by Jackie Kirouac-Fram, Executive Director
If you’ve followed us for a while, you may have noticed that ReBuilding Center has changed the way we describe some of our class offerings.
After years of successfully offering classes for women only, in 2022 we started offering classes that we intended for BIPOC students only. These classes were designed to create a space for BIPOC-students to learn about tools and home repair in an environment that felt welcoming, safe, and supportive for their learning. These classes were immediately popular and well-received by students.
Why did we do this? Tool and trade environments have historically been dominated by white men, and creating space for women and BIPOC folks is one way to encourage their participation in these learning settings. Not having to worry about being “the only” in a learning environment makes it easier to sign up and, once in the classroom, being amongst people with whom you share some cultural experiences makes it easier to speak up and ask questions, especially when your instructor also identifies as a woman or person of color. The risk of being misunderstood or misread is lower, instruction is more relatable, comfort is higher, learning is better.
Currently, we offer classes that we describe as BIPOC-Focused, meaning the class is designed to hold space for BIPOC-identifying students but is open to all, including white students.
Why? We made this shift after a community member challenged our BIPOC classes as violating the Civil Rights Act, which guarantees that “all persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.”
Essentially, we were accused of discrimination.
And despite making the arguments outlined above, about the benefits of creating spaces for historically oppressed groups to experience psychological safety in learning environments that are typically dominated by white men, we lost. And it’s true – based on the law, we were in violation. Ours is a case where the law lags justice.
This is the system in which we all have to operate, and anti-racist organizations and initiatives will continue to encounter similar challenges. This sort of legal hunting by people who decry race-conscious anything is on the rise, and we may see other supportive programs and organizations challenged to open their spaces to all. Our system, as many of you know deeply, needs changing.
At ReBuilding Center, we are continually evolving our store, classes, and programs to strengthen homeownership and future homeownership for people most at risk of displacement: BIPOC and low-income folks. We are working within this imperfect system to move ever closer to racial, economic, and housing justice.
If this work resonates with you, please consider making a gift to ReBuilding Center or one of our amazing partners who are also working toward safe homes for all: African American Alliance for Homeownership, Proud Ground, Taking Ownership PDX, the Rosewood Initiative, PCRI, and Community Energy Project.
In community,
Jackie