Each month, RAFI’s Equity at the Table Fellow LaShauna Austria and the Saxapahaw Social Justice Exchange (SSJE) meet to discuss race in America. The goal is to build community by fostering understanding of how racial injustices affect all of us. RAFI, at heart, is a social justice organization helping farmers and their communities. Discussions about race and inequalities, like these had at the SSJE, certainly impact the farmers, advocates and communities we serve. On behalf of SSJE, we extend an invitation to the next gathering to our friends of RAFI.
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2018
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Place: Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw Bethlehem Church Road, Saxapahaw NC
Discussion topics:
SSJE always offers a table talk about white privilege and recommends first-timers sit at this table to get a clear understanding of how white privilege shapes the world in which we live—the way that we navigate and interact with one another and with the world.
This month we will continue our discussion about building and restoring relationships. Feel free to host a table talk conversation—we encourage folks to come ready to share and engage in difficult conversations.
What to bring:
Bring a friend who may be interested in joining these difficult conversations. Any and all community involvement info—what’s going on in your corner of the world including opportunities for activism and/or collaboration. How can we do this work together?
The food and drink situation:
Please bring a snack / drink to share!
About the Saxapahaw Social Justice Exchange
“I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.” Langston Hughes
The Saxapahaw Social Justice Exchange is just that—an exchange. Specifically, it is an exchange focused on the brutal realities of race in America and the desire to be part of changing that reality. It was born out of the pain of incessant violence against people of color. It is intentional space reserved for meaningful conversations, testimonies, and the exchange of ideas, resources, and actions for people who are committed to a path of racial equity and justice. The goal is to build community by fostering a deeper understanding of how these injustices affect all of us.
This is not an organization or an institution, and we do not have a strategy for change; rather, we hold a space for continued learning and engagement around deeply rooted issues of race in our local community and society at large.
Our monthly gatherings are designed to meet people where they are, wherever that happens to be on their journey. We invite participants in the room to introduce and facilitate “table talks,” which are engaging small group discussions around pressing topics, such as white privilege, environmental racism, local politics, food networks, and reconciliation processes. Sometimes, we host facilitated conversations around a film that challenges us to think differently and act courageously. We hope to see you on Saturday, March 24!