It often seems as though black and white Americans live in separate worlds of experience and understanding. Unless we can bridge those gaps, it will be hard for us to work together to build a better community, a better country, and a better world.

One starting point for that work is for non-black people of courage and conviction to come together to think and learn about the history that has shaped our world and worldviews. Over nine Monday evenings, Justified Anger will be collaborating with history professors from UW-Madison to revisit the American past with justice in mind. Our purpose is to understand how the African-American experience has shaped the world we all live in, and how allies can find roles supporting racial justice today. We will lead this process without the use of guilt, finger-pointing, or propaganda, and lead from a place of compassion, community, and understanding. Rooting ourselves in our history, and understanding how we got here, will help us move forward together to make a better world and a stronger local community.

This course is a complement to the other great programs that address racism in our community. This is a great way to become involved as an ally in Justified Anger’s efforts to reduce racial disparities and bring about healing. This course is also a meaningful entry point for whatever cross-cultural work you want to do to make your local community a better place.

This is more than a “volunteer training.” Rev. Alex Gee puts it this way: ”We need white allies to move beyond merely helping our black kids – we need allies who will help teach their own kids as well so that one day they will be able to work together with our kids in righting the wrongs of history.”

We want your help in our programs: tutoring, advocating at school hearings, supporting formerly incarcerated individuals, volunteering in after-school activities, preparing meals, coaching athletics, teaching art and design, etc.

However, we also really need your advocacy in the broader community–your ability and willingness to speak out when you see disparities, and to challenge the everyday acts and systems that perpetuate inequality in your workplaces and daily lives.