Blog archive
April 2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Introducing Coming to the Table
By Blog MasterPosted: 03/22/2022
Notes by Sharon Jarrett
Allison introduced the group to Coming to the Table which is a national organization that works through local chapters to bring people together to discuss racial history, equality and connectedness.
Both Wilson and Allison are members of the Steering Committee. CTTT is a foundation committed to the goals of Truth, Justice and Healing. The organization's website is comingtothetable.org.
Nationally, the organization's vision is to foster a just, truthful society which acknowledges and seeks to heal from the racial wounds of the past; wounds from slavery and the many forms of racism it created over time. The mission of the organization is to provide leadership, resources, and supportive environment for all who wish to acknowledge these wounds.
The processes employed in fulfilling the mission include: uncovering history, making connections, healing, taking action to dismantle systems of racial inequality, injustice and oppression for the transformation of the nation.
At the local level, groups align with the national organization to provide supportive environments for those who wish to acknowledge and heal from the wounds of racism rooted in slavery. The local chapter meets the third Saturday of the month from 3 to 5 by Zoom.
If you are interested in more information, registration, or on information on local CTTT, contact Allison directly at allisonthomas@mac.com
Wilson Bell then described the Circle Process which forms the basis of the work. The process is rooted in the talking circles of indigenous people of North America. The purpose of the Circle Process is to foster connections and give everyone a voice.
CTTT functions using Touchstones which include:
Mutually agreed upon principles which guide how participants treat one another with dignity to foster deep dialog.
Aim to make people be safe and to speak openly and honestly.
Be 100% present, listen deeply and "Try it On".
Additional principles include: no fixing, identify assumptions, suspend judgements, speak your truth using I statements, be aware of and allow for differences between intention and impact, acknowledge uncomfortable responses, let others know when something causes pain, respect silence,, maintain confidentiality, respect differences, when things are difficult turn to wonder, both/and rather than either/or
and expect non closure.
A participant noted that the ground rules in therapy are similar.
Wilson also noted that this is work which requires practice and commitment. Issues that emerge are to be discussed deeply and participants cannot be concerned about making mistakes.
Allison and Wilson then shared their individual histories. Allison is the descendant of enslavers from Virginia. The family never discussed this family history and she discovered it in researching the family. She found the family history painful and needed help to understand her history. Wilson was invited to a luncheon about CTTT and entered after engaging with others he met.
The book "Gather at the Table: A Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade"
was suggested as a resource for understanding the process described earlier. The authors of the book are Thomas De Wolf and Sharon Morgan.
Wilson then briefly discussed the importance of vocabulary to the CTTT process reminding the participants of the core of the program: hear one another, speak from the heart and practice.
Questions and answers followed. Allison and Wilson were thanked for an insightful and thought provoking presentation. A recording of this presentation Introducing CTTT is available here and on our Presentation Recordings, where recordings of previous presentation can also be viewed. The next meeting will be on April 1st at 10:00AM PST