Applying an Anti-Oppression Lens to WTR

In February 2020, we made this commitment to anti-racism: “We, the Interhelp Council, commit to becoming an anti-racist organization. We will incorporate anti-racism into all aspects of Interhelp, including Interhelp Council, action circles, Interhelp-sponsored events, facilitator training/support, and Work That Reconnects community education. This is a long-term path of learning and action, that will bring change to the organization.” We invite you to join us on this journey.

This page is devoted to supporting the application of anti-oppression thinking to the Work That Reconnects, and to develop the Work so that it better serves the needs of all and supports cultural change in an ever more powerful way.

See our Interhelp Community Guidelines here.

We welcome your additions to this evolving set of recommended resources!

Anti-racism Initiative Update (July 15, 2020)

Why We Are on a Journey of Anti-racism (February, 2020)

White Space: A Letter by Kurt Kuhwald. This document was foundational to Interhelp’s commitment to anti-racism.

What is intersectionality? All of who I am by Roberta K. Timothy

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism book by Robin DiAngelo. This article provides a good introduction/invitation to the book.

Examples of Racial Microaggressions. This chart is adapted from: Wing, Capodilupo, Torino, Bucceri, Holder, Nadal, Esquilin (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice. American Psychologist, 62, 4, 271-286. You can read the entire article here.

The Healing Work of Anti-Oppression: a review of two books. (Turn This World Inside Out: The Emergence of Nurturance Culture by Nora Samaran and My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem)

Lessons & Reflections from Radical Dharma by Aravinda Ananda

August 2017 Deep Times Special Issue on the impact of race and culture on WTR

Anti-Oppression Study Group 2017

Anti-oppression and the Work That Reconnects: First Steps, 2017

Resources on Anti-oppression and Racial Justice. Excellent annotated list from the Fall 2016 issue of Deep Times