Department of Youth and Family Services implements segregation in the name of anti-racism

The Department of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) has implemented a plan to segregate employees by race in service to anti-racism. "Black groups" and "white groups" will meet separately and "white folx" will discuss their 400 years of oppressing people, while "black folx" will be empowered to leadership and change.

The Post Millennial has obtained copies of the curriculum for training programs used by DCYF in Washington State from their "racial equity and diversity coordinator." DCYF is who Washingtonians are asked to call to report child abuse and parents who are a danger to their children.

There are two separate curricula; one for "black gatherings" and one for "white gatherings." The curriculum differs drastically between the two "gatherings." One group is asked to be proud of their ancestors, the other asked to be ashamed.

The "black gatherings" curriculum opens with "Reminder this space is specifically for black identified bodies. If that does not apply to you, we kindly ask you to respect the space consider joining the spaces for BIPOC and White staff next month."

This is a stark contrast to the opening of the "white gathering" curriculum, which reads: "Reminder this space is specifically for white identified bodies but it is open to all. However, we ask that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) send Stacy a chat message so she can put BIPOC folx in BIPOC breakout groups. The reasoning behind this grouping is so that white folx are not burdening BIPOC folx while working through accountability around their white identity."

The "intentions" behind these gatherings differs as well. The intention for the black gathering reads: "Intention of this gathering is to connect as Black employees across DCYF. The initial space was meant to collectively grieve our new ancestors whose lives have been stolen in 2020, and now we're responding to the call for offering ongoing spaces like this. Focus: How do we best support you and each other as Black employees in DCYF?"

Conversely the intentions behind the "white gathering" state: "Intention to confront what it means to have a white bodied racial identity and to reimagine how we can be in relationship with BIPOC folx as accomplices in deconstructing systemic racism and building healing centered, racially just communities."

After an identical preamble on ground rules, the directives for each group are decidedly different. The directives for the black group are to "get connected," to share feelings and discuss "how you're holding up."

Conversely the "white gatherings" curriculum encourages white people not to "burden our BIPOC friends, family members, coworkers, community members with our white guilt and white fragility." It states that "over 400 years of being the oppressor has had an effect on our collective psyche and we need [to] repair and heal so we can commit to the life-long work of racial equity and social justice in a healthy sustainable way."

Though there were no videos or scripts of sessions because, as organizers stated, "We’re not recording the events because they're designed as discussion spaces to support staff’s ongoing learning and growth" it is clear that one is designed to empower and the other to punish.

The "black gatherings" convey a positive message and provide empowering messaging as to leadership and change.

Messages for "white gatherings" offer blame and reeducation.

In closing the sessions, the "white gathering" was lectured while the "black gathering" was given action items and a satisfaction survey, that read:

"How would you like to see DCYF shift power and center BIPOC voices (staff and children, youth, and families) in our work?  What disruptive and transformative changes should DCYF adopt to eliminate racial disproportionality and disparities in our systems?"

In July, The Post Millennial discovered that Washington State was using segregation to enforce racial equity and adhere to the new social justice norms in service to anti-racism. King County, the University of Washington, and the Department of Youth and Family Services are a few of those that are implementing measures to keep the races separate.