Reconciling 4(00) Years: A National Call
Join us for Reconciling 4(00) Years: Harnessing Hope, Leading Reconciliation
Friday, November 20th, 2020 from 1:00-2:30 pm EST on Zoom
To register: click here
On November 7, 2020, Black Women's Blueprint (BWB) joined the nation and world in releasing a message of congratulations for President-Elect Joseph R. Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. We shared our hope that this election of Biden and Harris will mark a move toward growth, reconciliation, restoration, and healing.
With a Biden presidency on the horizon, much of the public conversation is currently geared towards the question of what to do about the recently ousted former president.
It is true that Trump’s four years in office have caused irreparable harm to our communities. But it is equally true that Trump is a symptom of a centuries-old tradition of racial terror we battle everyday, not its cause. At this juncture it is crucial that we move with a sense of clarity and a firm understanding of this nation’s past as we envision what is needed to heal going forward.
Many have already announced their intent to return to “normal,” and in social justice circles, this has meant a noticeable shift in the rhetoric around reconciliation. Black Women’s Blueprint’s rich history laying the foundation for a comprehensive and holistic political program of truth and reconciliation is invaluable in this moment.
We believe our definition of reconciliation must be rooted in an analysis of violence. Beyond Trump, how has racism manifested in these last 400 years? Where is the origin point of anti-blackness? What can we expect of a Biden presidency given his own record of participating in these very systems of oppression? We must also dig into the history of Black feminist revolt in this country.
For this reason, we are inviting you to join us in a conversation where we will:
Offer a brief analysis of how racism and violence have manifested in the last 400 years
Share our expanded and holistic definition of reconciliation
Share our experience of what's possible when Black women have already laid a foundation for a truth and reconciliation commission in the United States
Engage in a robust collective conversation about what is possible beyond the chaos if we were to harness hope and reconciliation together
This initial conversation will serve as an opportunity for us to collectively re-imagine what accountability, truth and reconciliation can look like: not just for the past four years, but the past four –hundred years. We are looking forward to convening with you in this radical space, as we harness the hope we need to forge ahead.
Join us for Reconciling 4(00) Years: Harnessing Hope, Leading Reconciliation
Friday, November 20th, 2020 from 1:00-2:30 pm EST on Zoom