Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership

And Still We Rise is a six-month leadership forum for womxn of color leaders, including our nonbinary siblings. As womxn of color leaders, the pressures we face are enormous. Every day, we juggle the demands of caring for our families and communities while feeling the strain of establishing our credibility, competence, and worth in a society that devalues and marginalizes us. We often do not have the support we need to be successful within the white supremacy structures and practices that are embedded within the culture of the organizations/groups of which we are a part. We experience high levels of stress and burnout as we do our best to push against a concrete ceiling. And frankly… we are exhausted. Yet, our leadership is needed now more than ever. How do we stay the course without sacrificing our wellness and wholeness? How do we bring our most authentic and powerful selves to the table and lead from our unique vision and values as womxn of color?

And Still We Rise is a forum that offers us a special opportunity to come together in community with other womxn of color leaders to:

·      Celebrate and affirm our experiences and identities as womxn of color leaders

·      Prioritize our needs and nurture ourselves by practicing radical self-care and self-compassion

·      Reclaim and embrace our authenticity, wholeness, power, and brilliance

·      Create a network of essential and life-sustaining support with other womxn of color

·      Revitalize our vision and faith in ourselves as leaders

·      Share the stories of our struggles, strength, and resilience in a space where we are fully seen, honored, and embraced

·      Sustain our ability to continue to do the work and make a positive impact.

We will explore the following topics/themes:

1.      Leading with Vision: Affirm our unique vision and practice of leadership and values as womxn of color leaders and develop strategies for bringing our authentic leadership more fully into the world.

2.      Naming and Claiming our Needs: Identify areas where we need support and learn how to prioritize our wellness and practice radical self-care.

3.      Stepping into Our Power: Explore the dynamics and challenges to our power and influence at the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, class, age, ability, religion, and other dimensions of social identity and intersectional oppression. Identify strategies for navigating these complex power dynamics as WOC leaders in white-led organizations/culture.

4.      Building from the Inside Out: Addressing Internalized Oppression: Examine our internalized oppression and the impact it has on our ability to lead and succeed.

5.      Empowering Our Communities: Explore ways to come together and build powerful and effective coalitions and movements for social justice and equity.

6.      Next Steps/Additional Topics: Reflect on additional themes that emerge within the group as time allows, and identify next steps for ongoing networking, partnering, and coalition building.

Is this program for me?

This program is for all self-identifying BIPOC womxn leaders, including our nonbinary siblings. We welcome womxn of color who are bi-racial, multi-racial. We welcome womxn of color across the spectrum of skin color. We welcome womxn of color of all sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, social classes, abilities, religions, and other dimensions of social identity.

Our definition of leadership is broad and inclusive, and we invite and lift up all forms of leadership, both formal and informal. Oftentimes, behind the scenes leadership is the most powerful and influential. We are all essentially leaders.

Since this program emphasizes community-building and deepening relationships, participants are strongly encouraged to participate in all 6-sessions.

This workshop series has been underwritten by The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.