"We have seen enough of what othering can do. We have glimpsed the ways it could potentially end us. It's time for a new vision." -Ben McBride

“Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me.” -Sojourner Truth

Join us on Sunday, December 17th for Thrive's Winter Solstice Celebration & Benefit "We Bridge to Thrive: The Transformative Practice of Radical Belonging" featuring internationally recognized bridge-builder and visionary leader Ben McBride (author of Troubling the Water: The Urgent Work of Radical Belonging) along with cherished wisdom teacher, imaginal practitioner and elder Isoke Femi.

The world is unraveling before our eyes and our hearts are breaking. As we experience the ongoing pain of war, inequality, ecological devastation and deepening divisions in our societies, we are all being called to the urgent work and practice of radical belonging. Who do we have to become in ourselves to be able to act courageously from wholeness and healing? How can we transform the ways we other - and same - people so that we can truly build bridges and co-create a world that we all want to belong to? As we honor the winter solstice and turn toward the light of a new year, join us for an inspired evening of song, ritual, wisdom, reverence and community.

SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THRIVE: This event is Thrive's Winter Solstice Celebration and a Benefit for Thrive's bridging, building & belonging work. You can support the vital work of Thrive by purchasing tickets to this event and by making a donation to our year-end campaign.

RITUAL NOTE: Please have a candle and something to light it with during our time together.

WHEN: Sunday, December 17th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (arrive on time!)

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE HERE!

"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, can we make our relations with the world sacred again?" -Robin Wall Kimmerer

"Here are the taproots; let us draw from the deep." -Yeye Luisah Teish

Join us on Sunday, June 4th for Rooting in the Sacred: Ritual, Community & the Waters of Life with celebrated author, ritualist & spiritual teacher Yeye Luisah Teish, beloved musicians, vocalists & songwriters Honey of the Heart, and soul-stirring voices from the Wildchoir.

We live in a dominant culture that has uprooted its connection to the sacred. What role can ritual and earth-based spirituality play in restoring relationship to our ancestors, each other, the places we live and the more-than-human realms? How can we root our lives in a spiritual interconnectedness and reweave a sense of the sacred back into the heart of our culture? Join us as we gather to experience the power of community, music, song, ritual and the waters of life.

IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: Oakland & Bay area folks...join us in person and bring a friend. For folks in other locations, be part of the power & magic by joining us live online.

RITUAL INVITATION: For those joining in person, we invite you to bring a drum or small instrument to contribute to the collective ritual we'll be engaging in. For virtual participants, you will receive specific instructions for how you can create your own ritual space and engage in our ritual process from where you are.

WHAT: This event is part of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for June is on "Honoring the Sacred."

LEARN MORE and RSVP on Eventbrite here!

"Art is the heart's explosion on the world. Music. Dance. Poetry. Art on cars, on walls, on our skins. There is probably no more powerful force for change in this uncertain and crisis-ridden world." -Luis J. Rodriguez

"Art is a radical act. Joy is a radical act. This is how we keep fighting. This is how we survive." -Rebecca Makkai

Join us on Sunday, May 7th for Creation + Liberation: Art, Trauma, Healing & Joy with celebrated artist, activist & cultural strategist Favianna Rodriguez (co-founder of The Center for Cultural Power) and award-winning poet & multi-disciplinary artist Alixa Garcia (co-founder of Climbing PoeTree).

Art and joy are sources of survival, wellsprings of resilience, and a foundational strategy for creating a world where we all heal, belong and thrive. What are the deeper sources of creativity that can uplift our lives and movements? How can we transform our personal and societal trauma into justice, joy and freedom? Gather with us at the intersections of creative expression, personal healing and collective liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for May is "Creating Meaning, Art & Joy."

RSVP on Eventbrite here!

"While racial capitalism has attempted to sever our connection to the sacred earth for 400 years, Black people have long seen the land and water as family and understood the intrinsic value of nature." -Leah Penniman

Join us on Sunday, April 2nd for Listening to the Earth: Wisdom for Rooting, Relating & Restoring with farmer, educator & food justice activist Leah Penniman (cofounder of Soul Fire Farms, author of Farming While Black & Black Earth Wisdom) and hip-hop, R&B artist & community curator Jada Imani.

