Workshop: Undoing Oppression Through the Body

Undoing Oppression Through the Body
with Victor Lee Lewis and Vanissar Tarakali
Host: Seminary of the Street


Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Location: First Congregational Church of Oakland
Street: 2501 Harrison St.
City/Town: Oakland, CA

This embodied workshop for both people of color and white people will explore the impact of trauma (personal, intimate, social) on our experiences of oppression, our participation in oppressive systems, and our efforts to free ourselves from both. Assuming that oppression traumatizes both targets and agents, we’ll work with trauma and shame as they live in the bodymind, introducing concrete practices for engaging consciously with adaptations that keep oppression and privilege in place and discovering empowering alternatives.

Participants will spend time in both joint sessions and POC/white caucuses. People of color will explore ways to recover resilience in addressing racism and internalized racism. White allies will become conscious of automatic behaviors that interfere with efforts to undo racism and learn effective ways of working with them. People in both groups will become more resourceful in managing feelings of anger, fear, overwhelm, discouragement, “burnout” and stress in themselves and others.

This is a rare opportunity to learn from two pioneers in the field of social justice education. Victor Lee Lewis, MA, is a social justice educator/healer with more than 25 years of experience. Best known for his role in the groundbreaking film The Color of Fear, he is pioneering new ways to bring fast, deep and lasting emotional healing into social justice education. Vanissar Tarakali combines intimate and social trauma expertise, anti-oppression education, a Ph.D. in East-West psychology, and a deep understanding of the body's intuitive, energetic, survival and healing mechanisms to design embodied educational programs.


Sliding scale: $80-180
First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. in Oakland
Email ntorbett@seminaryofthestreet.org to sign up