Issue 178
It’s Not Just the Curtain: Crossing the Class Divide at the Bloomington Catholic Worker
Posted on March 28, 2018 by1 Comment
Distinctions and boundaries between community members and their homeless guests can be problematic sometimes, but they are also what allow the sharing and caring to continue.
Combating Racism, One Community at a Time
Posted on March 26, 2018 by1 Comment
Catholic Worker communities throughout the Midwest examine themselves, make changes, and reach out in an effort to overcome the insidious influences of white supremacy.
Class, Race, and Privilege in Intentional Community
Posted on March 24, 2018 byA co-owner of Heart-Culture Farm Community explores ways to use her privilege to help create a society where people are truly equal.
I’m Not a Racist, But Racism Is In Me—and in My Community
Posted on March 22, 2018 byPredominantly white communities are going to stay that way until they acknowledge and address racism. Here is some guidance for doing that.
Reflections on Class from a Newbie at Rocky Hill Cohousing
Posted on March 20, 2018 by2 Comments
A cohousing project’s budget can help address class and classism—but the community also needs to articulate and explore its culture’s underlying or hidden rules.
White Bias, Black Lives: When Unconscious Bias Affects Your Community
Posted on March 18, 2018 byMembers of Sunward Cohousing recognize and attempt to transform their community’s differential treatment of white-skinned and dark-skinned neighborhood children.
Growing Inclusivity in Cohousing: Stories and Strategies
Posted on March 16, 2018 byFamiliar with both privilege and marginalization, a queer Latina cohouser shares experiences and perspectives on confronting racial and ethnic homogeneity.
Barriers to Diversity in Community
Posted on March 14, 2018 by1 Comment
An organizer of Charlotte Cohousing in North Carolina offers several ways intentional communities unintentionally exclude her fellow people of color.
Moving Beyond White Fragility: Lessons from Standing Rock
Posted on March 12, 2018 byBonded by a shared mission, indigenous water protectors and their white allies find a safe space for giving and receiving honest feedback about white privilege and unconscious acts of racism.
On “Waiting” for People of Color
Posted on March 10, 2018 by4 Comments
On the land where his grandfather was born a slave, the founder of a nascent intentional community reflects on the challenges of attracting people of color, and the project’s next steps.
Moving Beyond Diversity Towards Collective Liberation: Weaving the Communities Movement into Intersectional Justice Struggles
Posted on March 8, 2018 byThe co-organizer of the People of Color Sustainable Housing Network shares strategies for deepening your community’s work on issues of race, class, and privilege.
Beauty and Brokenness: Digesting Grief into Gratitude for Justice
Posted on March 7, 2018 byA child of the Indian middle class immerses herself in the grassroots sustainability movement in Portland, Oregon and shares lessons learned on her journey.
Class, Race, and Privilege, #178: Free Issue Download and Contents
Posted on March 6, 2018 byThe Spring 2018 edition of Communities, focused on “Class, Race, and Privilege,” is now available for free download from ic.org/communities. The issue looks unflinchingly at a major “elephant in the room”—the relative lack of racial and class diversity in most ICs, at least in North America—while suggesting ways of recognizing, understanding, and addressing it. Authors share stories of obstacles they’ve encountered (from both sides of the privilege equation) and positive steps they and their groups have taken to move toward greater inclusivity and equity. They also reflect honestly on the deep-rootedness of unconscious racism, of social and cultural barriers, of problems of power, privilege, classism, “white fragility,” and more.