The medicine we need is rooted within us and beneath us. How can we listen to the earth and find guidance for restoring our relationships with the land, water and each other? What are the pathways for transforming racial violence, food apartheid and climate injustice into the flourishing world we know is possible and already emerging? Join us as we gather at the intersections of soil, community, music, life and liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for April is "Caring for the Earth" If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in our Spring series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

RSVP for an individual ticket on Eventbrite here.

"The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love." -Michelle Alexander

Join us on Sunday, March 5th for Creating a Liberation Economy: Reparations, Redistribution & Radical Resourcing with author, poet. journalist and poverty scholar Lisa "Tiny" Gray-Garcia (co-founder of POOR Magazine), beloved artist, activist, pianist and composer Kev Choice, and the soul-stirring voices of the Wildchoir (previously known as Thrive Choir).

As the social and political vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. evolved, he became increasingly focused on the issues of poverty and economic injustice. Dr. King knew that to truly build the Beloved Community we needed "a radical redistribution of political and economic power." What are the ways we shift our resources away from an oppression economy to a liberation economy? How can we make a just transition to the next economy, one that is rooted in the principles of interconnectedness, community reparations, healing and economic well-being for all? Join in as we gather at the intersections of belonging, justice, music, art and liberation.

IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: For our Oakland & Bay area folks...please come out, bring a friend and join us for our second in-person event since the pandemic. For folks in other locations, be part of the power & magic by joining us live online.

WHAT: This event is part of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for March is on "Growing the Next Economy." If you haven't already signed up, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE HERE!

"We are so good at causing harm, but history is asking us to become healers." -Fania Davis

Join us on Sunday, February 5th for Transforming Justice: The Healing Power of Racial & Restorative Justice with author, civil rights trial attorney and restorative justice practitioner Fania Davis and award-winning spoken word & hip hop artist Kane Smego.

Out of a long history of harm and injustice, a healing tide is rising. While there is a tremendous amount of structural and cultural transformation still before us, there are countless bright spots lighting the way. What does a more healing and restorative approach to justice look like in our lives, communities and society? How are our racial and restorative justice movements leading the way to a more loving and liberated world? Join in as we gather at the intersections of healing, justice, spirit, language and liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for February is "Transforming Justice & Power." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite.

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE.

"The world changes according to the way people see it. If you can alter the way people look at reality, then you can change the world." - James Baldwin

Join us on Sunday, January 8th for Changing the Narrative: The Power of Story to Transform our World with celebrated culture hacker, activist and author Alnoor Ladha and beloved Billboard charting singer-songwriter John Stringer.

If you want to change the world, change the story. Narrative power is our ability to reimagine and change the norms, rules and codes of our society. How can we decolonize our minds from the life-destroying narratives of our dominant culture? What are the stories we can inhabit that hold the power to heal and transform our world? Join us in kicking off the new year at the intersections of story, social change, music and liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for January is "Changing the Narrative." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.

WHEN: Sunday, January 8th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in breakout groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE HERE!

“Building bridges can expand our social networks, revitalize our communities and establish a more fair and equitable society.” -john a. powell

"Forgiveness is saying we choose to meet hatred with love." -Lyla June

Join us on Saturday, Dec 17th for We Belong: Building Bridges, Weaving Community with beloved social justice advocate john a. powell (Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute) and indigenous activist, poet & songwriter Lyla June (All Nations Rise, North Star).

We live in a fractured and frayed world of extreme separation, division and othering. What are the bridges we need to build and practices we need to engage in to shift from a culture of breaking to a culture of belonging? How can we repair and re-weave the fabric of care and connection in our communities so that all life can flourish? Join us for this special half-day retreat of heart and soul connectedness, timely conversation, ritual, song, and community practice.

WHEN: December 17, 2022 from 9am - 12:30pm PT / 12pm - 3:30pm ET (arrive on time!)

