Please join our Antiracist Work Group (AWG) Sunday, Sept 5 from 10-11am CT
This group is hosted by Indivisible IL9 at 10am CT every Sunday. This call is open to current and new members of Indivisible IL9. We value your voice and your engagement and ask that first time callers go through a friendly pre-call orientation at 9:45am to ensure you have a smooth onboarding to our video chat platform and to our current conversations.
Our Organizing Statement
We are committed to examining the ways in which systemic racism affects us all. In this group, we acquire the tools to dismantle racism and use those tools to make a more just world.
Zoom link: http://bit.ly/awg-zoom
Notes: https://bit.ly/AWG-notes
Note: Please join before 10am. No one will be admitted to the call after 10:10am.
Agreements
- What is said here stays here, but what is learned here leaves here.
- “Three before me” → If you have spoken, allow three other people to speak before you.
- Come on time: join the call before 10am. Call closes at 10:10am.
- Lean in to discomfort; we challenge ourselves and each other here. If/when we feel defensive, we agree to consult White Fragility and the Rules of Engagement to determine if our discomfort is racially based.
- Do any readings to the best of our ability ahead of the meeting
This week’s meeting will be lead by Judy Gall, a regular in our group. The topic is Restorative Justice, particularly as it relates to Chicago Public Schools. Here is a message and a list of resources from Judy:
When focusing on restorative practices in Chicago Public Schools, I first like to acknowledge Patricia “Paz” Zamora who introduced and developed the initial restorative practices in CPS in the mid-90’s when she worked with me at Alternatives, Inc. We started from a community framework with youth and expanded to include school personnel and community members.
Thanks,
Judy
Here are some resources:
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The RJ booklet that Alternatives worked with CTUF and others to create in 2017: CPS Restorative Practices Guide and Toolkit
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For a local school explanation, you can check out Peirce’s website (one of the school’s Alternatives worked with a few years ago; now CPS is employing full-time RJ Coordinators in schools to embed practices): Restorative Practices
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A couple of years old stories about CPS’ ramp-up of RJ in schools, the first starring Doolittle Elementary, another school Alternatives worked with closely: Chicago Public Schools Are Hiring More Restorative Justice Coordinators [NPR] and the other by Curtis Black who’s been on the beat for two decades: What’s the alternative to police in schools? Restorative justice [Chicago Reporter]
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This one is from 6 weeks ago, focusing on the shift in CPS high schools voting police officers out of schools: More than 30 Chicago high schools will pursue alternatives to police [Injustice Watch]
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Here’s an interview between Paz Zamora and another former Alternatives RJ team member, David Castro Harris, from a few months ago, on David’s Amplify RJ podcast. It’s an hour long so if you only have 10 minutes, I suggest listening from around the point starting at 26 minutes to 36 re: about CPS.
Zoom link: http://bit.ly/awg-zoom
Upcoming Meetings:
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Sept 12: Abolition Sunday: Feminist, Queer and Trans Abolitionism
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Sept 19: Resource Sharing Day. See previous resources that we have discussed and shared in our group here.
If you are interested in leading this group in a discussion at any time, please sign up here.
View our ongoing notes with resources here: https://bit.ly/AWG-notes
