GERI BIPOC continues to thoughtfully support and build intentional space for people who identify as either Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). We recognize that the acronym BIPOC is primarily a North American term, and as we introduce this term and build this space, we do so with an open invitation to those who wish to gather in a setting with participants who may find common ground through lived gender experience coupled with the intersections of living in the body as a member of the BIPOC community.
As one participant expressed her reflections from a 90-minute introductory GERI BIPOC program:
“There are so many aspects of our culture and the various ways each of us were raised in our families and within our communities. Each individual’s experience differs but there remains a thread within the BIPOC community that once exposed, unravels the scars around our deepest wounds, some of which we had no idea were present and in need of tending.
The BIPOC GERI Intro I attended allowed for the exploration of those wounds and held the space and techniques to recognize and address the work that needs to be done to break the embedded cycles that pains us individually and as a community.”
~ Woman GERI BIPOC Participant
In another Taster another participant shared midway through that she had not realized that she had been holding her breathe and parts of herself back until she saw all the faces that looked like her on the screen and then she exhaled. In 2022 as we have continued to build out, we have begun to identify BIPOC trainers, and created opportunities to share with one another our experiences as the team grows and spans the globe. We have also begun to build a list of potential BIPOC champions who might be in the field of gender equality and justice and who we can invite to the table who might not have heard of GERI.
We are excited and have planned our first GERI BIPOC workshop beginning on February 18, 2023, running on seven consecutive Saturdays through April 1st. In response and support of BIPOC allies’ interest in also wanting to be a part of a BIPOC workshop where the intersectionalities are highlighted and given an intentional space; our GERI trainers along with BIPOC facilitators will explore a strategy to create a shared space that continues to support the voice and challenges of BIPOC participants. We look forward to the continued lessons and challenges that this new area will present, for we know how this will enhance all our programming.
As we move forward, we see the opportunities for all GERI trainers and facilitators to grow in understanding and experience as we train in these smaller intentional communities under the GERI flagship program. We will work to explore the intersectionalities and truly become a community that heals together.
~ Myra Kinds, GERI Trainer and BIPOC Project Lead