Sixty Considerations 

BLCD Leadership

We have engaged Phase One of the Succession Planning Sequence for recommending to the IRP our nominations for the next ILRP for African Heritage People. Part of this sequence included thinking about what the job entails and who are African Heritage People who might be more to likely to fully engage with those entailments.

Few of us currently in RC knew the African Heritage ILRPs before Barbara Love.  There were three.  Barbara is fourth in line. The next AH-ILRP will be the fifth ILRP for African Heritage People in the IRCC.

 This list of considerations is the result of the thinking of a bunch of people who put their minds to thinking about the job and about the people who might do the job. I asked the BLCD Leadership Team and others to think about the job and what we want in the next person to hold this job.

We have ended up with, not so much a list of criteria, and much more a list of considerations.  These considerations are somewhat about the job and somewhat about the people who might do the job. These considerations will help us think both about the person suited to the job of  African Heritage ILRP and about the job itself. These considerations are meant to help us to identify and support the next African Heritage International Liberation Reference Person (ILRP).

International Liberation Reference Persons in the IRCC are appointed by the International Reference Person.  We aim to offer our best thinking to the IRP as that choice is made.

RC THEORY AND PRACTICE

  1. A good foundation in RC theory and practice.
  2. Demonstrated solidness in understanding and using RC theory and practice, both in and out of RC.
  3. Commitment to the whole RC project and organization.
  4. Commitment to developing and maintaining a close, strong, caring relationship with the International Reference Person.
  5. Committed to complete openness and honesty in their relationship with the International Reference Person.
  6. Committed to developing and maintaining close relationships with Area, Regional and International leaders.
  7. Committed to communicating and fighting for your thinking.
  8. Ability to lead and inspire others.
  9. Be and RC Teacher.  Have taught Fundamentals classes, on going classes, taught RC One to One, led workshops in Area and Region, led workshops outside area and Region, organized and or led Regional BLCD workshops.
  10. Knowledge of and some experience in family work.

GROUNDED IN BLCD AND BLACK LIBERATION

  1. Have a history and experience in BLCD, have attended/participated in Regional and Internatinal BLCD.
  2. Committed to thinking and acting to support the growth of Black RC
  3. Willing to go any place in the world to reach out to Black people.
  4. Loves Black people and reminds us of our intelligence and brilliance as Black people.
  5. Understands that healing is necessary and possible and able to be at the forefront of the healing project.
  6. Communicate a commitment to the liberation and leadership of all Black people.
  7. Demonstrated/visible commitment to the BLCD Project and to moving the project forward.  Organized Regional BLCD, taught Regional BLCD.
  8. Doesn’t feel the need to tear down "the house that Barbara built"; but can add to it, expand it, build on top of it, insuring that it remains a house/village for Black folks to gather, sing, play, think, feel and discharge our way to better/ to liberation.
  9. Able to bring actions and strategies to the role…such as the entire BLCD concept, which moves Black liberation forward.
  10. Ability to fight for Black people.
  11. Recognizes the interconnection between all oppressions and the ability to fight to end all oppressions.

 AGE

  1.  Three ways to Sunday (An Arkansas way to say that age might possibly be irrelevant).

PERSONAL REEMERGENCE AND LIBERATION WORK

  1. Generous, caring, loving and demonstrates a loves forever manner.
  2. Own life moving in the direction of RC theory. 
  3.  Visibly moving in their own re-emergence.  
  4. Have their own team of people who think about and support their re-emergence.
  5. Not easily confused or thrown off by the patterns and distresses of other people.
  6. Ability to stand in the face of varied oppressions and not get bogged down by it, discouraged or turned aside.
  7. Not likely to give up in the face of an intransigent pattern.
  8. Goal of discharging patterns and not believing that the patterns and the beliefs/rationale that support the patterns are truth.
  9. Committed to discharging (giving up) patterns rather than organizing one’s life to support, protect or reinforce the patterns.
  10. Committed to continually discharging discouragement, defeat and powerlessness.
  11. Commitment to continuing to learn about and discharge one’s own installation of internalized racism.
  12. Own life shows that they are hopeful.

LIFE EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDINGS AS AN AFRICAN HERITAGE PERSON

  1. Raised/lived experience in Black family/community.
  2.  Has lived and is living as a Black person.
  3.  Not confused about being a proud, bold and brilliant Black person
  4.  Clear that Black people are Black, no matter what their skin color.
  5.  Demonstrated ability to love Black people wholeheartedly, without reservation.
  6. Demonstrated ability to consistently reach for and embrace Black people and   not get confused by or about their patterns and distresses.

CURRENT LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES

  1. Life circumstances are such that taking on the role would move their lives forward rather than the role becoming a burden or difficulty.
  2. Well grounded, connected to and active in their home RC Community, Area, Region; not just BLCD

BACKGROUND, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, UNDERSTANDINGS, AND EXPERIENCE

  1. Knowledge of Africa and African heritage people outside the US  
  2. Raised poor or working class.  If Middle Class demonstrable grasp of class issues.
  3.  Regardless of current class status, remembers and stays true to their roots.
  4. Deeply knowledgeable of the history of Black peoples, not only in the United  States, but around the world.
  5. Demonstrates understanding that the diaspora is different and connected and important in our liberation journey.
  6. Ability to stay close to African heritage people outside of the US.

LEADERSHIP AND TEAM BUILDING

  1. Able to take the good things they learned from their background and use them to help build a fantastic group of people to follow their leadership.
  2. Willingness to share leadership and bring many other Black people along.
  3. Able to build many teams of Black people as part of the project.
  4. Ability to lead more than African heritage people.
  5. Able to support EVERYBODY in the BLCD family to lead and speak and be up front, pushing against all our internalized stuff.
  6. The ability to make partnerships, cooperate and collaborate with others.

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL RC COMMUNITY

  1. Provide leadership in supporting and promoting the theory and practice of RC within the international RC communities.
  2. Maintain good relationships and provide leadership with other Global Majority ILRPs.
  3. Maintain good relationships with and provide leadership for PGM in the IRCC.

KNOWLEDGE OF AND LEADERSHIP ON DISCHARGING RACISM AND INTERNALIZED RACISM

  1. Demonstrate clear understanding of internalized racism and continuously learns more about the ways that we participate in our own oppression.
  2. Clear definition and understanding of racism and the ways it operates.
  3. Actively think about and lead white people on understanding, discharging and  and eliminating racism.
  4. Support and encourage leaders in the IRCC to think about and discharge on racism in our individual lives, in the RC communities and in the world.

Barbara Love

International Liberation Reference Person
for African Heritage People

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

2018



Last modified: 2024-04-01 18:57:12+00