Susan Kaplan Send E-mail.
These trainings will be conducted through Zoom with both phone-in and video-conferencing options. After enrolling, you will receive instructions for connecting to the call.
Reducing White Reactivity - 911 Alternatives To Calling The Police
2 Tuesdays, November 10th and 17th 5:00 - 7:00 pm MDT
A “Karen Call” is the tag name that has been given to white women calling the police because they are fearful of a Personal of Color. This pattern of calls has grown and become deadly at times, as the police respond with reactivity when they arrive on the scene. There is not an actual emergency, rather a white person is calling 911 because she is scared or uncomfortable in that moment.
- In what ways do you understand the costs of some white people feeling safe and other people, BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] not being safe?
- Do you shut down when you witness someone with escalating emotions and actions?
- In what ways do you create an empathy wall towards white people who make racial comments or hold beliefs about BIPOC that are different than yours?
- What happens when white people call the police? What happens when we call the police as BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color)? These are often extremely different experiences that lead to feeling safe for some, while others experience violence, fear, and death.
Come join our conversation about “the safety net of traditional police departments”. We will explore the Domination Cultural habit of power over when calling the police when there is no real threat but can actually escalate into a life crisis. Because of a pattern, these type of urgent calls have been named “Karen calls”.
The infamous woman with the dog in Central Park is one example of this type of call, though there is a wide range of issues expressed by these type of calls. We will talk about what needs and beliefs that may be motivating this reactivity of white people when they automatically call the police. Our conversation will also explore new strategies and how to talk to other white people about the inherent dangers inherent of 911 calls.
You will be invited to explore your own needs and beliefs through our time together using a Nonviolent Communication approach.
You will experience:
- Walking through a “Karen Call” to understand the dynamics
- Learning NVC key distinctions and skills that help shift from the Domination Paradigm of Power over/power under to a Partnership Paradigm of Power With
- Begin exploration of how to reduce your own reactivity and help others de-escalate theirs
- Community witnessing strategies to help protect BIPOC individuals/families
- Asking questions that you may not have the place to ask