A   S   S   U   M   P   T   I   O   N   S

These assumptions developed over time as dRworks came to better understand
​both what the work was teaching us and how the work was grounding us.

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At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me
say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. … We must strive every day so that this love of living humanity will be transformed into actual deeds,
into acts that serve as examples, as a
​moving force.
-Che Guevara
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​We do not believe we can offer each other "safe space." Any space in which we are working together can become unsafe within moments. We do strive for "safer space" as described by Marin Burton and used here with her permission:

Safer space is a place where people can come as they are to discover, assert, and empower their voices. Safer space is a place where people can come as they are to encounter and listen deeply to the voices of others. Safer space is grounded in respect; it is a place where we assume positive intent. People within safer spaces are working toward developing trust over time and are seeking to understand first. Safer spaces require continual work and mindfulness. A seemingly safe space can turn unsafe within moments. How we handle those moments is what really determines the safety of the space. Spaces are safer when we take responsibility for what we say, feel, and think to the extent that we can and when we admit that we cannot when that is the case. 
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Click here for a deeper exploration of From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces by Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens. 

Click here for an exploration of Why Your Brave Space Sucks by Lily Zheng.

dRworks suggests that racial equity work is grounded in the following assumptions:

• We live in a toxic culture that affects us all; one dynamic of the culture is that we are discouraged from seeing it. One of our tasks is to learn to see our culture and how it teaches us to make normal that which is not and should never be normal.
• Intention is not the same as impact; we can have good intentions and still have a hurtful or damaging impact.
• We cannot dismantle racism in a system that exploits people for private profit. If we want to dismantle racism, then we must build a movement for economic justice.
• We are offering an analysis and awareness tool in order to develop ourselves as critical and compassionate people. Dismantling racism, sexism, heterosexism, and unlearning oppressive attitudes will and does take a lifetime. Most of us have been struggling with these issues for years and years already. None of us are beginners and none of us have perfect clarity. This work is a journey without endpoint. This work is a lifelong process.
• We operate in a culture that assumes racial justice and equity and civil rights efforts are "for" BIPOC communities and people and the goal is to “help” BIPOC communities and people into a white(r) world; we believe this worldview perpetuates the racist idea that white people are the default "normal" and do not need to change. We believe this worldview perpetuates racism.
• How we do our work is as important as the work we do. We must work to honor each other and our values at every level of the organization.
• The practice of talking about and understanding how racism operates is a practice that will and does reproduce racism; we are sitting in the tension of that reality in every moment and are continually learning how to rely on our love and regard for each other (whether present or desired), our resilience, our humility, and our sense of humor.
• Part of our work is to develop discernment about the exquisite balance between the personal and the collective. We work well together collectively when we tend to our personal work and our personal work makes better sense in the context of the collective.
• We are all fabulous. We are not here to “fix” each other; rather our work is to love ourselves into who we are, knowing how conditioned we all are by white supremacy.
• We have to believe in the possibilities of creating the world we want to see by walking our talk and learning from our mistakes.
• None of this is easy and we have to do it anyway.
• We already have what we need (with thanks to Nayo Watkins, a movement elder and mentor).