21-Day Equity Journey

HOSTED BY NNM AWARE and Parent SEED
"But the world of the adult must change. We must unite; we must reach out to the child,
have faith in them, construct the proper climate for them and change our very selves."

~Dr. Maria Montessori

The 21 Day Equity Journey is a learning opportunity for adults in our community to develop a deeper understanding of how inequities affect our lives and communities. SEED/AWARE are hosting a 21-Day Equity Journey starting on Friday, January 17, 2025 running through Thursday, February 7, 2025.  Weekly topics take participants through a self-paced and reflective journey to deepen our collective understanding of racism and other systems of oppression. The journey suggests ways to take action and hopefully help launch a lifelong commitment to improving equity and inclusion in our communities. It also will introduce participants to the reflective individual work we do in the community through our parent education groups SEED and AWARE. 

[Based on the 21-Day Racial Equity Learning Challenge, developed by Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., Dr. Marguerite Penick-Parks, and Debby Irving.]

“If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”― Lilla Watson

We, the NNM AWARE and Parent SEED facilitators, present a 21-day Racial Equity Learning Journey. Whether you have been in conversation for a while or just beginning anew, the journey toward racial equity requires daily commitment and practice. Each day, we will explore a single resource (a short article, video, or audio piece) and then write down a reflection, question, or response.
 
Each Friday of the Equity Journey Denise Boswell, in partnership with the  NNM AWARE and Parent SEED facilitators, will host a drop-in coffee meeting to connect and share our learning. There will be one virtual check-in as well on Tuesday, January 28, 7-8:30pm.
 
Who is this for? This equity journey is for all of us, as a community, to do together while acknowledging that we are each on our journey. The goal is to create a shared language and knowledge around the multiple identities and experiences that make our community strong.

21-Day Racial Equity Learning & Reflection Chart

Writing down our thoughts and journaling about the selected media pieces is an important part of the process. Give yourself time to reflect on your reactions, thoughts, and feelings to the pieces individually and collectively. Pay special attention to difficult emotions such as shame, anger, and discomfort as these feelings often lead to deeper self-awareness about how power and privilege impact you and the people around you. Use either the reflection chart above or the daily response form to write down your thoughts and help your process. Written reflections will be useful to have when we get together at the end of the journey.

For those further along in their journey

From Ally to Co-Conspirator

Family and Child Learning Resource

If you need help going over the resource with your child reach out to seed@nnms.org or aware@nnms.org and we will be happy to help!

Some ideas on how you can show up as a family: 
—Black Lives Matter Carrd 
—The Honeycomb Project
—Chicago Community Bond Fund

Books to read with your children and for your family library: 
—Anti-Racism 102: Why Not All Racial Discrimination is ‘Racism’ – Books For Littles by Raising Luminaries 
​​​​​​​—Kids Books Modeling Solidarity & How To Be An Accomplice - Bookshop.org