400 Years

Unlearning racism through the body, storytelling, and deep listening.

This program is a response to the awakening occurring right now in our country and on the planet. It’s time to come together and unlearn racism, through our body, storytelling and deep listening, so that we can heal the divide between races and stand united, for and with each other.

400 Years provides the knowledge and understanding required to address how we’ve locked bias and racism into our bodies and been trained to turn a blind eye to racial inequities. This will include an emotional tour of the effects of white privilege, internalized racism and oppression.


We will explore how to unlock and unlearn racism from our bodies, by gently tending to our wounded spirit, ego, and privilege.

This is an in-depth and interactive, experiential program inclusive of every skin color. We are creating a safe and supportive environment for you to explore and reflect upon your own experiences and beyond.

Program includes:

  • Twice monthly 90-minute group calls, facilitated by Bernadette Pleasant (8 total)

    Calls are via Zoom for increased interaction and engagement and will support you in exploring the themes of the course, with experiential exercises, guest speakers, and readings.

  • Private Facebook Group

    Our private community is a safe and supportive place for you to connect with others dedicated to unlearning racism. It is your place to connect 24/7. Ask questions, receive support, lend support & engage. We are committed to fostering curiosity, listening and honest, insightful conversation.

Investment:

  • 4 payments of $800/month

How this training is different:

  • We’re face-to-face with a timely opportunity to heal the divide between races.

  • But we can’t change or heal when we are frozen in fear or shame.

  • We also can’t change our systems, let alone our personal lives, when our limbic system is so revved up we can’t relax and make difficult and different decisions.

Which is why this 4-Month Program includes a lot of what I see missing in other trainings: our bodies and practices designed to calm our nervous systems and allow us to unlearn racism in a real, lasting way.

 FAQ

Q. Who is this course for? +

This course is for people of any color who want to unlearn racism, discover their blind spots around racism and engage in social justice work on an individual or collective level.

Q. How is 400 Years different from other anti-racism courses? +

We’re not a history class. While yes, we look at the facts of racism, we spend more time discussing and exploring how racism is so unseen and unintentional, and as a result, unconscious. So often people don’t even realize they’re being racist. Yet becoming more aware of how racism shows up in daily ‘innocent’ interactions is the first step to unlearning racism. Only when we can begin to notice the assumptions we make based on unconscious biases, and get curious about them, can we begin to unlearn and change racism.

Q. Why is this course so long? +

Our country has experienced racism for over 400 years. It is the real pandemic of our time. Racism is ingrained and pervasive and takes time to see and unlearn. It also takes time to cultivate the safety and intimacy that is such an essential aspect of our work together.

Q. Is there shaming in this course? +

Absolutely not. We do not believe that anyone can learn or truly change when they are judged or shamed. We cultivate a welcoming environment that invites everyone to come to the table and feel safe and heard. Only in this kind of safe space can we open up and get curious about our past, explore how it lives in us today and how to shift to create the future we desire.

Q. Will I have to tell stories? +

No. Our team of teachers and special guests are the ones who share stories. Through the rich stories you’ll hear, you’ll gain greater understanding of the experiences of brown and black people - people who may not don’t look like you. Their stories spark insights and realizations of what life is really like for people of color.

Q. Who are your special guests? +

We’ve had guests like Milagros Phillips, who is known as the “Race Healer,” and has facilitated healing racism work for over 35 years, working with corporate leaders, universities, members of Congress, and the general public; family members of Emmett Till and members of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, which is a non-profit dedicated to turning our painful history into a positive future by helping our youth and others reach their fullest potential; and various people of color who speak on a panel about what it’s like to navigate their day to day lives with their skin color

Q. What does the body have to do with unlearning racism? +

We hold so much in our sweet bodies: memories, secrets, lies; shame, guilt, confusion; beliefs, biases, conclusions. Unlearning racism can’t be achieved on a cognitive level. It’s only when we’re willing to drop into the somatic experience of racism, and unwind these stories, that we’re able to unlearn racism.

Q. What will I come away with? +

As you understand people who are different from yourself, you’re able to dismantle your belief systems that keep us separate. You might come away with a stronger willingness to get curious about yourself, your unconscious biases, your beliefs, as well as the experiences of others who look different from you. In 400 Years we cultivate an empowering environment based on hope, knowing it’s through doing this work together that we’re able to create a different future, together.

Q. Is there a Facebook Group? +

Yes. When you sign up for this course you’ll be invited to join our Private FB Group and connect with our community 24/7.

Q. Are the sessions recorded if I miss one? +

Although we encourage you to join us live (online) as much as possible, each session is recorded. Recordings are available to you within 24-48 hours of each class. You’ll have lifetime access to these recordings.

Q. Are payment plans available? +

Yes. If you require a different payment plan than what is available here, please contact us at: info@theemotionalinstitute.com. We don’t want any financial hardship to hold you back from unlearning racism.