Posted on July 8, 2009 - by Administrator

The clock is ticking!

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

Hey I just wanted to remind you that today is the last day you can apply to the brand-new program I’m launching called The Racialicious Experience.

The deadline is 5 pm Eastern today. You can request your application here.

Here’s a little bit more information about the program, if you haven’t read about it yet.

I’ve been really inspired by the quarter million people who visit our blog Racialicious each month.

Our readers have told me that the blog is a refuge for them, a place where they can come to feel sane, and that it provides them with something that’s missing in their offline lives: a safe space in which they can have relaxed, authentic, and productive conversations about race.

So I began thinking to myself: would it be possible to replicate those qualities of our blog into something bigger? Into a live experience?

And that’s how The Racialicious Experience was born.

It’s a 6-week program in which we’ll explore how race impacts the way we view the world, our experiences in the workplace, our family life, our sexual and romantic relationships, and even the way we do or do not express our authentic selves. We’ll conclude with the biggest question of all: Why does it even matter? At the end of the day, what’s the human cost of racism?

One of things that I believe is missing from a lot of programs out there that explore race or diversity, is this human element.

A lot of corporate diversity training, for example, is really about telling you what you should or shouldn’t do in the workplace. And there are a lot of programs that fall into the anti-racism or anti-oppression training category that can stay too much in the abstract: they deal with issues of racial justice, social justice, but often don’t connect those issues to how these impact the actual lives of everyday people like you and me.

That’s just one of the things that sets this program apart from others. I really want us to focus on how race and racism impact us as human beings. How it prevents us from forming real connections with one another. How it can even get in the way of allowing us to express our authentic selves. How does that impact our spirits? Our souls?

Now, I’d love to accept every person who applies for this program. But, there’s just no way I can accommodate everyone and still provide the select, hands-on experience you need.

So, to honor my commitment to you, I’ve decided to limit enrollment to two select groups of 15 people.

Also, because it’s so important to this experience that I create the kind of safe, intimate space that will most conducive to authentic conversation, I have created an application process for this program. Only those who are accepted will be able to participate in the program.

I’ve created (a rather long) page with all the details you’ll need to know about the format, the dates, the tuition, the application process, etc. You can read it here, and also request your application: http://www.racialiciousexperience.com

One thing you should know is that I must receive your application by 5 pm Eastern on Wednesday, July 8th, in order for you to be considered for this program. So if this sounds like something you’d like to participate in, please do get your application in early!

Thanks! And I hope you’ll join me this summer for The Racialicious Experience.