Trouble the Water: Conversations to Disrupt Racism and Dominance

For current VDS students only!

Register to screen the new short film series "Trouble the Water: Conversations to Disrupt Racism and Dominance" and join Dean Steele, Dean Cheifetz, and your VDS classmates for small group conversations each Friday in September.

September 4th, 2-3pm
Episode 1: "Why Us? Why Now?"
Why is this conversation on racism and dominance so urgent now? What steps can we take together in this movement for systemic change and justice?

View the Trailer here.

September 11th, 2-3pm
Episode 2: "Whiteness"
What is Whiteness? What is white supremacy? How are we complicit in supporting and perpetuating systems of oppression and privilege? How can we begin to disrupt these systems?

September 18th, 2-3pm
Episode 3: "Racial Identity"
What is the social construct of “race” and where did these categories come from? Why is exploring one’s own racial identity important? Why is it important for white people to do the hard work of understanding their own racial identity? How do systems impact and form our identity?

September 25th, 2-3pm
Episode 4: "Intersectionality and Disruption"
What is Intersectionality and whom does it impact? How does it impact people differently? What does intersectionality have to do with justice? What is dominance and white supremacy? How do we recognize it and how can we respond? How can we disrupt these systems of dominance in our everyday life?

“Trouble the Water: Conversations to Disrupt Racism and Dominance” is a documentary series resource produced by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for communities and congregations to facilitate conversation and engagement around the issues of race and racism. As we struggle as a nation with these deep systemic and structural issues on a daily basis, we hope this series can be a resource to listen to one another, have difficult but honest conversations and collectively work together to disrupt systemic racism.

Accompanying curricula will be released. 

This project is the result of the collaboration across two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) agencies and several offices and initiatives as well as responding to recent General Assembly actions. Used with permission.