Please note we will take a short break halfway through our time together.

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

"There can be no well-being of me without a well-being of we." -Kerri Kelly

"We have an opportunity to reveal what most of us feel: deep heartbreak, resilience, and the desire to heal." -Michelle C. Johnson

Join us on Sunday, Oct 2nd for We Heal & Rise Together: The Power of Practice, Resilience & Care with organizer & wellness activist Kerri Kelly (author of American Detox), teacher & practitioner Michelle C. Johnson (author of Skill in Action), and celebrated singer-songwriter Santos Soul (Changing the World by Changing Me).

Healing is both personal and collective, a process that holds the power to transform our bodies, communities and world. How can we integrate deeper healing & resilience into our lives and movements? What are the practices we can engage in that cultivate freedom, embodiment, justice and community care? Gather with us as we root down and rise up on the journey of healing, love and liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the launch of Thrive's Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for October is "Healing & Care." If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up for the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

WHEN: Sunday, October 2nd from 4pm - 6pm PT / 7pm - 9pm ET (please arrive on time!)

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

RSVP on Eventbrite here!

"The earth is sacred. We have a responsibility to care for the living systems that sustain us and we have a responsibility to take care of each other." --Starhawk

"We are the ancestors of the future and what we do now will have an impact." --Yeye Luisah Teish

Join us on Thursday, June 16th for Rooting in the Sacred: Nature, Magic & Social Change with legendary elders & spiritual activists Starhawk (author of "The Fifth Sacred Thing" and "The Spiral Dance") and Yeye Luisah Teish (author of "Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals").

Rooting in the sacred can take many forms: honoring our ancestors, venerating nature, upholding spiritual traditions and engaging in meaningful social change. What role do our women elders play in guiding us through these complex times? How can Earth-based spirituality and rituals provide the grounding, healing and energy we need for transforming our world? Please join us for this special event between two esteemed luminaries as they converse about the sacred across traditions and lifelong practices.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, an ongoing series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive.

Learn more & RSVP on Eventbrite here!

"How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, to make our relations with the world sacred again?" - Robin Wall Kimmerer

"Let us journey to a place where you can recover your sacredness." - Jerry Tello

Join in on Sunday, June 5th for Recovering the Sacred with internationally recognized elder, healer & wisdom keeper Jerry Tello(co-founder of the National Compadres Network and author of Recovering Your Sacredness) and the heart-opening, soul-stirring voices of the Thrive Choir.

We live in a society that has largely uprooted its connection to the sacred. As a result, so many of us are spiritually sick and empty, morally lost and longing for something more. How can we rediscover the wisdom of our ancient traditions and the ways for honoring life and all our relations? How do we ground in our spiritual interconnectedness and reweave meaning, wholeness and reverence back into the heart of our culture? Join us as we root into the sacred together and uplift our spirits with the power of song, story, and community.

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for the month of June is "Honoring the Sacred." You can learn more about the full series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey

WHEN: Sunday, June 5th from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET(please arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in small groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE HERE!

"Be an artist. Draw something. Sing a song. Write a story. Experiment. Express yourself. Change the world." --Favianna Rodriguez

"If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." --Emma Goldman

Join us on Thursday, April 21st for Creative Liberation: The Power of Art to Transform the World with celebrated artists & culture workers Jackie Fawn (Indigenous graphic artist), Austin Willacy (singer-songwriter & producer) and Julio Salgado (Migrant visual artist & cultural strategist) hosted by René Revolorio Keith.

Art and creative expression are powerful forces for transforming our world. We create art to make meaning, resist oppression and to birth new possibilities. It is a way of survival and a practice in joy, resilience and liberation. Join us for this lively conversation as we explore the role of artists, songwriters, media makers and cultural practitioners in creating healing and social change. 

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, an ongiong series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive.

LEARN MORE & RSVP on EVENTBRITE!

