Accomplices in Action (AIA): A Cohort-Style Training for Dismantling White Supremacy in Self and Society

Hello, White friends of The Wells Collective!

If you know us, you know that we believe, deeply, that unpacking and dismantling white supremacy is white folx work to do. Many of you have asked for the opportunity to explore concepts of whiteness and white supremacy on a consistent basis, in a cohort model, and the time has finally come! 🎉 

We welcome you to join friends of The Well, Kristen Tubman and Jonathan Fichter, for a six-session series of workshops that will push you to move from being an ally to an accomplice. Registration includes all six zoom sessions as well as access to supplemental workshop materials. Note: The Wells Collective will create all materials for this series. Kristen and Jonathan will serve as facilitators to present materials and push the group's thinking.

Please see all details below.

Who?: This session is for any people who identify as white.

What? This is a cohort-style series that will challenge participants to explore the concepts of whiteness (white fragility, white privilege, and white supremacy, white rage, and more) both in how they show up personally and in how they manifest in our society. This is a space in which white folx will hold one another accountable, be honest about the harm they have caused, and name and explore ways to continue their anti-racism journeys and challenge white supremacy in every way possible. 

Facilitators of this shared learning space will be Kristen Tubman and Jonathan Fichter. They have been selected by The Wells team due to their demonstrated committment to naming how white supremacy shows up in themselves and challenging other white people to learn better and do better. 

Here's a bit more about them:

Jonathan Fichter grew up in suburban Philadelphia, PA. For the past 15 years, he has been living in Washington, DC where he collaborates with the local chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice on educational outreach and housing justice issues. Jonathan has been teaching at K-12 schools for 17 years. He co-facilitates an antiracism group for white middle schoolers and a similar group for parents. At home, Jonathan and his partner have two elementary-age children who ask fantastic questions about race every day! One day, Jonathan would love to learn Yiddish.

His favorite quote is: "Because we no longer are playing by the safe rules of the status quo, rules that if we obey guarantee us a specific outcome, love moves us to a new ground of being. - bell hooks

Kristen Tubman grew up and lives in Baltimore, though she was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She has spent the last 15 years teaching Spanish and engaging in Diversity & Equity work with 6th-12th grade students. Additionally, Kristen facilitates and learns with adults in various white affinity groups and workshops on a wide range of topics including Anti-racism, Whiteness, and Privilege. Her most rewarding work has been as a co-planner of the Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference for high-schoolers and the Middle School Student Leadership in Diversity Conference, both of which are led by brilliant student facilitators. She is always excited to learn more, to engage in dialogue, and to grow from feedback.

Her favorite quotes are:

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." -James Baldwin

"The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward." -Ijeoma Oluo

"Action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all." -Elie Wiesel

When? A full list of session dates is below:

Wednesday, February 3, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 1 (Whiteness)

• This workshop will lay the foundations for understanding whiteness: White culture, White supremacy, white privilege, white rage, white fragility, and more. It will explore the construction of whiteness and preservation of whiteness throughout time.

Wednesday, February 17, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 2 (White Supremacy and Anti-Blackness)

• In this workshop, you will do a deep dive into considering how White Supremacy manifests in society, and unpack how and why White Supremacy targets Black people in particular. 

Wednesday, March 3, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 3 (Your role in White Supremacy)

• In this workshop, you will turn the lens to yourself to assess how white supremacy shows up in your mind, body, interpersonal relationships, work, and more.

Wednesday, March 24, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 4 (Engaging in Critical Conversations)

• In this workshop, you will consider critically why having conversations about race may prove challenging, what that means, and how to move away from inaction (which fules white supremacy).

Wednesday, April 7, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 5 (Disrupting Systems of Oppression)

• In this workshop, you will consider how to serve as a disruptor on a regular basis, and practice scenarios to determine how to do so.

Wednesday, April 14, 6:15-8:15 PM: Workshop 6 (Personal Accountability)

• In this workshop, you will turn the lens back to yourself to consider what you've learned and how it will inform your work going forward. 

Where? All sessions will take place via zoom. 

How? Note that registering means agreeing to attend ALL SIX sessions, and includes access to supplemental materials. We are offering a sliding, pay-what-you-can scale for this series. The $250, $300, and $350 tickets are each for the workshop and include full access to workshops and materials. We ask that you pay what you are able.

Please email thewellscollectivellc@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Love and Light,

The Well