JEMPS, short for Jason, Emma, ManMan, Payal, and Shoji, refers to the initial planning committee for the HUG (Healing, (Un)learning and Growing program. In late May, Shoji and Jason were brainstorming ways to engage the broader taiko community in conversations about racial equity, and especially anti-Blackness. They reached out to C. Payal Sharma, a friend from the taiko community whose professional experience is deeply-rooted in racial equity and anti-racism facilitation and training. The trio soon pulled in two more close friends, Yeeman “ManMan” Mui and Emma Valentine, to round out the planning cohort. The first JEMPS meeting was on June 8th, 2020. We asked ourselves:
“How can this model of facilitation be structured so that facilitators & participants have the highest probability of carrying this important work forward?”
Since that first meeting, the JEMPS collective - driven by love, emergence and non-violent communication - developed a structure that would allow a cohort of emerging racial equity facilitators to lead a group from the taiko community through a process of Healing, (Un)learning, and Growing.
Nope! While each individual that makes up the JEMPS collective has personal connections to organizations and roles in the taiko community, JEMPS is not backed by any one particular organization. JEMPS is simply a group of friends from the taiko community who believe that holding conversations with other taiko community members about White supremacy, racism, and anti-Blackness is important.
“HUG” intends to provide a space for participants to do exactly that - move through Healing, Unlearning, and Growing. We will reflect on and process the history of White supremacy in the US as a starting point, and also hold a space to examine the impact of White supremacy within themselves, the systems, and institutions that they are a part of, and the communities they exist within. These conversations will be facilitated by a group of emerging anti-racism facilitators who have gone through 12 hours of professionally-led racial equity facilitation training.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The HUG program is not intended to examine White supremacy and anti-Blackness specifically as it manifests within the taiko community. We expect that conversations around the taiko community may come up during conversation across the 9-weeks, since we are inviting members of the taiko community to participate, but we want to be clear that neither the intention, nor the goal, is to examine these concepts specifically as they might pertain to taiko in the US - although we agree it’s a powerful conversation that absolutely needs time, resources, and space to explore!
When the JEMPS Collective first came together, it was obvious that our main point of connection was taiko. Each of us has been a part of the taiko community and we realized that our personal “spheres of influence” are strongest within this community that we love dearly. So, we decided that we would invite others from the taiko community to Heal, (Un)learn, and Grow with us as we embarked on this journey to investigate racism in the US.
First, a note that we are conducting all sessions in English. Holding that, this is for anybody who considers themselves part of the taiko community - no matter your race or ethnicity (this is not just for white folks!). It is for anybody who has a desire to dig deep into the US construction of racism through a set of facilitated discussions and brings a willingness to examine their role, socialization, and agency through the process. Every single individual is on a different node of their journey toward understanding racism and its impact on themselves and their communities. Some people are just learning about systemic racism, White supremacy, and anti-Blackness. Others have been agents of anti-racism for decades. As long as you have an open mind and an open heart, you are invited to participate.
Great question. Oftentimes, we don’t have opportunities to connect in an intentionally multi-racial, multi-generational, multi-gendered, bi-coastal space, unless it’s a taiko conference or event, and we rarely have moments in those spaces to specifically explore White supremacy and its impacts - it’s uncommon! To ensure a diverse mix of participants (in a variety of ways), we are utilizing this 2-step process. For that reason, the JEMPS team will be reviewing registrations and will make final decisions and notify participants on September 6th
First, some logistics around the registration fee. The 9-week series is offered at a pay-what-you-can, sliding scale, $45 - $225 ($5 - $25 per session). That said, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds!
This project originated from the national outcry after the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. To connect this work directly to organizations that are fighting for justice and fighting against White supremacy and anti-Blackness, a subcommittee of our facilitator cohort were asked to identify two organizations who are committed to justice and liberation for Black lives.
After careful consideration, we’ve landed on two national organizations that function very differently and are both focused on voting mobilization. The principles that led us to these organizations were a focus on sustainability of the organization’s initiatives and a focus on the impact we believed our dollars could achieve.
The two orgs are [insert thunderous taiko roll here]: PushBlack and the Poor People’s Campaign! You can read more about each org’s mission at the links provided below:
PushBlack - media and education initiatives focused on Black history and news. PushBlack also has a podcast that we thought was a nice counterpoint to “Seeing White”. https://pushblack.org/
Poor People’s Campaign - multi-race class solidarity demanding that the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy/militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism all be ended. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/about/
We know this is a big commitment. We highly encourage that you attend all of the sessions since each will build upon the next. There will be a combination of large group and small group discussions where trust-building is a central part of the success of our Healing, (Un)learning and Growing. We also hope that this is not the only time a facilitated examination of racism is offered so if you are unable to commit to these particular 9-weeks, we can help point you toward other racial equity spaces that might be available.
Once applications have closed on Friday September 4th (note that we’ve extended the deadline!) the JEMPS Collective will review all applicants and let you know if you are in by Sunday, September 6th. We will of course let you know if we are over our capacity for this session as well. Please note that based on the number of facilitators, we can only accept up to 50 participants for the 9-week program.
Every Sunday for 9 straight weeks, all participants and facilitators will meet for 2 hours virtually (on Zoom). Week 1 serves as a time to lay the groundwork of the journey we’re about to embark on, and week 9 is a closing/”what next” session - both led by Payal. Weeks 2 through 8 will require you to listen to 2 episodes/week of the “Seeing White” podcast and digest supplemental materials prior to attending that week’s session. Sessions will include a combination of large and small group discussions led by a rotating group of facilitators. The intention is to build trust, community, and a container for HUG (healing, unlearning, growing) to happen as we navigate some difficult topics.
Here are the specific dates (all Sundays):
Sept 13th, 20th, 27th
Oct 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Nov 1st, and 8th
And here are the specific times:
4-6 PM PST
5-7 PM MST
6-8 PM CST
7-9 PM EST
Yes indeed. In fact, the majority of our two hours together will be focused on your participation. The form of participation (speaking in large groups, small groups, utilizing the Zoom chat, journaling, reflecting, etc.) will change but definitely expect to do A LOT of participating.
Not quite! But we love your enthusiasm! This series, while geared towards action in its final 2 sessions, aims to lay the groundwork, reflect, and build community. It is not intended to be a training on how to do an equity change process within a group or organization - that takes time, resources, care, the right people at the table, etc. However, it may spur you to action or provide a deeper analysis to consider before you take action, and may open dialogue and give you tools to take back to your group, your friends, your family and your communities to be able to discuss these topics further.
Yes! We have identified a podcast called “Seeing White,” as a way to create a baseline for understanding White supremacy and its legacy, racial inequity, and in particular systemic anti-Blackness.
“Seeing White” is produced by and led by John Biewen, a white man, and his main collaborator on this project is Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, a Black man. John invites other scholars, educators, historians to various episodes, but we will be hearing primarily about his experiences turning the lens on himself, White people, and the creation of Whiteness, as a means to hold his people accountable. We’ll also be diving into some selections of works from primarily Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as a framework for our learning, especially since the labor and education in equity and justice work was first created and offered by BIPOC. As we aim to move the needle (individually and collectively) towards equity, justice, liberation, and action, we will pull from the brilliant minds and hearts of Dr. Bettina Love, adrienne maree brown, Lukayo, and Valarie Kaur, to name a few.
Phew! You have reached the end of the HUG FAQ.
If you still have questions, email jempscollective@gmail.com.