Class impacts our personal identities, our institutions, and our work for social change. In the United States, discussing class issues is taboo; and often more challenging to talk about than race, sexuality and religion. Feelings of shame, and/or guilt at being poorer or richer than others lead to secrecy and silence, which only perpetuates myths around class in America and reinforces the growing divisions among us. In this period of renewed hope, increased engagement, and financial crisis, it is more important than ever to gain experience and skills in talking about class.

In this experiential workshop, we use an interactive facilitation style to examine the complexities of class in our lives and communities. This workshop addresses the following questions: What is class? What is the reality of wealth and income distribution? What does classism look like? How does class affect our relationships with people of similar and different backgrounds? What tools and resources can we use to think about and address class and classism?

Talking About Class will be facilitated by Class Action Board members Jerry Koch-Gonzalez and Betsy Leondar-Wright

Betsy Leondar-Wright is the author of “Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists” (2005) and co-author of “The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Wealth Divide” (2006).

Jerry Koch-Gonzalez is a communications and organizational development consultant and co-author of the “Cross Class Manual: Talking Across the Class Divide.” Currently, Jerry is the Interim Executive Director of Class Action.