ONLINE: Holding Ourselves, So That We Can Hold Others: Exploring Contemplative Practices by and for Community Advocates of Color

press release: In partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District Black Excellence Think Tank and Urban Triage, we are proud to present Thriving Through Adversity, a collection of workshops focused around a bold approach to supporting and advocating for black families in the Madison Metropolitan School District.

In April 2019, the Black Excellence Think Tank was challenged with the task of creating a new, safer, and engaging space for Black families. One of the initial community partners to step up to the challenge was Urban Triage. At Urban Triage, we began to do expansive research around what resources and workshops would best engage and support Black families.

Amid the planning and piloting, the world as we knew it changed forever. COVID-19 hit and the population affected the most was our Black families. To support families through the pandemic, Urban Triage shifted its focus to create supports specific to the needs of Black families created by COVID-19. We began to ask what the world would look like for our families after the pandemic. Would the job market be the same? Would our children need additional supports? What would the “new normal” look like? How could we support our families to Thrive Through Adversity?

In response to these questions, Urban Triage will be hosting a number of workshops in the upcoming weeks to help provide the answers.

June 9: As community advocates of color, we have to keep our light on in order to keep doing the same for others. We must be able to use our love to redirect our attention, in the present moment, non judgmentally, and to find our joy. I ask us all - what can WE do, NOW, to fight for our lives and to hold ourselves in this moment.