During Black History Month, and throughout the year, anti-racism is at the forefront of the mission of Up2Us Sports, our member organizations, and VISTA members’ service.
Brittany Bell is an Up2Us VISTA at Three Rivers Rowing Association in Pittsburgh, PA. Last month, Three Rivers Rowing Association teamed up with Decide2Inspire to host an anti-racism workshop. Staff and members of Pittsburgh’s rowing community participated in “A Long Talk About the Uncomfortable Truth.” This experience allowed participants the opportunity to learn together, understand their biases, and create a more anti-racist world.
While several coaches around the country have engaged in this powerful conversation, Three Rivers Rowing Association was the first non-profit organization to participate in the seminar. As Brittany stated, “Our participation paves the way for other nonprofits to see the importance behind these conversations and encourages them to take the same steps in order to make anti-racism a priority in their day-to-day operations.”
Decide2Inspire created the seminar, “A Long Talk,” to energize, activate, and empower allies to dismantle systemic oppression. The seminar consists of pre-work and a virtual three-day experience that uses conversations to create change. The pre-work asks participants to engage with several resources that capture the true history of race in America that is often hidden. This sets the foundation for participants to get uncomfortable and vulnerable. Each day focuses on a new topic to center the group as they learn how to unpack their truth, use their voice, and engage in activism.
“I learned more about race in America from the pre-work than I ever learned from school. The experience was really eye-opening. It was life changing to have opportunities to practice and speak in a safe place. I went into the conversation feeling confident, but I left with even more confidence and skills to address racial issues head on.”
Three Rivers Rowing Association is committed to furthering this work. This month, they are hosting a book club to discuss “A Most Beautiful Thing” by Arshay Cooper. The book is a true story about the first all-Black rowing team. In addition, Three Rivers Rowing Association plans to host quarterly community discussions to continue this conversation around race and to intentionally provide space for diverse groups of people to hold educational conversations. “We are looking into appropriate ways to reach new audiences in the city and to make them feel appreciated within the organization” said Brittany.
To learn more about A Long Talk, visit https://www.alongtalk.com/. Be sure to check out their next Community Conversation and “Movie Mixer” series.
