A Space for Us

Book excerpt: “A helpful introduction to facilitating affinity spaces in an inclusive, emergent, and trauma-informed way to foster the communal healing spaces that in turn ignite community action and liberation.”—Resmaa Menakem, best-selling author of My Grandmother’s Hands and Monsters in Love The first comprehensive guide for leading BIPOC affinity groups for challenging white supremacy, healing racial trauma, and taking collective action Meeting in racial affinity groups is a common practice in anti-racist, social justice, diversity, and similar forms of educational endeavors. These groups provide a structured space in which participants can explore how racism personally impacts them, process specific experiences of racism, receive validation and support from their peers, heal, and strategize next steps for challenging racism, white supremacy, and internalized racial oppression. In A Space for Us, Michelle Cassandra Johnson brings her over 20 years of experience leading dismantling racism work to provide the first affinity groups guide made for BIPOC communities. This essential guide will: Provide an understanding of the racial hierarchy and how it has impacted Black, Indigenous, and People of Color differently. Define and share common manifestations of internalized racial oppression. Define anti-Blackness and provide skills to interrupt and address it. Share rituals, practices, and sample agendas for affinity groups. Explain when it is useful to meet as one BIPOC group and when it is useful to meet based on one’s specific racial identity. Provide rituals and tools for healing in BIPOC affinity groups. Provide information about how to come back together as BIPOC and white people to strategize and take collective action. Comprehensive and accessible, A Space for Us offers practical guidance for facilitating effective BIPOC racial affinity groups and will be an important resource for BIPOC communities.