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JLW LEAGUE-WIDE READ OF HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST:
CONVERSATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED Mary Grace McCormick
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n summer 2020, Junior League of Washington (JLW) leaders were grappling with how to engage members. After a few months of pandemic-driven lockdown, two overarching desires were evident. There was the obvious desire to connect; after months without in-person gatherings, members wanted to talk and laugh with one another. Then there was the pressing desire to meet the moment and bring the League into the nationwide conversation about issues surrounding race, sources of racism, and how to overcome them. With this in mind, the JLW Board organized a League-wide read of Ibram X. Kendi’s book How to Be an Antiracist. The organization of this League-wide read was carefully considered. According to Board member and event organizer Deena Smith, “We came up with this idea to have an event series because I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t a ‘one-and-done’ and that it wasn’t too much information for members to absorb at once. If we broke it into manageable chunks, people could have discussions and we could build from there.” As a result, three discussion events were organized to allow members to share and learn from one another. In each event, members met to discuss five chapters, guided by discussion questions created by the event organizers. Breakout rooms allowed members to share stories and lessons learned in a small group setting. For Board member and event organizer Laisha Dougherty, this setting was critical to healthy discussion: “It was great to provide a platform where people could feel comfortable having those discussions.”
All three events were very well-received and as Smith commented, “every session, people said they wished it could have gone on a little longer.” Despite this success, our work as a League and as League members is far from over. According to Dougherty, the best way to build on and continue our progress is to be open to different perspectives and to learn as much as possible. As she said, “Education is the most important thing. Programs like this League-wide read that give people an opportunity to learn - that’s the best thing we can do. No one should feel slighted because of their race, especially in the League - we’re all there to complete a common mission. We just have to be respectful of everyone’s differences.” When asked about next steps, Smith echoed a similar sentiment: “As I think about ground-level things we can do, we can remember that our Junior League members are just people and that people are going to make mistakes. We should be able to say what we need to say to each other.” While the work ahead may be daunting, Smith continues to be encouraged by JLW’s membership: “I am hopeful that JLW will continue to be a place where women learn about the community they’re serving.” Ultimately, the League’s path to becoming a more inclusive, antiracist organization starts with you. In addition to Kendi’s book, please check out the Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit on the JLW website and lookout for future League discussions.
DID YOU KNOW?
JLW's Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit has tips on the following:
USING INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
DEMONSTRATING EQUITY
DEVELOPING CORE COMPETENCIES
EXAMINING VOLUNTEER TRAININGS
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