Sunday, October 20, 2-6 pm
First Congregational Church of Oakland
2501 Harrison St., Oakland
Part of our ongoing series of workshops designed to reduce our reliance on an increasingly militarized police force, this offering from Community Ready Corps (CRC) will cover basic principles and practices to help us keep ourselves and our communities safe.
What would you do if you found yourself in the middle of a violent situation? How can you safely get yourself and others out of that situation?
We will be asking for a voluntary donation to support the vital work of Community Ready Corps. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
CRC is a liberation organization that combats white supremacy and actively builds & supports self determination in disenfranchised communities. Their work focuses on nine areas:
Politics
Economics
Family
Health
Education
Art
Media
Traditions & Ways
Self Defense
This is a two-year project (2019-2020), more than a year in the making, is being co-sponsored by Skyline UCC with other groups.
Some things to know about this project:
WHAT IT IS NOT:
- Anti-police.
- Participation in this project does NOT constitute a commitment to not call the police.
WHAT IT IS:
- A realization/acceptance that when black lives are involved, calling the police can be fatal.
- An exploration of alternatives that can be more effective than the police, such as groups that are trained in non-violent communications, de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention (in areas such as mental health, drug & alcohol abuse), self defense, conflict resolution, medical training, community disaster preparedness, etc.
- Internal work on the effects of White Supremacy on police violence, examining safety & security, interracial dynamics in the community, what internal fears make people rely on the police? (Each community would tailor content of inner work to its own needs.)
- Ways to get to know our neighbors and to help us to know and trust each other via material resources, availability for prayer and conversation, etc.
In Summary: this is an invitation to participate in a program that can build toward the creation of a true Beloved Community that chooses to not collude with empire (in this case, the “prison-industrial complex”) in the name of safety, and that is willing to take the risk(s) necessary to explore an alternative first-responder network that provides interventions, when necessary, for the safety of all individuals and groups that are participating. This is also a next step in examining our own internal mechanisms of White Supremacy/racism/white fragility. ALL are invited to join in this opportunity for growth, and in this righteous (and scary!) adventure.
