A Joyful, Supportive, Empowering Base
RC has been a supportive base for me since I was a young person and now as a young adult. I’ve been encouraged to trust my thinking and know that my voice matters despite the messages of racism, sexism, and young people’s oppression. I’ve been part of a community in which we are committed to supporting and listening to each other, accepting emotions without judgment, and validating each other’s minds.
RC is also about joy, fun, and connection. It is a powerful contradiction to isolation. It helps us feel hopeful about big issues in the world, taking them on [confronting and doing something about them], and having an impact. We exchange inspiring, pleasant, and joyful stories with each other.
Working on liberation issues in RC is fun and empowering. People share smart perspectives about how they’d like to see the world change for the better. At the center of it is the leadership of young people, people of color, women, working-class people, and other groups fighting for their liberation.
RC has given me a space in which I can cry on someone’s shoulder when I need to, laugh lots, be playful, and decide to face my fears. I’ve been able to heal from hurtful experiences by processing my feelings at my own pace with supportive listening ears.
I’m glad to have a practice in my life that helps me remember that having feelings is a part of being human, that my struggles don’t have to limit or define me, and that I can trust that I have an inherently intelligent and good mind.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
(Present Time 205, October 2021)