Dear Journeys Community,
In its stated commitment to being part of the movement to support the dismantling of systemic racism in our organization and in the wider culture, Rite of Passage Journeys has forged ahead with its action plan to engage in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training for board and staff.
For the past six months, each member of the leadership team, both board and staff, have engaged in individual study and personal reflection on the themes of racial justice, historical oppression and our own individual biases. Each board meeting has included a relevant reading and a group discussion of progress toward fulfilling our goals.
In addition, thanks to a generous matching grant from an anonymous dedicated support family, and the continued matching support of our donor community, the Board of Directors has engaged several professional development training opportunities in the coming months.
In March, the Board has retained the services of J Mase III to lead a training on Gender Identity and Wholistic Sexuality. In April, the Board has retained the services of Youth Passageways Education and Consulting Collective, with Darcy Ottey and Kruti Parekh leading a training on Transformative Justice and Conflict Repair. This fall, after the rush of our summer programs is over, we will engage in a training on overcoming barriers to diversity in board and staff.
Both of these training organizations bring their strengths in tailoring what is currently happening in their fields of expertise to our specific situation, based on our organizational structure, mix of team members, and the needs of all we serve, including:
youth as they grapple with complexities in their lives, and work to clarify their own beliefs, attitudes and goals
families as they welcome and support their kids in a world that urgently needs what they have to offer
adults who are training to bring rites of passage work to their home communities, and are on journeys of personal development, helping to create a partnership of generations as initiated adults
In addition to receiving professional anti-racism training, Journeys will be creating opportunities for field staff, administrative staff, committed community members and the Board to engage in generative discussions of race, power and privilege. Together, these trainings and conversations will continue to support us in overcoming the unconscious bias, racism and other forms of oppression in ourselves and our organization, while staying grounded in our vision and mission.
In our next update, we look forward to sharing some of the insights we have gained from these trainings and community discussions, and how we can use those insights to continue to make our organization a welcome home for the individual ‘soul spark’ of each person that we serve — a welcome that is grounded in the dignity of their identity.
In Community,
Board of Rite of Passage Journeys
