Come and share your experiences of being a Black parent and caregiver in Berkeley. We will gather for an evening fil led with writing\, sharing\, and connecting.
\nWhether you're a seas oned writer or have no experience writing at all\, this event is for you! Our Writing Circles provide a safe and supportive space for Black parents in Berkeley to explore their writing skills\, share their stories\, and en gage in conversations with other Black parents.
\nDuring the event\, we will engage in grounding techniques\, various writing exercises\, and discussions to spark your imagination and encourage self-expression.This i s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Black parents in Berkeley \, exchange ideas\, share narratives and build community.
\n\nInspired by poet Khalil Gribran's "On Children\," from the Prophet\, part icipants will explore the theme of being a "Guide" as a parent to our chil dren\, and what that truly means and looks like as a Black parent.
\n"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughter
s of Life&rsquo\;s longing for itself.
They come through you but not
from you\,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."<
/p>\n
Food\, Childcare and Giftcards will be provided! Please c ontact Milani Pelley directly at queenast@gmail.com for any accesibility a nd access needs.
\nLet's make Berkeley Black Again!Don't miss out on this chance to be part of the Black Parents of Berkeley Writing Circles!< /p>\n
* PS: How might we create positive experience for Black parents to come together in Berkeley? is an ongoing question Milani is trying to add ress. If you would like to be apart\, collobarate and/or finiclally sponso r more events around Blacks parents coming together in Berkeley\, email Mi lani Pelley at queenast@gmail.com.
\nFacilitator Milani Pelley
\nMilani Pelley was born and raised and gav e birth in Berkeley. She believes Black people belong in Berkeley and stri ves towards Making Berkeley Black Again. Milani believes in Matriarchy and Divine Love and uses her gifts as an abolitionist educator\, liberator\, philanthropist\, poet\, and facilitator of self expression and healing to actualize her innovations into reality. Milani sits on the Superintendent' s African American Success Advisory Committee of the Berkeley Public Schoo ls.
\nMilani has performed at the Opera House in San Francisco and f or activists Will i.am\, Saul Williams\, Jesse Jackson\, and Angela Davis. She solely represented Oakland in the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2 010. She was a part of Team Oakland in 2010\,placing top four in group-pie ce finals\, and was a member of Team Oakland in 2011\, ranking top ten in the nation. She has been a Poet-Teacher for California Poets in the School s since 2022. To hear\, read and speak Milani&rsquo\;s words is truly an u nforgettable experience. To participate in her workshops is transformative .
\nGrounding led by Amani Carey-Simms
\n
Amani Carey-Simms is a Blac k nonbinary parent\, artist\, certified life coach\, somatic practitioner\ , facilitator\, and community-builder whose work explores how we stay huma n\, connected\, creative\, and free across generations. Through Inner Equi ty Council\, Amani brings more than 25 years of experience in youth develo pment\, counseling and council practice\, mindfulness\, restorative and re lational work\, facilitation\, and community care. Their training includes Somatic Attachment Therapy\, Brainspotting Phases 1 &\; 2\, NLP\, EFT\ , mindful facilitation\, and Reiki.
\nAmani&rsquo\;s current work li ves at the intersections of parenting and fatherhood\, relational intellig ence\, embodied healing\, racial and gender justice\, conflict transformat ion\, ancestral practice\, art and music\, and human&ndash\;AI systems des ign. They are developing Keep Close\, a field guide\, practice\, and card game for nurturing connection between parents and children across distance and change\; convening and contributing to intergenerational men&rsquo\;s /fatherhood and healing work\; and creating music and cultural projects as Amani Will.
\nAcross these forms\, Amani returns to a shared questi on: What can our practices\, relationships\, and systems hold so people do n&rsquo\;t have to hold everything alone?
\nFor Parenting as a Guide \, Amani will offer grounding practices that invite parents back into the body\, relationship\, lineage\, and the wisdom already present in how we a ccompany our children.
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