Working Internally on Anti-Racism

by Sue Hilton, Humboldt, CA Branch; Mary Foster, Jane Addams Branch; Samantha Turner, Southern Piedmont Branch, NC; Robin Lloyd, Burlington Branch; Gloria McMillan, Tucson Branch

October 2022

We're a small group of WILPF members of European-descent from around the country, talking and thinking about how to help make WILPF US a more anti-racist organization. We're interested in taking up Darien's suggestion in her "WILPF Opportunities'' piece sent to the branches listserv in August: “...we're looking for those who want to work within WILPF US as part of a committee to focus on the ‘inner work’ of developing our own organizational interventions and supports against racism and for diversity and inclusion inside WILPF US”. We invite you to join us.

We were upset about the recent board memo, sent as an e-Alert, which did not recognize the Black Liberation Caucus as an official part of WILPF. We feel that having a space where people who have been historically oppressed can speak with each other separately from people with relative privilege is an important part of becoming an anti-racist/anti-oppression organization, and we'd like to work on figuring out how such spaces can exist within WILPF.

Sometimes this is called a safe space for racial transformation. Some advantages of such a space, as outlined by JustLead Washington's publication "Caucuses as a Racial Justice Strategy", include: 
 

• Offering a retreat from continuous scrutiny and an antidote to white-dominated spaces
• Creating a brave space to talk about and address experiences of racism
• Creating an alternative power base or “counter-space” for BIPOC, within white spaces 
• Building relationships and support through holding courageous and difficult conversations 

This work is not easy, but it is essential to real peace. Some of us are part of ongoing work linked with the UN Decade for People of African Descent, and reparations. Many of us celebrated the UN's International Day of Peace in our local communities on September 21. As WILPF President Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo said about the International Day of Peace this year: ”This year's theme— End Racism, Build Peace— echoes the urgent need to address the intersectionality of conflict and racism and to acknowledge the efforts made around the world toward ending conflict and promoting inclusive peace, without discrimination. It also gives us an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.”  

At this time, our ad-hoc group is not a formal committee; it is more of an informal working group. We invite any other WILPF members who are serious about learning and doing anti-racist work to be part of this process. We're currently meeting on the third Thursday of each month at 8 pm EST, but that may be adjusted.  

Join us on Zoom on Thursday, October 22 at 8pm EST/5pm PST. Please contact Samantha Turner at samanthacltppc@gmail.com for the link to participate.