Racism, Trauma, Agency, Jesus, and Reconciliation: A Conversation

We are living in a time of resurgent racial unrest. With the rise of social media, we are reliving traumatic events on a consistent basis in both written and oral word as well as through video footage.

This panel conversation will unpack the costs of racism (or daily discrimination) and its effect on the lives of individuals, families, neighborhoods, peoples, and communities. The panelists will also explore the hope that can be found in Jesus in the midst of adversity. In particular, they will address these questions: 

• Scenes of violence, abuse, and humiliation have become almost commonplace. What is the impact of this exposure on our emotional, spiritual, moral, and physical makeup?
• Is racism and trauma becoming normative within the individual and communal experience, and if so, has this fatigued our fight in the cause of justice? 
• How can the practices and teachings of Jesus empower us to confront the ills of racism? How can we heal from the damaging effects of racism? How do we embody the beloved community in the midst of adversity?
• Learning to live with dignity in the face of adversity permeates many lived experiences. How can we apply these practices of liberation and agency to our everyday lives?

Guest Speaker Naisa Wong is a soul-care practitioner certified and specializing in spiritual direction, trauma care, and arenas of communal restoration and justice. This work has allowed her to serve and partner with such institutions as Travis Air Force Base, the Leadership Summit of Faith and Justice Leaders in Washington D.C., and Head Start, a national organization supporting early childhood development in marginalized communities as well as in Bay Area groups. In addition to this work, Naisa has been blessed by a 16-year career as a professional director, producer, and composer of creative work in theatre, film, and television.

Panelists are Naisa Wong, Dr. Jason Li, Dr. Edna Geddes, Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, Dr. Robin Bell, Benjamin Samuel Roberts, Jaralyn Roberts, and Khanh Nguyen.

Our facilitator is Dr. Claudia May.