Facebook Publication Date: 8/1/2021 18:08
An Invitation to our Expanded Lace on Race Café
The Leadership Team here at Lace on Race thinks about this space, and thinks about you, a lot.
We talk about the different series that are ongoing, and those in the works. We talk about engagement, in turns furrowing our brows when we notice someone struggling, and leaping for joy when a light comes on for one of you, and we (and you) begin to make connections; oftentimes coming up with insights that surprise and delight us.
For those of you who have made yourselves known to us and to the rest of the community, we think about you in very particular ways. Each of us on the LoR team savors the progress of each of you, knows where you were when you began your journey towards an authentic, congruent and ethical racial justice praxis, and have seen you gain in durability, curiosity, resilience, and reliability in the time you have chosen to walk with us, whether it be three years, three months, three weeks, three days, or even three hours.
Each one of you is noticed. We hope you feel our devotion to both the community as a whole, and with each of you individually, not only in our content, but also with our engagement with you.
And also in this way. While we utilize the Facebook page, what we now call the Takeout Window, as best we can, given the limitations of the form, we know those limitations, well, *limit* how well we can serve you.
It was for this reason that over two years ago, we undertook a year long process to craft and populate the website, laceonrace.com, and, in yet another year long process, conceived of and implemented the Lace on Race Cafe.
We did so for several reasons.
One, to be able to better ensure you a safe-ish space to rest, and learn, and be challenged, and grow, all in service to our North Star. As we have seen over the last year, Facebook’s limitations show up in sharp relief during controversies; specifically, with Jim and Kate, and The Christian Left, and with the attempted take down of LoR itself from our former intern and her helpers.
We were concerned as much for the people we serve–you–and for the people we stand with and for. Managing crises is not only just not for the faint of heart; it is also a derailment of time and bandwidth and focus. Any moment spent in that mode is a moment torn from our mission; a toxic pivot away from learning and communing and living out our shared ethos and praxis.
It is for this reason that we decided to do a strategic and healthy pivot that both nurtures safety and enhances and aligns with our shared Western Star: setting the best conditions possible for the health, sustainability, and longevity of Lace on Race.
Part of this pivot has been to become a formal entity; we are now the Lace on Race Center for Racial Equity (although ya, we know that’s a mouthful; feel free to continue to consider us just plain Lace on Race).
This particular pivot has allowed us to dream bigger, and engage and partner with still more organizations and individuals. This will also allow us the space to speak specifically to policy, both corporate and governmental.
Our commitment to being prescriptive rather than only proscriptive in terms of change work and formal structure, especially with the bylaws and policy manuals we have crafted, ensures accountability and transparency, and gives us, and future members of Leadership Team, a high standard in the template and game plan we have devised.
If you have not read our Bylaws, I urge you to do so. As New People doing New Things in New Ways, we crafted a document that checked off all the boxes, absolutely, but is infused with the dust of the North Star, and the fragrance of the Orange Tree.
I have never seen a document like ours; and I have sat on more than a few boards.
No dry prose this; when crafting with Hesed, the words leap off the page and become living breathing chronicles of what has been, what is now, and what will be. Read them and be inspired and galvanized.
We have done this before; this drafting of documents, during, and after the February series of events. That we have strengthened our big picture practice, while at the same time holding fast to our day to day praxis of North Star Hesed, is a feat that brings me great joy, and is a testament to the dedication and the hesed heart of staff and leadership, who faced a challenge that would have felled other orgs, with the February events being unleashed mere days after we officially signed and created the Center. That my team has not wavered in conviction, deep knowledge and competence, all while each holding tentmaking jobs, and holding each other in deep love and communion has been a beautiful thing to behold and to partake in. Balm, each of them are sweet balm to me.
Which brings us to another reason we have chosen to migrate to the website and to the LoR Cafe–in seating you in The Bistro, and, further, inviting those of you who want more–more depth, more community, more Hesed–inviting you into Chef’s Table, we have in this way bottled our Secret Sauce.
For a year now, since our Leadership Team formed and solidified, we have oftentimes, particularly during a particularly stimulating exchange, or when something funny happens which makes 13 women from across the country (and even one of us in SE Asia!) laugh in unison across the miles, we have said that we cannot keep how we do only to ourselves.
This is the reason for both the Cafe and, especially, for Chef’s Table–not only to know more and to grow more, but also to learn how to be solid backs where tired feet can stand. As we learn to do this with each other; as we learn to model *and to receive* resilience, faithfulness, trustworthiness, and relentless reliability with each other, so we model it at Takeout Window, in the Cafe, and soon, at the well worn wood of Chef’s Table.
But we know that, while many of you have been seated and have been nourished at The Bistro, some of you have told us that you are intimidated. Yes, The Cafe is different in user experience than Facebook. And yes, for some (even for me!) it’s been a learning curve. But those who come in to tuck into a meal day after day tell us it’s far better in both encouraging community and going deeper in knowledge and praxis than the Takeout Window can ever be; we choose to be known by sharing our real names and faces; so no trolls or sea lions.
So, back to thinking about what and how we do, and of course, thinking about all of you.
Our team, led by Laura, set out to give all of us the closest thing we could to Facebook; incorporating the best of the platform while still ensuring safety and enhancing community.
The Activity Feed is how we will do this. I have been part of the Beta test; it’s really something. It’s as well designed as the formal website and The Bistro, and it’s even easier; you will be able to see all the Dining Room Activity (with the exception of restricted groups) in one easy to scroll feed; much like Facebook.
We want all of you, each and every one of you, there. Over time, Takeout Window–the Facebook Page–will still be available, but comments and interaction (and, yes, some content exclusive to The Bistro) will move to the website. Takeout Window will still be available, but as a portal to the content we have carefully curated for you.
I love all of this. Any one element of the last seven months–creating original content; curating the best of the web; planning for longevity; interacting with the community; facing and confronting the crisis, both financial and existential, of Holly’s attempted arson, could have been full time jobs for all of us. I am so gratified that we have continued to give our utmost, and will continue to do so, now with even more content; more curation; more consulting and one-on-one; more deep community, and (who knew it was even possible??) even more Hesed.
The activity feed will roll out as part of a celebration in mid-August. We’ll be announcing exact dates soon. It is a testament to shared vision, and mission and ethos; to resiliency; to a Leadership Team and a Board who were and are the essence of Weebles: we wobbled, but we did not, have not, and will not fall down.
Our North Star depends on our faithfulness. We will not waver.
Join us.
How to claim your seat at the table:
1. Register at https://LaceOnRace.com
2. Complete your new Café profile. We look each other in the eye. Be sure to include a clearly recognizable photo of yourself.
3. Join the Bistro at https://LaceOnRace.com/groups/the-bistro
Need help? See our Get Seated Guide at:
https://laceonrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Get-Seated-at-the-Lace-on-Race-Cafe.pdf
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