October 2022 Newsletter

In This Issue:

• From the Director
• October Classes
• What Participants are Saying
• Featuring  our Trainers – Omkari Williams, Dr. Patricia Romney
• Andrea’s Gazette Column: Lessons Learned from the ‘Power Shuffle’
• Truth School Covid Safety Protocols

From the Director

Warning! This short article may be tedious, sound repetitive, and cause you to roll your eyes.

It is October again. And just as I have done for too many Octobers in the past, I am noting that my birthday is October 2nd and all I want from anyone, anywhere is a financial contribution to our beloved Truth School.

Okay, okay…I know some of you are totally sick of this shtick. But I will – with apologies – forge ahead.

Last year, my birthday really was something to celebrate (or mourn). I turned 70, and after I asked for contributions to the School that included 70, we received many gifts of $70 and it made our hearts sing.

Now, of course, I am turning 71 and it’s a big yawn and who cares.

But here I am with my shameless request again.

Should you want to make a contribution to the Truth School, we welcome your gift. $7.10 is most welcome, as is $71, as is $710, and frankly anything, anywhere in between, with 71 embedded in it or not!

How to give! There’s a Donate button below that is quick and easy. If you love paper, envelopes, and stamps, checks can be made payable to: Truth School and sent to our office: Truth School, 649 State Street, Springfield, MA 01109.

Whether you contribute to the Truth School or not at this time, let me lift a virtual glass to you and say THANK YOU…for reading this, for being part of the extended TS family, for teaching a class, hosting a class, attending a class, donating in the past, volunteering, WHATEVER! Thank you for being part of a movement-building School that IS making a difference – one remarkable workshop at a time.

With loving appreciation,

Embracing Joy in Challenging Times
with Dr. Patricia Romney
Saturday, October 1, 2022 | 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Treehouse Community Center, 1 Treehouse Circle, Easthampton, MA

Let’s Talk About Racism, Shall We?
with Jade Barker and Cate Woolner 
Sunday, October 2, 2022 | 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Zoom

Being an Ally, Not a Savior 
with Jana McClure
Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Treehouse Community Center, 1 Treehouse Circle, Easthampton, MA

Ladder 2 Leadership 
with Nikai Fondon
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM You are invited to a shared community dinner
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Class
The Community Resilience Hub, St John’s Church, 48 Elm Street,
Northampton, MA

Keep the Light Bright! A Writing Workshop for a Community
with Something to Say
with Sauda Garrett
Thursday, October 13, 2022 | 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM | Zoom

Supporting Elementary-Aged Youth in Learning About and Taking Climate Action: Teacher and Parent Perspectives
with Benita Jackson and Kelly Junno
Saturday, October 15, 2022 | 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM | Zoom

Cultural Humility and Cross-Cultural Communication:
The Building Blocks of Racial Equity
with Amihan Matias
Part 1    Thursday, October 20, 2022 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM | Zoom
Part 2    Thursday, October 27, 2022 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM | Zoom

The Path to Enacting the ERA
with Kaz Andrews and Malie Geery
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
First Churches of Northampton, Chapel, 129 Main Street, Northampton, MA

Slowing Down the Conversation:
One Step Toward Cross-Racial Coalition Building
with Imani Chapman and Franny Silverman
Sunday, October 23, 2022 | 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Zoom

Calling in the Call Out Culture
with Loretta J. Ross
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 | 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM | Zoom

How To Be a Stronger and More Effective Ally to the Muslim Community
with Tahirah Amatul-Wadud
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM | Zoom

Take a Walk in Sojourner Truth’s Shoes 
with Diane Liebert, Wendy Sinton, and Carlie Tartakov
Saturday, October 29, 2022 | 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Rain date: Sunday, October 30, 2022                          
Sojourner Truth Statue, Corner of Park and Pine Streets
Florence, MA

 
Our first class of the fall semester was the highly popular Activism for Introverts and Highly Sensitive People, facilitated by Omkari Williams, one of our new Truth School trainers. In this interview, she explains the different ways introverts and extroverts engage in the work of activism and why both types of activism are needed.

How did you come to offer your class, Activism for Introverts and Highly Sensitive People?
This workshop evolved out of a class that I did for an organization that deals with family services and has a strong social justice focus. With between 45% – 55% of the population identifying as introvert it felt important to present ways that those who do not necessarily feel comfortable center stage can make their critical contribution to the issues that we are dealing with both locally and globally.

What are activist archetypes and how did you come up with them?
The Headliner: The person whose face fronts a movement. So, the people you think of when you hear the word “activist.”
The Producer: The person behind the scenes helping to plot out the larger strategy.
The Organizer: Think of the person who makes sure the dessert table is perfectly stocked and perfectly run for the food drive at your kid’s school.
The Indispensable: All those people who make sure there’s coffee for the volunteers, who copy the maps for knocking on doors ahead of an election, who research where the bathrooms are on the march route, who keep the office from descending into a chaotic mess, who do the myriad unglamourous tasks that need doing with no fanfare.

The archetypes came to me as I was trying to explain how many different ways there are of being an activist. With my background as an actor I thought of how many different roles there are to be filled on a film, both in front of and behind the camera, and the archetypes evolved from there.

How is activism different for introverts?
I don’t think that activism itself is different for introverts. There are things that need doing no matter what and introvert or extrovert our focus is, or should be, on getting those things done. What I think is different is how we engage with the work. Our capacity, as introverts, to be around large groups is usually way less than that of extroverts. Since introverts tend to find being around lots of people draining, we have to pay attention to what we realistically can and cannot do and not compare ourselves to those extroverts who build energy off of being around others. It’s a lot about not comparing/judging what we do and simply staying in our lane and making the contribution that we are committed to making.

What do you recommend for activists who are introverts?
First and foremost, don’t compare yourself to others. We need the contributions of all people of conscience and good faith, and assessing our contribution as “too small to matter” does a disservice to ourselves and misses the larger point that each contribution is a drop that we need to fill the bucket. We are not doing this work alone and what we are doing matters.

Are there things you teach in your workshop that are also helpful for extroverts?
Actually, I believe that a lot of what I teach in that workshop is applicable to extroverts but let me give you just a couple of things.
1) I think that no matter if you’re an introvert or extrovert my Noah’s Ark rule is helpful. Spreading ourselves too thin is not just a risk for introverts, though we’ll likely experience the downsides sooner. Picking one or two areas of focus allows everyone to dive deeper, become more knowledgeable, and then use that knowledge to increase their impact.
2) I also think that my archetypes are helpful for extroverts because all extroverts aren’t the same any more than introverts are. Homing in on how you’re most comfortable moving through the world can inform the kind of activism you choose to engage with and help make it sustainable for you. No matter your type, sustainable activism is the critically important piece. There’s a lot to be done, we need people to be able to engage over the long haul.

 
Dr. Patricia Romney, a Truth School trainer, founding board member of Amherst Neighbors, an active community supporter of A Better Chance Program, and the co-president of the Roger Wallace Excellence in Teaching Foundation has earned a Massachusetts Commission on the Statues of Women 2022 Commonwealth Heroine Recognition, as announced by state Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst. Commonwealth Heroines are women who have been chosen by their legislators for extraordinary acts of service. Congratulations from the Truth School, Dr. Romney!! This honor is so well deserved!

Truth School Covid-19 Safety Protocols