What it is
Anti-racist facilitation is the art, skill and capability of effectively practicing anti-racism while guiding a conversation in a specific setting. Not all facilitators understand anti-racism. Nor do all facilitation models implement anti-racism within their norm setting and operations. Both realities prevent anti-racist facilitation from taking place, even in conversations of social justice.
Anti-racist facilitation aims to foster an anti-racist culture while also cultivating a shared group experience that is based on learning, understanding, and growth.
Anti-racist facilitation aims to foster an anti-racist culture while also cultivating a shared group experience that is based on learning, understanding, and growth.
Why it is important
Facilitation is often a very underrated, undervalued skill that takes years to strengthen. Oftentimes, people may not notice a good facilitator. But, they likely do remember a time when a conversation either lacked someone to create and hold a space, or when this was a role that was not done in a thoughtful, anti-racist way.
Many might assume that all facilitators practice anti-racist facilitation, but this is a learned skill. Dismantling racism requires facilitating conversations that are sensitive to group dynamics as it relates to one's proximity to power and privilege as a result of their lived and perceived racial identity. Without this deep knowledge, facilitating a conversation of race, racism, or racial justice will likely go wrong, and cause more harm (particularly for Black, Indigenous and Other People of Color).
Many might assume that all facilitators practice anti-racist facilitation, but this is a learned skill. Dismantling racism requires facilitating conversations that are sensitive to group dynamics as it relates to one's proximity to power and privilege as a result of their lived and perceived racial identity. Without this deep knowledge, facilitating a conversation of race, racism, or racial justice will likely go wrong, and cause more harm (particularly for Black, Indigenous and Other People of Color).
What to expect
GamblinConsults adheres to our values and affirmations to guide our anti-racist facilitation, whereby we intentionally center BIPOC, practice love as a verb, and course correct colonial understanding, actions and behaviors.
Some things to expect from our anti-racist facilitation include:
Some things to expect from our anti-racist facilitation include:
- Co-creation of anti-racist group norms
- Modeling of how to call racism out
- Modeling of how to course correct when called out
- Modeling of how to encourage group accountability
- Modeling of how to center BIPOC
- Modeling of how to center one's humanity
- Co-creation of shared goals
- Modeling of intentional reflection
- Interactive activities to adapt to a variety of learning styles
