Bravery to Meet the Moment
Hi friends,
I went to a local concert this weekend featuring a women's resistance choir that formed in 2016 in response to the first Trump administration. The choir has grown to more than 70 women, and this was their biggest concert yet. Hundreds of people filled the high school auditorium, and the group sang and played a range of songs from different resistance movements. One of the songs they sang was based on a Khalil Gibran poem, On Children. To my surprise, it was introduced by Mariam, a participant in the 2024 ERJ four-day somatics intensive we held last summer in Upstate NY. She spoke about the message of the song and recited the poem in Arabic.
On Tuesday, she joined our weekly practice group for folks who have participated in in-person Embodying Racial Justice courses. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to share about introducing the song and what she felt in that moment. She replied, “I never would have been able to speak my truth in front of hundreds of people if it weren’t for the ERJ course with you last summer.” She continued, “Beforehand, I practiced with a friend, feelign her and myself and reminding myself of my bigger purpose. After that, I knew I could be embodied as I spoke which is a new move for me.”
Mariams’ story demonstrates the power of building our practice and community. When I watched her and listened to her re-tell the story, I had such a felt sense of her bravery.
Creating spaces to practice bravery and bring it out into the world is what ERJ courses are all about. We’re releasing our calendar of upcoming trainings over the next six months. From DC to Upstate NY, from Gainesville, Florida to Oakland, California, we will cross the country to create spaces for song, spirit and for all of us to practice together.
We hope you’ll join us to practice together and keep organizing for a world beyond whiteness.
P.S.- Want to learn more about any of the courses and find the right fit for you? Set up a time to talk with Dara. She is happy to answer any questions you may have about whats coming up this summer and fall.
