Night Vision: A Cohort for Black Women
What would you do with an invitation to just….BE? What wisdom, dreams, truth, rest, and healing could you access if there wasn’t an expectation to DO anything?
This 6-week cohort for Black women and non-binary folks is an invitation to a community of rest, healing, and joy.
We need to be reminded that God calls us to Be-loved. Be-loved. We have to build up our “being” muscles. This journey starts with being honest about how tired we are and taking intentional time to rest. After a holy pause, we can begin the work of healing. And then, just maybe, we’ll be ready to play.
Applications Close Friday March 10th at midnight.
Why We Need This Space
night vision
by Lucille Clifton
the girl fits her body in
to the space between the bed
and the wall. she is a stalk,
exhausted. she will do some
thing with this. she will
surround these bones with flesh,
she will cultivate night vision.
she will train her tongue
to lie still in her mouth and listen.
the girl slips into sleep.
her dream is red and raging.
she will remember
to build something human with it.
As Black diaspora women and nonbinary folks, we often do what needs to be done while being exhausted and drained. This leaves little time for exploring our own rest, healing, and play. We cannot find liberation in our own isolated and exhausted siloes. There is a softer way. As Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes’ shares in Too Heavy a Yoke, Black women+ often need a space to share the ups and downs of our spiritual journeys without feeling the pressure of caregiving demands.
Therefore, in this cohort, we will:
create space for somatic practices to guide us through liberating expressions of rest, care, healing and play.
respond to vocational questions grounded in an understanding of our unique identities, stories, and imaginations”
This cohort will prioritize knowledge that arises from the individual and group body, with special mindfulness towards unique lived experiences, racial/ethnic/cultural stories, and faith expressions. We will communicate through a closed online community space for continued processing between meetings.
Cohort Details
WHO
This cohort is open to Black women and non-binary folks whose worldviews and experiences have been shaped by Christianity. We will reference the Bible and Christian frameworks. There is no expectation that folks are attending church, but there is an expectation that folks are trying to connect with Creator in some way.
We are aiming for 10-15 people in the cohort.
COMMUNITY
Liberated Together cohorts are more than affirming towards queer folks. We seek to co-create a space that celebrates the queering of all things. Please only apply to the cohort if you can commit to co-creating a space that loves and creates safety for queer folks.
COST
$550- you can make 2 payments
Scholarships are available.
TIME COMMITMENT
This cohort commitment includes weekly Zoom gatherings. We will have reading, podcasts, and other materials you are invited to engage in a leisurely way. However, this isn’t a cohort for centering the study of texts. This is a cohort for centering breath, being, and belonging. Our time will be spent cultivating what is already within us.
DATE & TIME
Wednesdays - March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26th
5:00pm - 6:30pm PST
You must be able to attend all sessions in order to participate.
Applications Close Friday March 10th at Midnight.
Meet The Facilitators
Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson
Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson
Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson is a preacher, pastor, and prophet. Riana is passionate about speaking the truth in love, offering a constant invitation for people to see themselves as beloved, and providing various ways to respond to the command to love God, self, and neighbor.
Riana is currently in a season of creation, inviting various communities and organizations to examine what the Bible says about pursuing justice and liberation for the most marginalized. Riana recently birthed Miriam’s Song, a church that centers the healing, wholeness, and flourishing of women of color and GNB folks of color.
Rose J. Percy
Rose J. Percy
Rose J. Percy, M.Div., is a contemplative theopoet, spiritual care specialist, digital creator, and podcast producer. Rose loves helping people liberate their faith through vocational discernment informed by embodied rest, and communal care. Rose created “Dear Soft Black Woman,” a podcast that centers and celebrates the journeys of Black women+ flourishing beyond the “Strong Black Woman” myth. You can read Rose’s grounding meditations, poems, and prayers through her newsletter “A Gentle Landing” on Substack.
