The Committee For Racial Justice will hold a student forum for their free monthly workshop on May 1 which is open to all. This forum will provide a safe space for students to share some of their difficult experiences at school and talk with an expert in racial trauma and its generational effects. Chantilly Wijayasinha, LCSW, MPH, is the Director at Family Service of Santa Monica – a division of Vista Del Mar. She is committed to using her role to dismantle structures of oppression through direct impact, such as leading Vista Del Mar’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce. In her work at Vista, Chantilly has developed and facilitates workshops on Transracial Adoption and LGBTQ+ Youth in Systems of Care for prospective adoptive parents and currently runs Racial Justice and Social Oppression workgroups for her staff. Furthermore, she provides clinical supervision to MSW interns and highly values mentoring the next wave of social workers in the field. Chantilly is a member of the Building Bridges Initiative Leaders of Color Workgroup and is a Board Member for the Field Advisory Board at USC.
In Santa Monica an Instagram account named Dear Samohi caused quite a stir years ago when it was started to provide a resource for Black students to air their issues related to racial microaggressions. Come and hear if the students think that anything has changed since and what challenges they are facing today. Chantilly will also talk with them about some of the things they need in order to do well in school and students will share their own ideas.
There will be Q & A time and all students, parents, and anyone who wants to learn more about how to deal with trauma and help themselves & others achieve their maximum potential are welcome to attend. Click on the link to register and then you will be sent the zoom link for this May 1 workshop.
For more information, call Joanne at 310-422-5431.
Sunday, May 1, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Zoom meeting open to all.
Click the following link to register in order to be sent the link to join the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlf-ChrDsqGdbB9SKU7dddMqAIQy1juhwz
Submitted by Joanne Berlin