"Pleasure gets lost under the weight of oppression, and it is liberatory work to reclaim it." -adrienne maree brown

"The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible." -Toni Cade Bambara

Join us on Sunday, April 3rd for The Art of Joy & Liberation with internationally acclaimed artist, poet and activist Sonya Renee Taylor (author of The Body is Not an Apology), celebrated folk & gospel duo MaMuse (We Shall Be Known, Force of Nature & more) and beloved Mazin Jamal of Thrive Choir.

Art and joy keep our lives lifted and movements vital. What is the role of pleasure, joy and self-love in creating a liberated world? How does the power of creative expression heal us, expand us and free us? Join as we wage beauty together and unleash the spirit of music, words and liberation. 

WHAT: This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. Our theme for the month of April is "Creating Meaning, Art & Joy." You can learn more about & sign up to participate in the next three months of the series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite.

WHEN: Sunday, April 3rd from 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET (please arrive on time!) with an optional time to connect & reflect in small groups from 5:30pm - 6pm PT / 8:30pm - 9pm ET

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

LEARN MORE & RSVP ON EVENTBRITE

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” - Angela Davis

Join us on Thursday, Feb 17th for Transforming the System: Inside and Out with racial justice organizer Chinyere Tutashinda (Executive Director at the Center for Third World Organizing), climate justice organizer Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish (Sr. Program Manager at Climate Innovation), and restorative circle facilitator Garry Malachi Scott(Community Restorative Justice Coordinator at Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth) hosted by conflict transformation leader AddieRose Mayer (Executive Director at SEEDS Community Resolution Center).

Injustice is everywhere. From the carceral systems to racial inequities to environmental destruction - our systems need a radical transformation. How do we create systemic change in ways that bridge the fierce shifts we're creating in our structures with the restoration we're needing inside ourselves through healing, compassion and love? What are practices we can use for addressing harm, conflict and oppression that can be deeply transformative for us all? Join us for an inspiring conversation with community tenders from Restorative Justice, Movement for Black Lives and Environmental Justice.

WHEN: Thursday, February 17th from 5pm - 6:30pm PT / 8pm - 9:30pm ET (please arrive on time!)

WHERE: Online on Zoom

REGISTER on Eventbrite here!

"We see the other until we develop a kinship. We see the other until we develop community. We see the other until we're able to establish some sense of who we are together." -Resmaa Menakem

“Walls turned sideways are bridges.” -Angela Davis

Join us on Wednesday, Dec 15th for Belonging Together: Building Bridges, Weaving Community, a conversation with celebrated bridge-builders and belonging leaders Ben McBride, Uma Viswanathan & Hi’ilani Shibata hosted by Cherine Badawi.

In an era of deep division and polarization, we are increasingly challenged and called to remember that we belong together. Our planet and collective well-being require it. What facilitates bridge-building with people who are different from us and with whom we might strongly disagree with? How can the act of bridging with others give rise to a fuller sense of who we are and help reweave the fabric of care & community? Join us for an illuminating conversation at the intersection of building bridges, healing divides, honoring culture & co-creating a world where we all belong and thrive.

This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more about the full series at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket here on Eventbrite.

"Us all standing on your body

Floating through outer space

I bow to your love

And intrinsic intelligence"

-Alixa Garcia

"This is how we nurture love. This is how we build belonging. We can build a circle of humanity where no one is outside.” -john a. powell

Join us on Sunday, December 5th for A Bridge to Belonging: The Practice of Beloved Community with celebrated author and professor john a. powell (Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute) and beloved artist, activist & poet Alixa Garcia (co-founder of Climbing PoeTree).

We are fundamentally interconnected as a human family yet the chasm of separation meets us on all sides. At a time when our world needs the heart and wisdom of all of us, how can we build bridges across our divides and weave the fabric of beloved community? What are the principles and practices for bridging that will allow us to find healing and belonging together? Join us as we explore the power of bridge-building, love, vulnerability and co-creating a bigger We that welcomes us all.

