Oh the price we’ve paid – as both black and white people – because of racism. If we truly want to achieve racial solidarity, we have to start by talking about race, not racism. My guest today Daniel Jahn, DJ for short, has been involved with racial justice and solidarity work for 25 years.
Today, DJ offers us a history lesson about where the concept of race comes from and the real motive behind why it was created. We discuss the evolution of the psychology of racism, and the inner work both black and white people need to do to find unity. DJ’s approach is all about unity and what we can create together, rather than what we fight against. DJ shares his epiphany that we are all healing from racism: what it did to our society, the boxes it put us in, the division it caused, the narratives it created – and how we can do deep inner work to explore how racism has harmed us and how we can heal from it. We also explored the question: What does the world look and feel like if racism no longer exists? And why it’s better for us to have conversations about race, rather than racism. I was so moved by today’s talk and can’t wait to do more work on this journey to create a more equitable and inclusive world – hope you are excited as well!
Key Takeaways:
The purpose of creating race, about 315 years ago, was to create “whiteness” and an us-them dynamic. We don’t learn about race. We learn about racism, but we do not understand, grow or learn about race. Most of America, not just white folks, don’t understand our racial history, or our racial disconnect.Nobody is trying to usurp anyone else, we are just trying to create unity, equity, and harmony among people. We all have work to do to end racism. That work will vary based on our racial perspectives. “For me, ending racism is eradicating the value that is tied to race. We still have racial differences, we still value our uniqueness and our differences, but we all see each other as Americans.” — Daniel Jahn
About Daniel Jahn, Racial Solidarity Trainer:
Daniel Jahn has served on several nonprofit Boards focused on the development of black youth and school-based racial equity teams. He was a member of the National Strength and Conditioning’s Diversity Taskforce, the National High School Strength Coaches Unity Team and a founding participant in the Groundbreakers program focused on mentorship of black and brown boys. He’s presented nationally several times on issues of race in the performance training field, as well as consulted with schools and companies on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work. Together, with his family, he helped found the David Jahn Memorial Sailing Scholarship Fund to provide opportunities for youth of color to sail. He is deeply committed to the mission and vision of the Soul Focused Group and believes its model to be the true path to racial unity and equity now and in the years to come.
Connect with Daniel Jahn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel_jahn/
Soul Focused Group: https://soulfocusedgroup.com/
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