In our nation and world, we find our collective well-being, our democracies, and our ideals threatened as white supremacy, systemic racism, striving for power, and fascist tactics converge. The first two of these have long been partners. White supremacy shaped the public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and norms through which systemic racism operates; systemic racism now both perpetuates itself and continuously reinforces white supremacy. Together, they inevitably and relentlessly cause suffering and death for people of color.

 

Adding to this crisis, our recent political history has resurfaced a dangerous lesson, that is, that fascist strategies and tactics can be routed to power.  Prominent among these tactics is to construct and denigrate a group or groups as “other,” to paint these others as threats, and to dehumanize them so as to justify exploitation, restriction of movement, mass imprisonment, expulsion, and violence.  While striving for power is human, fascist tactics have recently attracted the enthusiastic support of tens of millions of people, a situation that puts “others” at grave risk. Increasing this risk is the reality that even people who condemn such tactics can become desensitized to them to the point of de facto acceptance.

 

“White Supremacy, Systemic Racism, Fascism and Power: An Experiential Learning Event” is a Group Relations conference.  As such, it will be an opportunity to grapple with its title themes—and their connection to leadership, authorization, and representation— in the context of a temporary system, using here-and-now experience to explore whole group dynamics at both the conscious and unconscious levels. We will not work with these themes “out there,” but rather “in here” within the groups and systems we form during the event.

 

Over the course of a four-day event, we cannot solve, cure or end white supremacy, systemic racism, fascism, or the misuse of power.  What we can do is engage in intense experiential learning that may help us grow our understanding and expand our options for action.

 

We invite you to join us.