There’s a lot of talk about oppression and microaggressions these days. You hear it in the news; you hear it in different circles across the city and beyond. What do these concepts really mean? How do they affect you? How do they affect the community you live in?

If these topics are new to you, this workshop is a great way to ground yourself in what they are and get some practice talking about them. And if you are already experienced, it’s an opportunity to refocus your equity lens and enjoy a rich dialogue.

In this interactive workshop, we will:

• Recognize that each of us has many cultural identities and many relationships to oppression. Some of us could tell many stories of our everyday experience with oppression; for others, we are like fish who can’t see the water we swim in.
• Discuss key concepts about oppression and how different types of oppression intersect. We will have thought-provoking conversations around equity, internalized oppression, power, and privilege and more.
• Introduce foundational skills for engaging in brave and productive discussions around issues of oppression and practice in a supportive environment.
• Invite each participant to commit to at least one action to apply these skills and concepts beyond the workshop.

This workshop takes a broad view of cultural diversity. It encompasses many areas of identity, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, region, and many more.

This is a great foundational workshop for participating in our Interrupting Racism for Everyday Living Actionshop on Friday, October 24, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. For more information or to register, click here.

Coffee, Tea and continental breakfast will be provided.

What past participants say:

• "Very engaging and pertinent. Connecting communication skills to diversity work is important."
• "Presenters did what they set out to do - provide a foundation - and did so with openness and authenticity."
• "Very provocative session with exercises / activities that did a great job of creating meaningful discussion."

Dates, Location & Accessibility

Training dates: Friday, October 3, 2014 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

Location: Resolutions Northwest (

Accessibility: We want each participant to be fully included. Please contact us with any questions or requests for how we could support you in participating fully, such as providing large-print materials, sending written materials in advance, discussing/modifying the room set-up, etc.

Fees: The fee for this workshop is $160. We ask you to pay what you are able.

Space is limited. Register now! Please note your space will not be confirmed untilwe receive your payment.

A 100% refund is available up to 14 days before the training, minus a $25 administrative fee. For more details on our refund policy, click here.

Trainers: John Ashford & Teri Pierson