Learn more & RSVP here!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

“This is a time for straying, for losing one’s way, for asking new questions.” - Bayo Akomolafe

"DREAM of the world you desire to exist in. Look for the places in your new dreams that have parts of the old world and remove them. What is the dream then? From there we can add to the collective weaving of whatever it is that is next.” -Sonya Renee Taylor

Join us on Saturday, Nov 20th for an intimate and revelatory conversation A Crack In Time Can Heal The World with beloved elder & wisdom teacher Isoke Femi and cherished writer, provocateur & philosopher Bayo Akomolafe. 

Amidst the great disruptions of our time, a portal has opened, new possibilities are emerging and we are finding our way together. How do we uproot the old ways that are no longer serving, decolonizing our minds, curing the cult of whiteness and dispelling the myths of supremacy and capitalism? How can we make sanctuary as beloved communities that are healing and restorative as we open to new stories, imaginations and sacred ways of relating to each other and our world? Join us for this wide-ranging conversation mixing cosmology, syncretism, emergence and unconventional wisdom to support our collective healing and liberation.

WHAT: This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. You can learn more about the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. 

WHEN: Saturday, November 20th from 9am - 10:30am PT / 12pm - 1:30pm ET (arrive on time!) 

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

Learn more & RSVP on Eventbrite here!

"We must do what is just. It is time for reparations." -Nikole Hannah-Jones

"We are all human beings on this land. We need to learn how to live in reciprocity together." -Corinna Gould

Join us on Wednesday, Nov 17th for Reparations & Rematriation: Returning Land, Restoring Life, a conversation with celebrated activists & community leaders Konda Mason (Jubilee Justice), Ariel Luckey (Sogorea Te' Land Trust) and Krystal Two Bulls (LANDBACK Campaign) hosted by Rajiv Khanna. 

Ours is a time of repair and return, healing the harms of history and remembering our connection with each other, the sacred and the land. As a readiness rises across our society to make reparations real, how can we do so in ways that transform and heal? How can the process of returning land to its original stewards help heal our cultures and restore the balance of life? Join us for a lively conversation at the intersections of land, culture, money, spirit and liberation. 

This event is part of the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite here.

"We can bring down the entire system, but if we haven't healed our traumas and learned how to be in authentic relationship with each other, we will corrupt any new system we put in place. We can heal every person's trauma, but if we haven't dismantled the structures that perpetuate injustice at a systemic level, we'll replicate the conditions for new traumas to constantly be created." - Kazu Haga

"Diyin Dine’é ashoondi, Creator of life, nourisher of hearts, strum us like strings, beat us like drums, beat us like wings, let’s make the symphony that begins to heal all things." - Lyla June

Join us for A Time of Reckoning and Repair: Healing our Wounds, Restoring our Wholeness with author, activist and Kingian nonviolence trainer Kazu Haga and Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer Lyla June. 

How do we reckon with the wounds of history and begin to heal the layers of trauma we hold individually and collectively? What are the ways we can make reparations real at all levels and restore a culture of wholeness and radical interconnectedness? As we move deeper into a time of reckoning and repair, join us in the work of building beloved communities and healing movements that embody the power of love and liberation.

Learn more & RSVP here!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

"The only way to survive is by taking care of one another." - Grace Lee Boggs

"The health of the people & the wellness of all people should be our guiding light and principle." -Rupa Marya

Join us on Thurs, Oct 28th for Healing & Collective Care: A Conversation on Trauma, Ancestry & the Sacred with cherished healers and community organizers Carla M. Pérez, adélàjà simon and RaheNi Gonzalez hosted by Aryeh Shell.

Healing is a personal and collective process that holds the power to transform our bodies, communities and world. At a time when our peoples are carrying so much trauma and grief, how can we restore ancestral and traditional modalities of healing that are rooted in cultural understandings of wellness, interconnectedness, and regenerative relationship with people and the Earth? How can we respond with collective care in our movements and communities as we work to bring forth a healed and just world? The Healing Clinic Collective, based in the Bay Area, holds a central intention "to plant the seed for a return to the Sacred." They have developed a network of over 100 natural, traditional wellness practitioners and healers that offer their services for free and low cost to populations who experience systemic oppression & trauma. Join us for an inspiring conversation with HCC founder and Lead Coordinator, Carla Pérez and HCC Core members adélàjà simon and RaheNi Gonzalez.

