, and it was a gift to be allowed to be there. The day started with Catrice having the White women move to the back of the room. The speakers spoke and interacted with the Black women (except the final session directed to White women). White women reported coming away with the following insights:

• Black women know White women better than White women know themselves
• There are no exceptional White women
• White women must give up their scarcity mindset. Stop hoarding resources, support, opportunities--there is enough for everyone.
• Black women are not a monolith; follow, learn from, support, and amplify as many as you can
• Black women have a right to take up space
• White women need to get out of Black women's way and/or use our white privilege to support them
• White women need to know which weapons we use to harm Black women and guard against using them