GROWTH LIKE I'VE Never felt BEFORE

“I WAS INITIALLY HESITANT TO JOIN UNITY OVER COMFORT BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WAS ALREADY DOING PLENTY OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON ANTI-RACISM. I DECIDED TO DO IT BECAUSE I KEPT FEELING LIKE, "IF I DON'T DO THIS, I THINK I'LL REGRET IT." AND THIS IS HANDS DOWN, THE BEST INVESTMENT I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE.

FROM THE VERY FIRST CLASS, I UNDERSTOOD THE DIFFERENCE COURSE WAS VERSUS DOING MY OWN INDEPENDENT LEARNING AND I COULD FEEL GROWTH LIKE I'D NEVER FELT BEFORE. MONIQUE CHALLENGED MY OWN WHITE SUPREMIST TENDENCIES BY CORRECTING MY LANGUAGE ON HOW I REFERRED TO ENSLAVED AFRICANS, OR POINTING OUT THAT I'D ALREADY INTERRUPTED HER TWICE IN THE FIRST Q&A SESSION, OR THAT NO PANDEMIC QUARANTINE IS NOTHING LIKE BEING IN PRISON. RATHER THAN PUSHING ME AWAY, THESE UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCES TAUGHT ME MORE THAN ANY BOOK, DOCUMENTARY OR PODCAST EVER COULD AND SHE URGED US TO LEAN INTO THOSE TEACHING MOMENTS, THAT WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY WHY WE ARE TAKING THIS COURSE. IT'S SO EASY TO SCROLL THROUGH LIFE AND NOT IDENTIFY AS "THOSE WHITE PEOPLE", BUT MONIQUE SHOWED US THROUGH OUR OWN MISTAKES THAT WE ARE THOSE WHITE PEOPLE AND HOW THIS WORK IS A PRACTICE, NOT A HOBBY AND THAT IS IS OUR DUTY TO DO THIS WORK AND CENTER THE PAIN AND PROGRESS OF BLACK VOICES.

THIS CLASS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. IT'S CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT BLACK PEOPLE WITH ADMIRATION RATHER THAN PITY. IT'S CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT HISTORY AS A CONTINUATION INTO THE PRESENT RATHER THAN JUST A PART OF THE PAST. BUT MOSTLY, IT'S CHANGED MY ABILITY TO TALK TO OTHER WHITE PEOPLE AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT MY ROLE AS A WHITE PERSON IS TO REDIRECT AND CENTER THE POINTS OF VIEWS, THE STORIES AND THE VOICES OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS & PEOPLE OF COLOR.”

— KRYSTAL PARIZOT