This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

Learn more about this specific event online here.

“The ritual of our daily lives permeates our very bodies.” - Kenji Yoshimoto

"Any ritual is an opportunity for transformation. To do a ritual, you must be willing to be transformed in some way. The inner willingness is what makes the ritual come alive and have power." - Starhawk

Join us on Sunday, Oct 10th for The Power of Ritual and Community facilitated by Rev. Dr. Sunshine Michelle Coleman. We are gathering to explore the transformative power of ritual in our daily and collective lives, and how we can practice ritual in ways to bring about greater healing, aliveness, connection and spiritual grounding. For those participating in the Beloved Community Journey, this offering will provide a foundation for how we can integrate ritual into the personal healing work and practices we will be engaging in together.

"Ritual is a key component of sacred inquiry that can take you deeper within the realm of inner exploration and self-discovery. It invokes a sweet space of expansion, growth, and possibility." - Rev. Dr. Sunshine Michelle Coleman

WHAT: This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events here. If you are only wanting to participate in this specific event, you can purchase an individual ticket on Eventbrite.

WHEN: Sunday, October 10th from 10:30am - 12pm PT / 1:30pm - 3pm ET (please arrive on time!)

WHERE: Online on Zoom (link shared when you register)

COST: If you sign up for the Beloved Community Journey, this event is included and you do not need to sign up here. If you are only wanting to participate in this event, a $5 - $20 contribution is suggested.

We look forward to gathering!

In partnership,

the Thrive team

(Here is the Eventbrite page for sharing with others.)

Rev. Dr. Sunshine Michelle Coleman is a spiritual leader, facilitator, inspirational speaker, and author. She is an ordained minister in New Thought spiritual philosophies and has a deep consciousness of love and service. She is a ritualist and has a passion for convening safe space for healing and transformation. Her professional career spans over 25 years in Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in management and professional roles within the retail, higher education, and financial and insurance services sectors. Her nonprofit experience includes being the Founding Community Leader of Authenticity Journey of Renewal, a faith-based organization focused on authentic self-expression as a vehicle for healing, liberation, and connection with our true purpose.

Sunshine Michelle operates from a place of professionalism, leadership, compassion, deep listening, and excellence. Her combined business experience, spiritual leadership, and community engagement enables a blended skill-set that empowers individuals, communities, and organizations alike. Dr. Coleman has a Doctorate in Transformative Studies, a Master’s in Consciousness Studies, and a Bachelor’s in Organizational Behavior. As a servant leader with keen insights, compassionate, astute communications, and coaching and facilitation, she is a valuable resource in the areas of professional development, self-empowerment, organizational effectiveness, and community cohesiveness.

A native of Northern California, Sunshine Michelle enjoys creative writing, being in spiritual practice, participating in Beloved Community, and being in service to life. She has one son who is a professional artist and youth advocate.

Join us this Sunday, October 3rd for Healing Together: The Power of Practice, Resilience & Care with celebrated author, teacher & practitioner Michelle C. Johnson, the electrifying songwriter & vocalist Jenn Johns, and beloved Joyous Dawn of the Thrive Choir.

Healing is a personal and collective process that holds the power to transform our bodies, communities and world. What are the ways we can engage in trauma healing & resilience building work in our bodies, and how can this support our movements for liberation? As we cultivate our embodied and emotional capacities, how can these practices make room for more justice, collective healing and care? Gather with us as we explore how to practice, love, embody and heal together.

Guest Speaker: Michelle C. Johnson is a social justice warrior, author, dismantling racism trainer, empath, yoga teacher and practitioner, and an intuitive healer. She is the founder of Skill in Action. With over 20 years of experience leading dismantling racism work and working with clients as a licensed clinical social worker, Michelle has a deep understanding of how trauma impacts the mind, body, spirit, and heart. Her awareness of the world through her own experience as a Black woman allows her to know, first-hand, how privilege and power operate. 

