Good places to start:
- Race: The Power of An Illusion (California NewsReel). Watching this three part documentary with teachers and/or members of your spiritual community can be a powerful way to build a foundational understanding of how racial dominance has been established and maintained in the United States.
- A recent publication “Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People about Racism” has been eye-opening in deepening awareness and understanding of impact. While targeting White individuals and White group inquiry, Dr. Robin DiAngelo’s article is helpful for anyone encountering “white fragility” around race.
- “Suffering Too Insignificant for the Majority to See”: In this groundbreaking talk to participants at the first-ever African-American Buddhist retreat, Alice Walker describes the great toll, both personal and societal, of racism in America, and how Buddhism has helped her heal its wounds.
- Lion’s Roar Discussion with Lama Rod Owens and angel Kyodo williams: Lama Rod and Rev. angel, Sensei, discuss the challenges of being teachers of color in predominantly white communities.
Within our Dharma communities valuable resources in inquiring into racism and white dominance include these relevant talks:
- “Beloved Community” Tara Brach (IMCW 6/17/15). In this intimate talk, Tara explores the often hidden expressions of racism that fuel separation and violence, and pathways toward healing and freeing our collective hearts.
- “Exploring Our Belonging and Kinship” Ruth King (IMCW 2/4/15). In this talk Ruth explores the “relative” reality of kinship, compassionately names patterns that harm, and then offers specific mindful exercises that we can use in personal or collective practice to heal and bridge separation.
- “Reclamation of the Sacred” Thanissara (Spirit Rock 5/5/15) This important talk recognizes causes of collective dislocation, naming colonial devastation and ways towards tenderness.
- “On the Path of the Beautiful and Beloved Community” Larry Yang (Spirit Rock 1/16/15) In this talk, Larry explores the relationship between our personal practice and our collective experience in the world.
What might structural change look like within our sanghas? One resource for this is the booklet, Making the Invisible Visible (full PDF available on the Spirit Rock website). Making the Invisible Visible is a collection of stories from people of color and their white allies about racism as it manifests in our sanghas. The booklet also includes practical suggestions for changing these dynamics, such as: addressing racism through dharma talks; developing an organizational strategy for inclusion; and working to ensure that people of color hold prominent leadership positions as teachers, board members, and staff.
A few more potential resources from lionsroar.com:
– The Race and Diversity archives, http://www.lionsroar.com/tag/race,diversity/
– Jan Willis’ powerful pieces, “We Cry Out For Justice” (http://www.lionsroar.com/cry-justice/), “Why We Can’t Breathe” (http://www.lionsroar.com/cant-breathe/), and “Yes, We’re Buddhists Too!” (http://www.lionsroar.com/yes-were-buddhists-too/)
– Greg Snyder’s helpful “Four ways to connect with your community” (http://www.lionsroar.com/four-ways-to-connect-with-your-community/)
– A Q&A with angel Kyodo williams (http://www.lionsroar.com/beyond-privilege-qa-angel-kyodo-williams/)
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Thank you for all of this information and effort. Might I suggest as reading “A people’s history of the United States. 1492 -present.” By Howard Zinn.Published by Harper Collins. It provides great insight into Native American, African American experience. “It is a moving history of those that have been exploited politically and economically, and whose story has largely been omitted from most histories.It includes stories of African- Americans and Native Americans and poor laborers in their own words.” Library Journal
” It should be read by those that want to understand their country, it’s TRUE history, and it’s hope for the future.” Howard Fast
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I’d like to recommend Wisdom’s book The Way of Tenderness for this list! Also Dreaming Me by Jan Willis.
http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/way-tenderness
http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/dreaming-me
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The Way of Tenderness by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel along with Jan’s book could make for great online book discussions.
Also “The Business Behind The Patched Robe” by Ryūmon Hilda Gutiérrez Baldoquín Sensei. This is courtesy of Sakyadhita Presents Awakening Buddhist Women. I would highly recommend that she be pulled into any discussions regarding POC. You will see why after reading this. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-business-beneath-patch-robe.html
And finally “How to Be Black” by BaratundeThurston. He is not a Buddhist (to my knowledge) but what he writes is what almost every POC person experiences inside and outside the zendo/monastery etc… It is important to know what we deal with before and after we leave the zendo.
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I have four more items I want to add as resources.
This article on Buddhist POC groups sent shock waves around some Buddhist circles. From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/18/buddhism-race-mediators-people-of-color-sangha_n_2144559.html
A.Breeze Harper: author of The Sistah Vegan Project, has written a series of articles on her blog The Sistah Vegan Project on what is like to be in predominate white and POC sangha spaces.
http://sistahvegan.com/2012/09/19/mindful-or-deluded-reflections-on-being-a-racist-anti-racist-student-of-buddhism-seeking-wellness/
Damali Ayo’s How to Rent A Negro: A comedic classic with tinges of truth.
Eyes on the Prize America’s Civil Rights Years 1954-1965 (DVD) from PBS and The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader from Clayborne Carson and David J.Garrow (book). The follow up to Julian Hallmark’s suggestion.
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Few more resources
http://www.colorsofcompassionmovie.com – thich nhat hanh led this retreat
http://deerpark.libsyn.com/soul_of_gratitude_retreat_for_people_of_color_part_i
http://deerpark.libsyn.com/soul_of_gratitude_retreat_for_people_of_color_part_ii
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Feel free to add my article on: Mindfulness Meditation Can Improve Views On And Interactions With African Americans:
http://secularbuddhism.org/2015/07/08/mindfulness-meditation-can-improve-views-on-and-interactions-with-african-americans/
It also has some links that could be of use to readers.
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Thank you for this important conversation! Another resource is a book of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings from People of Color retreats, Together We are One, which also includes interviews of POC sharing their experience of sangha. http://www.parallax.org/together-we-are-one-honoring-our-diversity-celebrating-our-connection/
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Changing the Race Dance: an InterPlay workshop as well as Waking Up White an embodied book study, offer InterPlay’s powerful full bodied approach to changing not only thoughts but the way we carry and transform racism in our bodies. Singing, Telling Stories, Honoring Stillness, Learning to listen to our body complement deep wisdom. These workshops are offered by Soyinka Rahim and Cynthia Winton-Henry and other poc and white leaders committed to the creative body wisdom of all people. Grateful to Krista Harris for her leadership in her Seattle Sangha, Katrina Browne and Karia Jewel for leading in this area in DC. and others. InterPlay.org and The Changing the Race Dance Facebook are good resources.
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Thank you for opening this absolutely necessary dialogue!
I have read an excerpt from the book “Birth of a White Nation” by Jacqueline Battalora. This information focuses on the causes and reasoning behind the emergence of white people. Taking the reasons which initiated this insistence that white be supreme, is a powerful beginning to dismantle white privilege in our country.
I am an SGI member practicing Nichiren Buddhism in Aurora, Colorado
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