Community Advocates for Racial Equity, or C.A.R.E QC, is the YWCA Quad Cities' new initiative to promote equity within the region. The group will virtually meet on Wednesdays in October and November for two hours, except for the final meeting in person at the YWCA, 513 17th Street Rock Island, on November 13th.
YWCA Quad Cities Grant Writer Lexy Larson Bonds says the idea came from attending a similar workshop at a YWCA in St. Louis.
"...I enrolled in an anti-racist white workshop series which is called Witnessing Whiteness, and that group consisted of reading Shelley Tochluck's book Witnessing Whiteness and also completing related activities....helped us do some introspection and helped us confront internalized racism that we didn't even realize was there," Bonds said in a phone interview with WVIK.
Bonds contacted Sarah Stevens, who runs the marketing business By Sarah Stevens in the Quad Cities, to lead the group's discussions.
"Sarah will be talking about her experience and I've got the curriculum too that she wrote specifically for us," Bonds said. "But yeah, it will be like a bit of a support group too, because like I've said, this work isn't easy and it really isn't fun, but it's worth it in the end. We're all working toward a common goal."
A $30,000 grant from Healing Illinois is funding the month-long group, including food and drinks for the in-person meeting. The funds also pay for the book Stevens picked out for the group, My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts by Resmaa Menakem.
"It's a book that helps us deal with that discomfort, and that's why I chose it," Stevens said. "I think this is what we're lacking in the Diversity Equity and Inculsion conversation are the tactics and tools to actually sit with and work through our discomfort as we have these difficult conversations."
Stevens says her activities will help regulate the participants' nervous systems. She explains that when discussing difficult topics, people can become defensive and lose clarity.
"Change starts in our immediate circles, but if we're not able to have those conversations with any sort of clarity and mutual respect, then we never really move the needle," Stevens said.
According to Bonds, one of the most common questions she receives about the group is why only white people are participating.
"So rather than trying to prevent racism and just acting like it doesn't exist and leaving people of color on their own to rectify the damage, we want to take steps to eliminating it as our mission states at the YWCA of the Quad Cities," Bonds said. "And so we're kind of taking it upon ourselves. To teach white people the devastating history of racism and lasting effects, the advantages of white privilege, teaching them about concepts such as intersectionality and other ideas surrounding racism just so that we can try to minimize further damage and allow racial healing to take place. And it's just so important that people understand that. And people know race is no more than a social construct created by white men to strengthen the ideology of white supremacy."
The YWCA says interested residents can attend the virtual meetings at the YWCA if they don't have access to Wi-Fi or a good connection, or they can rent a laptop and hotspot for their home. According to Bonds, six YWCA employees, four board members, and five community members are participating.
The YWCA C.A.R.E QC group is having an introductory virtual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9th, at 5:30 p.m. Residents interested in joining can call Lexy at 309-738-9317, email at aelarson@qcywca.org or visit their website.
This story was produced by WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. We rely on financial support from our listeners and readers to provide coverage of the issues that matter to the Quad Cities region and beyond. As someone who values the content created by WVIK's news department, please consider making a financial contribution to support our work.
