Jews Talk Racial Justice - S2E6: Getting Unstuck when Fear has you Frozen
QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW
Sometimes people, especially white folks, choose not to engage with racial justice work, for fear of making a mistake. April and Tracie dig in to those fears, what's behind them, how they show up, and some strategies for addressing them so that you can keep going.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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Tracie opens the episode by talking about her experiences with white folks who want to move forward on their racial justice journey but don’t because of their fear of making a mistake. This fear can show up anytime we want to act in solidarity with oppressed communities of whom we are not a part. When has this been true for you?
In moments when you feel like you were “walking on eggshells,” as April describes, what was the topic? April and Tracie discuss the importance of actually naming the thoughts that are causing the emotion of fear. Can you think back on what those thoughts of yours may be?
Tracie discusses how she reframed her fear and accepted that she had already made the mistake she was afraid of making by the very nature of existing in a society that centers and privileges whiteness. How does this sit with you? Is it a helpful reframe? What reframing may work better for you?
April reminds us that our fears are often a result of some kind of unresolved trauma from our past that has been triggered. In those moments when we are triggered, it is helpful to have a plan. In those moments, as April asks, what support systems do you have in place? Do you have a mentor you can talk some of these things through? Do you have existing transformative relationships where you've really established a robust relationship, that you have some of the space to call on and check in with certain folks?
April lays out her “F-up protocol” and invites you to practice what yours is for the inevitable moment when conflict arises. Practice yours. What resonates with you?
In working through these difficult moments of conflict, April and Tracie point out that you will need to reflect on what the experience is bringing up. April suggests a practice of breathing to connect with your body to observe what emotions and thoughts arise. In addition to breathing exercises, what mindfulness practices work best for you?
INSIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
“Early in my journey, when I would think, “Ugh, I can’t, I don’t wanna do this, I’m afraid I’m gonna make a mistake, I’m afraid I’m gonna screw it up,” that’s the way I would think about it. And then, one day, I kinda realized that actually, I’d already screwed it up. I mean, that’s why I had to be awakened. That’s why I had to have that moment where I realized and I saw my white privilege in ways that I hadn’t seen it before. That’s why I needed to have that moment, because I’d been screwing up. I’d been complicit, so it wasn’t a question of whether. I’d already done it, so now, what was I gonna do?”
“Even when we do things right, people are still going to be upset, because they have unhealed trauma. Our country is drowning in unhealed, unaddressed trauma, and it plays out in all kinds of ways. But how I would love for it not to continue to play out is stopping or impeding good people from doing courageous, trajectory-shifting work for our community around justice. In this case, specifically, racial justice.”
“People, at times, are so focused on the fear that they miss in racial justice moments and working across lines of difference moments. And often, in those moments of tension, there can be the bedrock of powerfully transformative and deep and profound relationships, if you know how to handle and navigate it well.”
“There are ways that we can move forward where we don’t have to shame anyone. Accountability and shame are not the same thing.”
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
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