JP Centre/South Main Streets hosts All Aces, Inc. as they present their flagship workshop – The Dignity Activity: An Experiential Workshop on Structural Racism – in partnership with West Fairmount Hill Community Group, Roslindale Substation, Roslindale Village Main Streets, Hyde Park Main Streets, and Roundhead Brewing Company. The workshop is an engaging simulation that recreates the conditions of oppression to facilitate a more complex and nuanced understanding of racism. Participants will navigate the activity to find some unexpected but insightful lessons that help to internalize, and not just intellectualize, concepts important to confronting racism and advancing racial equity within our lives and organizations. The workshop is part of Main Streets’ ongoing work for racial equity and justice, and made possible in part by a grant from the Boston Main Streets Foundation, the New England Aquarium, and Hyde Park Main Streets.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Roundhead Brewing Company in Westinghouse Plaza, Hyde Park, MA 02136. The half-day session will include breakfast and lunch, with a chance to sample beers from Roundhead Brewing. Small businesses and employees of small businesses are encouraged to attend, in order to bring the work of addressing structural racism to the Main Streets communities. Anyone interested can register at https://bit.ly/JuneteenthDignityForum.
Studies show that 8 in 10 Bostonians say racism is a significant problem, and when Massachusetts has the fourth highest levels of hate propaganda activity in the nation, it is incumbent on communities to do the work of addressing racism and enacting justice. This workshop seeks to bring together our three communities – Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and Roslindale Village – to create allies and partners for racial justice. These communities have experienced the effects of structural and interpersonal racism, and our Main Streets organizations are doing the work to bring racial equity and justice to our districts.
The Dignity Activity addresses the definition of structural racism; how it is manifested in organizational contexts (at any scale) and in how individuals play into structural racism; elements of racial oppression; key practices that interrupt or dismantle structural racism; and what is the role of an ally. It is facilitated by All Aces, Inc. All Aces is an alternative to traditional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)/Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) consultants and professional development. They operate with the philosophy that people and organizations learn best and facilitate action when we build on their strengths and help them reimagine their organizational culture together. They focus on how consciousness, critical thinking, and capabilities-building can facilitate and sustain transformative action that advances racial equity and resilience.
JP Centre/South Main Streets is a volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to guide the growth of Jamaica Plain’s Centre and South Streets’ business district through the active collaboration of residents, business owners, and others committed to a community-led initiative. In partnership with Boston Main Streets, we provide a direct conduit to the City of Boston and can provide technical assistance to help businesses succeed.