origin story
All stories have a beginning. Ours begins in 2020, and though we didn't know where it would lead, we kept a record of the story as it unfolded - not just what we were learning but also the mistakes we made. This is an imperfect story. We share it with love.
origin story
All stories have a beginning. Ours begins in 2020, and though we didn't know where it would lead, we kept a record of the story as it unfolded - not just what we were learning but also the mistakes we made. This is an imperfect story. We share it with love.
origin story
All stories have a beginning. Ours begins in 2020, and though we didn't know where it would lead, we kept a record of the story as it unfolded - not just what we were learning but also the mistakes we made. This is an imperfect story. We share it with love.
background
In May 2020, Rebecca Greenidge, co-founder of our parent organization, JORE Consulting, became sick with Covid and had to shut down all her work with white people. A short while later, George Floyd was murdered, and white people everywhere were asking, “What should we do?”
Rebecca realized that not only was her business model unsustainable and couldn’t be scaled to reach more people, but it also was out of alignment with her values because it placed her in the position of expert.
She caught a vision for creating a membership model which would seek to remedy what she had said for years; that “white people are over-resourced and under-developed.”
Two essential questions emerged
The seasons
Since then, we've been on a journey together - learning to travel and stay put with each other through the ups and downs - loosening the dominating patterns that keep racism intact and strengthening our relationships.
We recognize that this is a wall of text that many of you won't read, but we wanted to share it anyway because these growing seasons are the early roots of everything we do here.
1
Contributors:
Jomo Greenidge
Rebecca Greenidge
approach:
Jomo and Rebecca discussed key aspects of membership as a model and ultimately decided to approach thought partners with the idea and get input.
key learning:
Every thought partner they talked with said, "Go build it," and two groups were formed:
White people were tasked to design and bring to bear the model
Black, Indigenous, and brown people would handle the distribution of economic repair funds the membership generated
Both groups collectively decided that white people needed to gather and build the model, and the Black, Indigenous, and brown advisory group would convene after the launch.
What we got wrong:
We initially suspected that people targeted by racism would want to advise us more. Yet, overwhelmingly, they were thrilled to hear that white people were taking responsibility for our community's challenges.
time:
May-Oct 2020
2
Contributors:
Barb Fisher
Jeff Hawthorne
Jess Thompson
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Paul Frantz
Rebecca Greenidge
Richard Greensted
Scott Ostlund
approach:
The group met regularly to discuss various topics: conciliation as a mission, needs, audience, types of membership models, and organizational structure. We began to get clarity about our beliefs about what white-bodied people need from a space like this.
key learning:
We realized that there was a lot we didn't know or always agree on. We committed to saying where we disagreed but also offer ideas in mutuality. We also decided we didn't want to build a business together, pushing Rebecca to build and offering our support.
what we got wrong:
Rebecca led all of the discussions this season, and we noticed how when one person leads - it sets us up to see that person as the expert, and we get hooked into tearing ideas apart instead of making them better by our contribution.
time:
Oct 6-Dec 1, 2020
3
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Danielle Phillips
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Stephanie Hunter
* Jomo Greenidge transitioned to ancestor on December 3, 2020. We go forward in honor of him.
approach:
Expand and study together, deepening our practice and sharing leadership. Topics included: racial justice values, accountability, white culture not attached to dominance, hyper-local models, mutual aid, leadership, recovery steps for white people, joy in liberation, and racism and spirituality.
key learning:
We learn more when more voices are present and share their wisdom and experience.
what we got wrong:
We noticed that we weren't fully operating in mutuality (which we wanted) and began iterating our ideas about co-creation with more time for connection to strengthen our relationships.
time:
Aug 23, 2021-Apr 11, 2022
4
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Sarah Covington
approach:
Deepen our practice of mutuality and contribution. No longer was this space focused on building Better Neighbor Lab, but a place for members to be more fully themselves and bring topics they were working through at home, work, in community, etc., as it pertained to ending racism. Topics included: play, somatics, roots and uprootedness, healing, and male culture.
key learning:
We noticed how little joy, play, music, art, movement, and other, very human forms of being, were a part of our space and white racial liberation spaces in general.
what we got wrong:
We still get hooked into creating what feels like a workshop space with each other. We noticed how much we desire humanized ways of being together and that we aren't that skilled in doing this...yet.
time:
May 9-Oct 24, 2022
5
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Sarah Covington
approach:
Prioritize relationship and story-telling through mutual leadership. Topics included: imagining a world without racism, the necessity of iteration, conflict, communication, and more (still unknown).