Michelle holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has worked in several non-profits and served as an elected official and on many non-profit boards of directors. Michelle has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, Lululemon, and many others. She published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017, and her new book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was released in July 2021. Michelle teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019, and she has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. Recently, she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge.

Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world. There are a myriad of ways to work with Michelle, and she hopes to support you on your healing journey and path towards wholeness in whatever capacity allows you to live your fullest life.

Guest Artist: Jenn Johns creates sounds and experiences that are sure to stir your soul, inspire your mind and move your body. This powerhouse vocalist, songwriter and producer vacillates between soul, hip hop, afro beat, dancehall, rock, reggae, deep house and more. Rocking stages from Denver to Dusseldorf, Los Angeles to London, Kuala Lumpur to Kampala - Jennifer has shared line ups with some of the best in the business including the likes of Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Black Eyed Peas, Mos Def, Capelton, Ziggy Marley, Gil Scott Heron, Wyclef, Les Nubian, De La Soul and Common to name just a few. With an intention to leverage her art for social movements, she has also found herself sharing stages with thought leaders like Van Jones, Dr. Michael Beckwith, Phaedra Ellis Lampkins, Malkiya Cyril, Shawn Ginwright and more. Over the last 8 years, Jennifer has has become a Green For All Fellow, a BoldFood Fellow, the Artist in Residence at Food First, the First Artist in Residence at Langston Hughes Center for Performing Arts Institute, and a Kapor Foundation Grantee two times over for her video journal on sustainability and poverty called Go Liv. 

In February of 2016, Jennifer began a journey called The F.U.N. Manifesto to ask people about their ideas of freedom. What was meant to be a three week trip became a 10 month odyssey that ultimately produced Jennifer’s first official release in nearly 10 years, AZANIA. While in most circles Jennifer is best known as a musician and activist, she also spends a lot of creative energy on performance installations and visual art. In the summer of 2018, Jennifer presented Liv: A Ritual for Humanity at Montalvo’s Art on The Grounds where she simulated a citizen’s and ancestor’s arrest of a police officer. In the fall of 2019, she co-presented a choreopoem featuring her words and music with movement by Kendra Barnes of The Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble at Oakland’s historic Malonga Casquelourd Center. 

Throughout the spring of 2020, Jennifer has shared music and art from her project, Good Medicine featuring songs produced Jennifer and long time collaborator, Kev Choice. Currently, Jennifer is working on her next performance installations an album and some technology. Her next works are an evolution on The F.U.N. Manifesto. “ What I have learned through my art and activism is that both freedom and joy are personal and can be chosen at any time. Through this performance, the new online portal and the F.U.N. content I plan to remind people that they can always choose.”

Learn more & invite your friends here!

"Our goal is to create a Beloved Community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls and a quantitative change in our lives." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"King did not believe that the realization of the Beloved Community would one day just automatically come to pass. Rather he saw it as an ideal that first must be envisioned, and then consciously and intentionally worked toward. It was King’s hope that in every succeeding generation, visionary people will commit their lives and resources to the achievement of such a community." - Rev. Shirley Strong

Join us on Wed, Sept 29th for Beloved Community for These Times, a thought-provoking & soul-searching conversation with revered community leaders Taj James, Brenda Salgado, Darrel Jones III and Sandhya Jha hosted by Thrive elder Ann-Ellice Parker.

Our guests will explore a wide range of timely questions including:

• What is meant by "Beloved Community" and how is the vision and story of building Beloved Community continuing to unfold in our time?

• What is the inner and outer work of healing it requires? What are the practices and points of transformation we need to engage in?

• How does our sacred earth and the climate crisis connect with our emerging visions for Beloved Community?

• What roles can we each play in the process of reckoning and repair, and how can we heal together on the path of love and liberation?

This event is part of the launch for the Beloved Community Journey, a 9 month series of learning, practice and taking action together to create a world where we all belong and thrive. If you haven't already signed up for the Journey, you can learn more and sign up to participate in the full series of events at: https://thrivenetwork.org/journey.

Learn more about this specific event online here.