Join us for dinner (bring something to share as you are able) and a workshop with Amanda Lee Genaro about finding our class stories and using them as a tool for economic justice.

This will be an intense exploration of our experience of class.

In our highly classed society, we don’t usually get to talk about class. Money (particularly income) is often a topic that is off-limits. Definitions are confusing at best. Economic Justice can seem overwhelming and potentially even scary. We will discuss class with an economic justice lens that centers the most marginalized. We will introduce the concept of different class cultures and how they impact our day to day, including our organizing work. We will discuss ways in which Capitalism affects us all and ways we might be able to interrupt the dominant capitalist narrative.

Be prepared to stretch your edges and be uncomfortable. We will share a lot of possibly sensitive pieces of our lives. We all have a class story and I will venture to bet that there is pain and/or shame in each of our stories, whether we grew up poor/working class or owning class. These stories are also powerful and can aid us in dismantling Capitalism in our hearts, minds, orgs, lives, and the world!

Agenda:

We will set up some group agreements to create a safer space and move as a group.

We will explore our experiences with class through an exercise that involves moving forward or backwards based on how you identify with various statements. We may modify it based upon access needs and room constraints, but be prepared to be uncomfortable in seeing distance or lack of distance between you and others in the room.

We will then debrief in a fishbowl for folks raised poor/working class where folks will share their stories, feelings, experience of the previous exercise while others watch/listen in. There will be some questions.

We will expand our understanding of class groups and take into account our present situations and break into smaller caucuses based upon class group.

These exercises will take us through our class background as well as our current class status, so you may find yourself changing groups during the session.

Trainer Bio:

Amanda Lee/AL/A.L. is an activist, advocate, and artist based in South Minneapolis. Amanda Lee uses “they/them/their(s)” pronouns in place of standard gendered pronouns such at “he/him/his” or “she/her(s)”. A.L. is a 30 year old, fat, disabled, trans/bigender, bi/pan/fluid/queer, poly, partnered, half Native, more Southern, rural, poor, person of faith that has an abnormally large heart and a love of people, words, and stories… AL thinks that stories are the most powerful tool we have to dismantle the systems of oppression that harm us all and to heal the wounds that they have have inflicted upon us.

Kids are welcome. There is a room with toys just off the main room.

ASL and disability accommodations are available upon request. 612-729-3733 or email radspacetc@riseup.net