key learning:
We wrote stories describing a future without racism and what it took to get there, helping us notice what was missing. We also realized that our love for one another kept us from engaging in necessary and generative conflict, so we began practicing disagreement while also tracking the urge to flee each other.
what we got wrong:
So far, we are learning how conflict can help us deepen and strengthen our racial liberation practice. We also know that there are missing voices and desire to expand our space: young, poor, assigned male at birth, and Jewish.
time:
Jan 9, 2023-present
1
Contributors:
Jomo Greenidge
Rebecca Greenidge
approach:
Jomo and Rebecca discussed key aspects of membership as a model and ultimately decided to approach thought partners with the idea and get input.
key learning:
Every thought partner they talked with said, "Go build it," and two groups were formed:
White people were tasked to design and bring to bear the model
Black, Indigenous, and brown people would handle the distribution of economic repair funds the membership generated
Both groups collectively decided that white people needed to gather and build the model, and the Black, Indigenous, and brown advisory group would convene after the launch.
What we got wrong:
We initially suspected that people targeted by racism would want to advise us more. Yet, overwhelmingly, they were thrilled to hear that white people were taking responsibility for our community's challenges.
time:
May-Oct 2020
2
Contributors:
Barb Fisher
Jeff Hawthorne
Jess Thompson
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Paul Frantz
Rebecca Greenidge
Richard Greensted
Scott Ostlund
approach:
The group met regularly to discuss various topics: conciliation as a mission, needs, audience, types of membership models, and organizational structure. We began to get clarity about our beliefs about what white-bodied people need from a space like this.
key learning:
We realized that there was a lot we didn't know or always agree on. We committed to saying where we disagreed but also offer ideas in mutuality. We also decided we didn't want to build a business together, pushing Rebecca to build and offering our support.
what we got wrong:
Rebecca led all of the discussions this season, and we noticed how when one person leads - it sets us up to see that person as the expert, and we get hooked into tearing ideas apart instead of making them better by our contribution.
time:
Oct 6-Dec 1, 2020
3
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Danielle Phillips
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Stephanie Hunter
* Jomo Greenidge transitioned to ancestor on December 3, 2020. We go forward in honor of him.
approach:
Expand and study together, deepening our practice and sharing leadership. Topics included: racial justice values, accountability, white culture not attached to dominance, hyper-local models, mutual aid, leadership, recovery steps for white people, joy in liberation, and racism and spirituality.
key learning:
We learn more when more voices are present and share their wisdom and experience.
what we got wrong:
We noticed that we weren't fully operating in mutuality (which we wanted) and began iterating our ideas about co-creation with more time for connection to strengthen our relationships.
time:
Aug 23, 2021-Apr 11, 2022
4
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Sarah Covington
approach:
Deepen our practice of mutuality and contribution. No longer was this space focused on building Better Neighbor Lab, but a place for members to be more fully themselves and bring topics they were working through at home, work, in community, etc., as it pertained to ending racism. Topics included: play, somatics, roots and uprootedness, healing, and male culture.
key learning:
We noticed how little joy, play, music, art, movement, and other, very human forms of being, were a part of our space and white racial liberation spaces in general.
what we got wrong:
We still get hooked into creating what feels like a workshop space with each other. We noticed how much we desire humanized ways of being together and that we aren't that skilled in doing this...yet.
time:
May 9-Oct 24, 2022
5
Contributors:
Amber Jeansonne
Barb Fisher
Kristen Rebelo
Jody Gaspervich Rutherford
Jomo Greenidge *
Leo (Liorah) Riutzel
Molly Oberweiser Kennedy
Rebecca Greenidge
Sarah Covington
approach:
Prioritize relationship and story-telling through mutual leadership. Topics included: imagining a world without racism, the necessity of iteration, conflict, communication, and more (still unknown).
key learning:
We wrote stories describing a future without racism and what it took to get there, helping us notice what was missing. We also realized that our love for one another kept us from engaging in necessary and generative conflict, so we began practicing disagreement while also tracking the urge to flee each other.
what we got wrong:
So far, we are learning how conflict can help us deepen and strengthen our racial liberation practice. We also know that there are missing voices and desire to expand our space: young, poor, assigned male at birth, and Jewish.
time:
Jan 9, 2023-present
We acknowledge the Cascades, Cowlitz, Grand Ronde, and Siletz people as the stewards of our area. Thank you for your leadership.
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