Welcome to the Healing Racism Toolkit Project

Welcome to the Healing Racism Toolkit Project

Repairing the World — Tikkun Olam

“Tikkun olam,” often translated as “repairing the world”, is the idea that the spiritual essence created the world by forming vessels to hold Divine Light. But as this Light entered the vessels, they catastrophically shattered, tumbling down to the material plane. Thus, our world, including ourselves, consists of countless shards of the original vessels which contain Divine Light. Humanity’s great task involves freeing, reuniting and raising these separated sparks back into Divinity and restoring the broken world. Nothing keeps these sparks and each other more separated than racism.  Regardless of the particular creation story, healing racism is a critical part of the process to heal a broken and fractured world.

• Someone asks: “But when we find a shard,  in ourselves or as we connect with others, it often has incredibly sharp edges. Sometimes they are so sharp that we can’t grasp them so how can they be united?”
• Answer: “In time, like rocks tumbling in a river,  the edges get smoothed both by the water and by rubbing against each other. Just as the most gentle stream eventually erodes the hardest or sharpest rock so Love will eventually soften the hardest heart.”
• Someone then asks: “But now when those shards with rounded edges are connected they won’t fit together neatly.  There will be many large cracks and holes.  How do we patch all those openings and  holes?”
• Answer: “We don’t.  The holes allow the light to both be contained in the vessel yet also move through it without the vessels shattering again.”
• Someone finally asks: “So if all the light leaks out what good would the vessel be?”
• Answer: “It becomes the lamp to the world.”   ~rch

TO Some, especially if you are new to this work, engaging in this website might feel like a “gut punch” when you learn about the injustice of things people take for granted as “just the way things are.” However, the good news is that becoming aware of injustice means we can change. Even tiny changes, like those that occur when people read the website, can make a small but positive difference. How marvelous is that? How often in life do we really have a chance to make something better?

The Work

The work to address racism can seem daunting yet the wisdom teachings of many different cultures have similar ways of addressing wrongs. One such example is Alcoholic Anonymous’ 12-step process. Specifically, when we do something wrong, we need to understand and acknowledge the harm, apologize and listen to grievances, make amends and move forward.

First Steps

A first step is always to show up, show up then listen.

• Listen without preconceptions or judgement.
• Listen without mentally replaying white cultural values or myths.
• Listen without expectation.

One way of doing this is to use this Toolkit starting with the Beginnings section, then Understanding, Acting, Becoming. Then read further down this page, to “Dear White People” letters and Important Resources.  After listening to the perspectives and experiences that are shared within this Toolkit, it becomes time to fearlessly acknowledge the wrongs, both inwardly as well as outwardly without justification, being careful about timing and audience so not to re-stimulate past trauma.

Becoming Allies

Becoming a true ally does not happen because of our intention or self-identification. It requires consistently showing up and being useful over a long period of time in a way that creates non-superficial relationships. We can’t be in right relationship if we don’t have a real relationship to begin with. Being an ally requires accepting the validity of people of color shutting the door and saying no. No matter how much this might feel like rejection and how much it hurts, centering ourselves and our white feelings and ingrained behavior are not helpful. Being an ally requires being willing to be accountable without reservation. A true ally follows, does not take over. We are there to take blame if things go wrong, to make the coffee, and do the clean-up afterwards. Only then can a real apology be meaningful coupled with the ability to hear an honest response and the possibility of making amends.

Get Involved — building beloved community

There are people who have demonstrated a deep commitment to racial justice who come together to make things better, to move things toward a peaceable world. Below are links to such places and particular organizations that would appreciate your donations.

Adam, Eve, and Lilith

(Majolica plate by Eve Carey) “Adam, Eve, and Lilith,” is a derivative of “Adam and Eve,” a Majolica plate by Eve Carey. 

Let’s bring Lilith back into the garden.