Tackling racism within: Michael Perry & Maggie Smith’s experiences of local group work

‘Deep feelings were revealed and a very supportive trust developed.’

Michael Perry:

I was so inspired by the good nature and positivity at a Black Loves Matter protest that I decided to become more involved. I ministered about this at Meeting, wondering if anyone might be interested in a group to share personal experiences and attitudes. Within a few days nine of us met for an introductory session. Ground rules were that it would be a closed group, meeting for an hour once a week, with contents confidential.

We began in the style of worship-sharing: members chose when to begin, with no time limit; we listened without interruption or judgement. It took three sessions for each of us to explore how the people closest to us, whom we mostly love and respect, may have influenced us in a way that made us vulnerable enough to hide our opinions. Deep feelings were revealed and a very supportive trust developed.

The next sessions focused more on the present – how we have, or perhaps have not, dealt with overt racism in our work situations, daily activities and sometimes our personal relationships. In our final session we set personal objectives, one of which was to hold another group in our Meeting. The confidentiality allowed us to build such a deep trust that I have some reservations about writing this. But I am offering my personal view. I had never before discussed openly the personal influences in my childhood and beyond. It was refreshing that others had the same interest. I was still nervous at first about sharing what I had held within, but I was held so supportively by the trust built in the group from the first meeting. This was both a liberating and healing experience and has allowed me to discuss things much more openly with many people outside Quakers.

The group met from the end of July and has led to offshoots and influences, which have happened organically. We now meet every three months or so to check out how we are, and to continue on the paths of understanding, listening and being more open, to hear our own voices and those of others. It has been a real learning experience, one I am very pleased happened, as I have been enabled to unlock barriers.

Maggie Smith:

One of the goals I set myself as a member of Michael’s group was to facilitate a second one. This time we were only six – I was a little disappointed, but this was mainly from lack of time rather than interest. Many of us have children, jobs, sick and isolated families to care for in this weird year.

This group was equally special. The format, the depth and the trust were similar, the end goals slightly different. One of the group circulated to the whole Meeting a long list of books on racism, a lifetime’s reading if we so choose.

My second goal was to join an inclusivity group at my local University of the Third Age (U3A), where we are busy attempting to encourage a more diverse membership. As a pretty ancient Quaker my experience, certainly at school, was so different – racism in my youth was mainly anti-semitic and often as unintentional as our Quaker dislike of dealing with our involvement with the slave trade and more contemporary issues. I know there is activity in other Meetings, but there is still so much to do.

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Comments

So how does one join this quarterly group? Thanks

By snowlobo1@aol.com on 1st March 2021 - 14:05

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