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What is the BIPOC Activist Workbook?
What is the BIPOC Activist Workbook?
The BIPOC Activist Workbook is for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) to engage in a series of learnings, practices, and reflections that are designed to heal and empower communities of color. It grounds readers to first connect, acknowledge, and celebrate one’s ancestry and family history. Then, it explores reprogramming internalized patterns of thinking under white supremacy culture by means of somatic tools such as mindfulness and other bodily practices. Each activity in this workbook requires an intersectional approach so that multiple perspectives and lived experiences are highlighted. The sections titled Author’s Note are personal reflections and experiences from me, Monai Myles.
The BIPOC Workbook parallels our White Folks Workbook. Some of the topics covered may deviate from the White Folks Workbook. However, the outcome is the same: creating a society where all are committed to liberation, freedom, and an anti-racist lifestyle. We recognize that there are common racialized experiences between groups that identify as BIPOC, but we equally recognize that each group has its own nuanced history. It is not a “one size fits all” approach.
Although there is more power to learning and growing if you do this in community with fellow BIPOC activists, feel free to jump in individually and leverage it as needed, whether it’s in the classroom, navigating daily interactions, reflecting on an experience, or grounding yourself after a difficult day.
Activism According to Anti-Racism Every Day
Activism According to Anti-Racism Every Day
Before jumping in, we want to first clarify how our organization defines “activist.”
Activist: Any person who leverages their specific talents, skills, or attributes to the liberation and freedom for all people.
Any person is equipped to enact change from any level, whether it’s within the system or outside of it. We believe that everyone should feel empowered to take action right where they are. This workbook will help you develop an activist mindset. I never believed I was an activist, mostly because my definition of activism was quite narrow. I assumed it was the person out in the street with signs and posters, protesting with righteous rage, speaking loudly and proudly. As you go about this workbook, I hope that you begin to see, as I did, that we need not only those people but other roles if we are to build an equitable and just world.
Do—
What is an activist?
Do—
What is an activist?
So, let’s start with your own ideas of what an activist is. This can include attitudes, actions, and attributes that you believe an activist embodies.
Create a list of what you believe makes an activist.
Based on your list, what qualities do you already possess?
Be aware of how and when these qualities can be useful as you go through each week of the workbook.
Sustaining Activist Work
Sustaining Activist Work
You may have heard the expression that this anti-racism work isn’t easy. It isn’t. We can be susceptible to activism burnout. Knowing this, taking a proactive approach to sustain your anti-racism work as a BIPOC activist is necessary. We believe you should thoughtfully commit to the following:
Take part in recognizing and celebrating your ancestral origins of joy and wellness
Move through intergenerational trauma individually and as a collective
Talk through and process the daily indignities that BIPOC experience.
Intentionally work towards having a healthy body, heart, mind, and spirit
Are you ready? Let’s get to work.
Who is the BIPOC Activist Workbook for?
Who is the BIPOC Activist Workbook for?
The BIPOC Activist Workbook is for anyone that identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. The learnings, practices, and reflections are designed to empower communities of color to jumpstart and sustain their anti-racist work. It is not meant as a substitute for therapy. Rather, this workbook presents a variety of reflections and strategies that help navigate the intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and emotional toll that occurs from engaging in this work, living in a BIPOC body, and navigating cross-cultural dialogue.
How is the BIPOC Activist Workbook meant to be used?
How is the BIPOC Activist Workbook meant to be used?
It is a workbook designed for individuals and groups; however, there is more impact when you are in community with others. Each week contains:
A theme related to BIPOC anti-racism work
Tasks to complete (like the DO above)
Several reflection activities
Cross-cultural dialogue prompts designed to help you navigate and prepare for dialogue with others outside your respective race/ethnicity
Links to resources that have inspired the week’s work including books, articles, podcasts, and social media posts.
Where does the BIPOC Activist Workbook come from?
Where does the BIPOC Activist Workbook come from?
The BIPOC Activist Workbook is part of Anti-Racism Every Day’s curriculum. It was developed to parallel our White Folks Workbook. It is also used for the BIPOC Activism Group, a weekly virtual meeting of BIPOC people coming together to reflect, empower, and heal in community to sustain their anti-racist lifestyle.
I identify as a queer, non-binary Black person and crafted this workbook because I was plagued by doubts of not feeling like an ‘activist.’ I felt overwhelmed by the multitude of ways that one can approach activism This workbook provides a trajectory for those who seek to deepen their work in activism while also doing much-needed soul-care. It could not have come into being without the amazing authors, writers, journalists, and activists whose work helped inform me on how to engage in an action-oriented anti-racist lifestyle as a BIPOC person and how to uplift myself and others. I highly recommend that you leverage the resources offered at the end of each week.
Is it free?
Is it free?
The website is accessible to all and is free. PDF or bound copies are available here.
Will there be edits to this workbook?
Will there be edits to this workbook?
Yes! As you know in anti-racism work, society is constantly evolving, new ideas are always emerging, and amazing people continuously share their experiences. However, the integrity of the entire workbook will be preserved with only minimal edits.
Sound like what you need? Get started now!
Sound like what you need? Get started now!
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