OST Racism and Youth (long)

[Judi Richardson]

OST Racism and Youth



This debrief turned out to be longer than I thought it would, and I choose
not to edit it down.  I am offering some my most vulnerable moments here –
perhaps that is easier in an email format as you are not standing right in
front of me.  And this debrief seems to speak to Doug and Michael’s
postings.



When I received a call to facilitate a one-half day OST, I wasn’t sure if I
could be an OST facilitator in this forum.  You see, although I’ve been
facilitating OST for a few years now, this OST was for a multi-cultural
association exploring racism and youth.  I’ve worked in these issues all my
life and wasn’t sure I could be as objective as I know I need to be for the
group to do “their” work.



As those who care deeply about these issues gathered, the day after yet
another snowstorm, I recognized several faces.  After the opening circle, 15
topics came quickly and were posted by adults and youth.



I then watched as the youth went right to their discussion area and began –
I always marvel at how young people love this process.  Some adults seemed
to “choose” for 15 minutes – many saw themes – educators wanted to group
themes together.  Several adults looked at the topics and wanted clarity on
the topics.   A few made the decision to group their topics together into a
larger group.  In their desire to be inclusive, they invited a gentleman
from a First Nation’s community to join their conversation and he stated
that his topic on First Nation’s awareness needed to stand on its own, not
grouped with others, and as he made his way to his discussion area several
people followed.



Students – some stayed with the group right through the closing circle,
others left and were not seen again!



For me, holding space for this conversation was challenging.  A few were
butterflies.  I left the room as I heard and watched the frustration of
“nothing ever changing” and yet the hope – the constant hope that one more
conversation might make a difference.  The learned helplessness in the group
spoke out many times.



This is the point in the story where I include my evolution in the
philosophy of these issues and in facilitation (just a warning for those who
might want to skip it!).  I offer it here as it speaks to my development and
evolution in facilitating.



My journey to my own process – I have to be the change I want in the world.
I have worked with issues of racism, discrimination and harassment for years
ever since I served on a race relations committee in junior high school in
the southern US in the 60’s.  My mother’s mother was indigenous South
American.  In various positions I held, as soon as someone heard that I had
experience in this area, it would be added to my job description – and I
found myself accepting it.  I have served as harassment/discrimination
counselor, advisor, and in policy/program development and implementation on
top of executive positions and faculty positions.  I have been a student
researching residential schools in Canada and the history of Mi’kmaq
education.  I have facilitated OST and other forms with First Nation’s
communities in Canada.  I was asked to provide awareness training with the
Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and with other institutions across the
Country.  I was also asked to develop focus group facilitation for venues to
explore racism.  And through all of this I watched how aggression breeds
aggression, how learned helplessness continued to be conditioned.



In an attempt to understand what was happening both inside of me and “out
there” I found myself undertaking a graduate degree.  My Master’s thesis was
a surprise.  I wanted to take a step back from the front line of these
policies.  I found myself conducting a spiritual and heart-based exploration
and clarification in an academic setting!! The only consistent policies I
found to explore in Nova Scotia were sexual harassment policies in
post-secondary institutions.  In the year 2000 discrimination policies were
not in place consistently in post-secondary institutions.  I began my
exploration of these polices, the advisors who work with them, and explored
how diversity management initiatives might influence them.  Giving myself
the “space” and distance to explore without internal pressure to “do”
something about it.



I have spent enough time in communities to know and see historical white
privilege.  My son returned from Sri Lanka in December after working with a
Canada World Youth program.  He, too, found himself in communities as one of
the few white people and was astounded at how the assumption was that he was
brighter, better educated and rich because he is white.  He found himself in
exactly the same situation that I did, as a dark skinned youngster believed
that my son’s skin was softer and prettier because it was white.  His heart
was touched and will never be the same.



So – back to the OST.  I left the room as I touched those old feelings and
saw quite clearly how my big heart wanted so much to fix, to alleviate
suffering.  I saw how often advocacy and advising asked me to become a fixer
and it never “felt” right.  Even as a trainer and Professor “forced”
conversations didn’t get us there – rarely were people attending those
sessions in a truly voluntary manner, for some it was mandatory training.
And I’m not saying that there is never a place for mandatory training.



I have been in conversations where I felt forced, as it can take great
energy to “stay with” a difficult conversation where so much of my own stuff
is coming up for me.  As an executive and chair of provincial committees I
would recommend that we “listen” to the problem more.



So this time, I’m invited to come and formally do what I was doing all along

–        hold space for good-hearted people to engage in conversations from
the heart

–        for adults working in these areas to listen to youth

–        for youth to see how adults are trying to assist them

–        a chance to explore our differences without “doing” anything about
it

–        a place where participants asked how to talk to each other



I am always intrigued as to how people respond to this process.  In the
closing circle a woman who has been at many of the sessions I’ve
participated in and facilitated and who is often known as one who will take
over, thanked the sponsor for the event and the form.  She said that in all
the discussions she had attended working in this area for 26 years, she has
never felt as safe as in this group and this form.  Attendance at the OST
meeting was voluntary, participants were invited to become butterflies and
bumblebees – an absence of conversation motivated strictly by fear.  Two
young women were delighted with the Tibetan cymbals as they were a reminder
of their own culture.



I find that holding space is an intended loan of my attention (to quote
Michael) to what is happening in the group, circle, and space.  When I’m
opening the space, I am weaving; my energy is magnetic, inviting energy to
the center, to the collective.  My awareness is inclusive of the group, the
collective, and me. As I become aware of the 'we' of the group, as the
agenda begins to develop, and once everyone has begun to move to sessions –
I begin to withdraw.



There was great learning in the room without one lecture, facilitated
activity or video!  An interesting piece of trivia – this is one of the
first times I’ve been involved in a meeting of 40 people in North America
around issues and not one white male was in the room.  Another interesting
tidbit – the other facilitations/training I offered in these areas were part
of a job or volunteer – my OST facilitations were paid gigs!!



I’m not intending to make meaning of right and wrong here.  There are many
essential positions of advocate, advisor and counselor.  And OST is not the
only tool to be used with groups.  Having extensive experience using other
methods for sensitive issues of harassment/discrimination, I was intrigued
to watch and hold space for the group’s learning.  Following are the topics
generated:



Mi’kmaq Awareness

How can schools and homes work together to deal with racism?

How is racism experienced by people in schools?

What is racism?

Why do school staff not have cultural events planned throughout the year,
and feel forced?

What are schools doing to combat racism in the school?

Curriculum “must” be multicultural

Moving policy to performance from students’ perspective



What are the effects of racism on students facing it?

Estrangement – not being understood

Do students feel supported in school?

Marginalized groups – what are we doing to protect them?

What are we doing to make them feel part of the education experience?

Methods of conflict resolution in schools

Racist/derogatory language in the classroom (through the
curriculum/materials)

Judith Richardson
Pono Consultants International
Facilitating the Flow
    of Inspired Collaboration
www.ponoconsultants.com
(902) 435-0308


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