Chico, CA Three Day Event (come to one, two, or three days)
(1) SINGING CIRCLE
Saturday May 18th (3hrs)
Valley Oaks Village Community Center, Chico
Suggested donation $5 - $25
In this three-hour singing circle we will raise our voices together, using collective singing as a healing modality to build the deep connections we need to fight systems of oppression and to dismantle racism as it operates within and between us, releasing our distress in the container of song we build together.
For People of Color and white identified folks.
All voices are welcome.
(2) INTRO TO GETTING CLOSE TO BLACKNESS
Sunday May 19th 2:30 to 6:00pm @ Chico Women's Club
- 30 people maximum
- sliding scale $50 - $150
This weekend workshop is for white-identified folks to dive deeply and courageously into exploring topics of racism, oppression, and privilege. Please dress comfortably as we will be both talking and physically working on this material. Integrated throughout the experience we’ll be calling upon healing soulful traditions such as yoga, meditation, dance and music to help us stay in the conversation and deepen our capacity to be vulnerable and honest with ourselves and others. What to Expect...
- Deep connection and relating to people across identities about oppression and liberation
- Self-inquiry and witnessing others in deep inquiry
- Being physical and in close proximity with others (consent-based; no intensive exercise, at max we will be doing light yoga stretches that will be made accessible for everyone in the room)
-Expanding your ability to sit with discomfort
-Using your voice in various ways to express and discharge emotions
-Exploring the question - What keeps white people from deeply connecting with black people?
-A one hour lunch break
(3) TOUCHING BLACKNESS: THE TRAUMA STORY AROUND TOUCHING BLACK BODIES AND THE CHRONICALLY UNDER-TOUCHED
Monday May 20th 4:00 to 8:00 @ Chico residence, Barber Neighborhood
6 people maximum
sliding scale $100 - $250
What is the lasting impact today? Reaching for Blackness is about hearing our stories, feeling the story in our skin, in our voices, and in our tears. It is also about you. What experiences around touch do you bring to the room? Of black bodies? Of messing up or feeling awkward? The purpose of a deep dive is to start a conversation that continues for a lifetime. We invite you to begin here.
What to Expect...
A deep dive has a maximum of six white-identified participants with a minimum of two participants. This event is about connecting and building bonds that dismantle racism. Having a small group can slow down how we see, hear, and reach for each other. A deep dive lasts for three- five hours. Breaks will be taken as needed. Light snacks and water will be provided and participants are welcome to bring a full meal if desired. The team will consist of two African heritage facilitators with one white support ally.
FACILITATED BY AARON JOHNSON AND PORSHA BEED
*Aaron Johnson and Porsha Beed will be the main facilitators for this weekend’s program and material for us to work with. Jennie Pearl plays the role of support group leader, including small group work and mindfulness practices involving breathing, movement, and meditation.
For any questions pre-registration about what else to expect, contact Jennie. jenniepearl1@gmail.com
PLEASE RSVP BY EMAILING jenniepearl1@gmail.com
PAYMENTS can be sent through:
*Facebook Messenger to Jennie Pearl (click the plus sign next to where you would type in text, then click green “payments” icon. This is a super easy, fast way to transfer payment. Takes about 2 min to set up in case it’s your first time)
OR
*Venmo (find me via my email, jenniepearl1@gmail.com)
If these payment options don't work please email ( jenniepearl1@gmail.com ) for other arrangements.
Accessibility is important to us. If you can afford to, please consider paying it forward by paying any amount above the ticket price. This allows us to continue scaling the prices of our workshops so that everyone is included. If you want to be there, we want to have you. Please also consider donating a ticket so that someone else can attend. Please contact Jennie for more information.
NOTAFLF (No One Turned Away For Lack of Funds)
Email jenniepearl1@gmail.com to discuss options.
AARON JOHNSON
I am an earth builder, a teacher of closeness, and an activist. I graduated from the California Institute of the Arts in 2007 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts. I use intimacy to dismantle racism; I have made a lifelong commitment to use the skills I possess to end racism. The tools I frequently use for that end are speaking, teaching, closeness to blackness, and minimalism. Deep connection is one of the most powerful tools one can use in dismantling racism.
My goal is to help white people slow down their reality enough to see blackness, primarily through the use of deep questions. I also use questions as a lens that white people can use to look at themselves and see how their own wounds and trauma from racism are stopping them from being close to black people. I am a firm believer that if you cannot get close to black people, you cannot be a true advocate for them. Being close to blackness is the revolution. https://www.facebook.com/Turnitupnow1982/
PORSHA BREED
Porsha Beed is a twenty-four year old African American woman from Phelan, California. As an intimate activist and mentor, she specializes in teaching young people and adults about the importance of deep human connection, holistic resistance, and the importance of self-love and resiliency. Porsha is passionate about dismantling racism and oppression. As an earth builder and integrator of race, she strives to build a lifelong community to end racism. Her love for the Earth and for intentional community is the nest in which Porsha has chosen to fight systems of oppression.
JENNIE PEARL
Jennie Pearl is a facilitator, yoga teacher, and bodyworker bridging the gap between social justice and healing work. She is an anti-racist facilitator who offers trainings and workshops in yoga, wellness, and healing communities. She founded and facilitates Wake Up: a group for white-identified people who want to unlearn their racism, unpack their privilege, and untangle white supremacy from the inside out. They explore how yoga and meditation can help them wake up without spiritual bypassing or diminishing racial justice.