Facilitated by the DC Peace Team
Wed. April 28, 7:00 pm-8:30 pm EDT
Location: ONLINE (Zoom link will be in the confirmation message that comes up after you complete this form and sent about 24 hrs. before the session, contact: Heather Thompson- thompson_heather_m@yahoo.com)


As part of the April Anti-Racism sessions, the DC Peace team will host a healing restorative circle dealing with microaggressions. Microaggression is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.

As a Black, Indigenous, and/or person of color (BIPOC), the world may feel like an exhausting place to move through due to the preconceptions and ideas placed upon you either due to your racial and/or ethnic identity. Microaggressions from family, friends, coworkers, or even strangers can add up over time leading to a wide array of deep feelings and methods of coping. This circle aims to give BIPOC folks to share openly and talk through some of these experiences.

Likewise, for White folks, you may encounter microaggressions as well due to your sexual orientation, gender identity, or other identity characteristics.  Or there may have been times where you have unintentionally caused harm by perpetuating a worldview of White supremacy or normalcy. Regardless of experience, this circle also aims to provide White folks an opportunity to share openly and honestly.

This will be an open mixed space of both BIPOC and White identifying folks. The hope is at the end of this circle, participants will be comfortable to share their own experiences surrounding this topic.  

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Restorative Justice, or "RJ," is a philosophy and set of practices that engage the community in building relationships and repairing harm through inclusive dialogue, deep understanding, and shared power.

RJ processes are powerful catalysts for truth-telling, healing, and growth through the collective confrontation of pain and challenges. RJ operates through two central ideas: harm can be faced, and harm can be healed.  
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We request payment of $20-$45 to support our facilitators and help us better serve the community.  And, participation matters to us! You are enthusiastically welcomed to join even if you are unable or unwilling to give money at this time.

Other strategies for contributing to the sustainability of these offerings include:

* liking the DC Peace Team on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DcPeaceTeam/),
* following the DC Peace Team on Twitter (@DCPeaceTeam) or Instagram
* and sharing this registration form with your networks via other channels such as email.

If you identify and feel called to act in some creative additional ways to contribute towards our sustainability, please let us know!

For those who can, please submit payment today. You can pay online here: https://dcpeaceteam.com/donate/ or write a check out to DC Peace Team and mail to Eli McCarthy at 7305 Baylor Ave., College Park MD 20740.


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Facilitator(s):

Maite Rubio (she/her) serves as a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Program Analyst
in the Office of Response & Recovery. She is a second-year Masters of Public Administration candidate, with a concentration in Social Policy. She graduated from George Mason University, B.A in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Development. Maite is an advocate for social justice and healing.

Heather Thompson (she/her) has worked in the criminal justice field for over a decade and is a passionate advocate for criminal and social justice reform. She has participated in victim-offender dialogues in the past and has shared her experience with various audiences. She is a recent graduate of Montgomery College, earning associate degrees in Criminal Justice and General Studies with a Social Science Concentration.