BIPOC is the abbreviation for Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. 

While that may seem straightforward, as with all things, it's more complex and nuanced than that.

We use BIPOC as both a political term and a racial term.

The Caring Circle is for people from the global majority who have been oppressed, marginalized, and/or othered due to their racial/ethnic identity...

AND who choose to work with other people who've been oppressed by white supremacy due to their racial/ethnic identity - for our collective liberation.

People from the global majority include those with African, Indigenous, Latin American, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and North African ancestry. 

We also include:

• Biracial/multiracial BIPOC with European ancestry and who have felt marginalized and othered due to their racial identity - and want to dismantle white supremacy
  
  
• White-passing BIPOC who have felt marginalized and othered due to their racial identity - and want to dismantle white supremacy

While we've been taught to believe that race is a fixed thing, the history of how whiteness was created and who is considered eligible for whiteness by law shows a different story.

Therefore, who is considered 'not white' and 'other' by our racist society is more fluid even today than we often realize. It has more to do with maintaining and growing our exploitative capitalist system and the wealth and power of those running this country than anything else.

That's why we acknowledge the arbitrary nature of defining who is white and who is non-white and focus more on our political alignment for collective liberation from white supremacy than our phenotype and how we look.

Because unfortunately, while all BIPOC experience white supremacy, not all BIPOC want to dismantle it. 

At the same time, we also acknowledge that the history and degree of targeting of BIPOC for oppression and exploitation vary greatly, especially if they have a certain phenotype and look a certain way.

This is particularly true for darker skinned BIPOC and BIPOC who have less proximity to whiteness though how they look, dress, and talk. 

So we want to acknowledge that it's important that BIPOC who are more greatly targeted due to their darker skin and other characteristics have their own spaces.

That's why, while this space is inclusive of all BIPOC, we will also have Black-only spaces for the group sharing potion for those who want it.

If you're a Black person who would also like an entirely Black-only healing space, please check out Erika Totten's Emotional Emancipation Circle.

Please note that other people may use BIPOC differently than us for various valid reasons.

No, this is not only for BIPOC in the USA. BIPOC from around the world are invited.

However please note that because Sandra and the majority of the participants are from the USA, the context for the gathering will be USA-based.

People from other countries are invited to reflect on their own context and listen for their own truths about their experiences in the countries they live in.

Our Caring Circle creates a community space for the participants to open up to what is real and hard for them to acknowledge - in a way that feels grounded, spacious, and supported.

This is all in service of us being able to care for the hard truths of these burning times and take steps toward creating a more compassionate, just future.

While the exact agenda differs every time, the general flow is:

• Opening
• Quick grounding practice
• Story to frame the theme of the gathering
• Guided tending practice to help you explore the theme
• Pair sharing on the guided tending practice in break out rooms
• Group sharing in break out rooms
• Optional Q&A for Collective Care Pods course members
• Closing

Please note that for the break out rooms, participants can make requests that will help them feel safer to share, such as asking for a Black-only space, as well as to not join a break out room. 

Currently, we are only hosting the Caring Circle biweekly on Wednesday's at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT.

If you can't make it, please check out Tea Time. It was a biweekly online healing circle where Sandra guided you through healing practices. While it's not longer running, you can watch the recorded videos of past sessions at your convenience.  

It's not focused on connecting with others like in the Caring Circle since it's not live. But you will get a lot of guidance and support on caring for your feelings and needs!

For some Black folx, a BIPOC space held by a non-Black person of color may not be what they need right now.

Or they may want a Black-only space in addition to the BIPOC-only Caring Circle.

If that's you, then Sandra highly recommends Erika Totten's Emotional Emancipation Circle. It is an online healing space to help Black folx process racial stress and learn tools for emotional wellness.

Erika is the Light Guardian at WildSeed. She's also the co-instigator of the local chapter, Black Lives Matter DC, and leads Black Joy Sunday in Washington, DC.

Thanks for wanting to support this work!

You can donate to WildSeed Society here.

When we all give what we can, we all will have what we need.

Thank you again!

Yes, there are live closed captions available.

However if you need an ASL interpreter, please let us know here.

We'd love to hear from you! Please fill out the Contact Us form here.