Staying Soft With Each Other While Growing Strong Movements with Dara Silverman

Somatics practitioner and anti-racist trainer, Dara Silverman, reminds us this week that to build strong movements, those of us who are committed to bringing forth a world in which all peoples’ needs are met, will need to offer ourselves and each other softness in these times. When we write people off, point fingers in blame, and narrow our tent, our movements grow smaller and lose. To build movements with the capacity to win, we must call each other in with fierce compassion. We must build relationships around what we care about, day in and day out, not just during election season. We must be in community, listen to our neighbors, and build relationships with the people we disagree with. When we do this, we expand the possibility of bringing forward the world we long for. I hope so much that you’ll take solace in this episode and find inspiration here for the time ahead. Guest Bio: Dara Silverman is a white, queer, Jewish consultant, somatic coach, and trainer with twenty-five years in with organizations and movements for social, racial, economic and gender justice. She leads embodied leadership trainings for racial justice organizers through Embodying Racial Justice. She is based in Beacon, NY where she grows eight kinds of berries. Resources and Links Dara Silverman’s Work Dara Silverman: darasilverman.com or follow on Instagram @dara_silverman Opening to Freedom: Year-long program for white racial justice leaders and organizers in the pacific Northwest- info and application for 2025 here. Centering Practices Dara’s Centering Practice: Practice Here Somatic Practices for Social Change (My video library, which includes the centering practice we talked about) Related Episodes The Social Change Ecosystem Map, Conflict Decoded episode with Deepa Iyer Referenced Resources Karen Horney- Visions of the Self Embodiment Institute Daniel Hunter Resources: 10 Steps for Staying Grounded and Prepared Now That Trump Has Won What if Trump Wins?: Interactive game by Daniel Hunter Dean Spade: Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis Alicia Lieberman Jason Crandall, yoga teacher- short practice, every day Joshua Kahn Russell and Michael Strom: Healthy Group Accountability: Learning How to Learn, Briana Herman-Brand: From Rupture to Repair Dante King: Diagnosing Anti-Blackness- Concepts on white solidarity language Piper Anderson: Building a Culture of accountability Patrice Cullors: An Abolitionist’s Handbook Co-LAB Collective: Leadership by Monica Dennis, Maura Bairley, and Viveka Chen, focusing on social justice and coalition building. Loretta Ross: TED Talk on “Calling In” as opposed to “Calling Out” Somatic Resources: Strozzi Institute Generative Somatics BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity): Somatic training organization for Black organizers. Politics of Trauma by Staci K. Haines