RELATIONSHIPS RESET

BEYOND OTHERING
3 Mondays, March 30, April 6, and April 13, 2026
4:30-6:00pm PDT Registration Fee: $97 per workshop or $175 for both

Othering is the process of uplifting some at the expense of others. It uses perceived differences as the justification for differentials in treatment. Personhood is replaced by labels, stereotypes, constructs, and caricatures. The dehumanization of othering provides the permission slip for injury and harm. The welfare of the denigrated becomes collateral damage for the benefit of the uplifted. This dynamic happens in all forms of relationships from interpersonal to socio-political.

Think of it like a teeter-toter; the only way to get higher is to make the other side lower. Balance requires affirming everyone’s equal humanity. This takes concerted effort since we are all consciously or unconsciously perpetuating the teeter-toter. Equality and belonging require that we continuously challenge our ideas about who deserves or doesn’t deserve based upon qualities they inherently possess or lack. As you demonstrate living off the teeter-toter, your vitality will encourage people to join you.

We learn how:

• Deconstruct bias and othering
• Fortify fairness and empathy
• Live together respectfully
  
  

HOW POWER IS SHARED
3 Mondays, April 20, April 27, and May 4, 2026
4:30-6:00pm PDT Registration Fee: $97 per workshop or $175 for both

Societal power comes from privilege which is often thought of as having advantages that others do not. Hence, privilege is mistakenly attributed to the exclusive domain of the wealthy and elite. In a society that prides itself on self-reliance, the notion of having privilege can be distasteful accompanied by with feelings of judgment, disgust, guilt, or shame. Because of this, many fair-minded people don’t want to think of themselves as having privilege in any form.

However, each of us has privilege in our own ways as privilege is relative, a contrast against the position of other people. In some areas we may be in the more privileged position while in others it is reversed. For example, women may have fewer privileges than men. However, able-bodied women have more privileges than men with disabilities.

Justice will come when our privileges are shared, but we can only share what we acknowledge having. Privilege is most problematic when we refuse to acknowledge that we have it and, therefore, don’t share it. Likewise, when we are acutely aware of having privilege and hoard it refusing to share. Discover the 4 components or privilege and find out how to use yours responsibly for the benefit of all.

Learn how to:

• Acknowledge the 4 components of privilege we each use
• Level the playing field by sharing or respective privileges
• Intentionally empower one another

About these workshops:
These are workshops, not seminars. They are designed for you to explore, engage, and evolve. All materials are original, user-friendly, and created for all levels of interaction from the novice to the advanced. Every week there is a learning practicum, and the sessions build upon one another. If you miss a session, please review the recording and materials before attending the next. The weekly foundational exercises are to be completed by everyone. There are optional bonus assignments that further stretch your heart for those prepared to go deeper in their transformation. Grounded in best practices, the workshops integrate spirituality, social justice, and current events. Most especially, the workshops are a safe space where we can have fun while growing.

Message from the Instructor
If you are reading this, then I don’t have to tell you about the news. You understand the fierce urgency of now and are heeding the call. The information in these workshops is important at any time. However, in these times it is a matter of life and death, figuratively and literally. The infrastructures and materials dealing with issues of cultural experiences, power imbalances, respect, empathy, and belonging are being systematically dismantled and banned. Hence, creating and participating in spaces such as these is blessing to us all. It requires, however, being more stealth than usual, and depending more on word of mouth than algorithms that are blocking this content. I applaud your courage in showing up and appreciate the opportunity to grow with you. Please invite others to join us.

About the Instructor
Rev Deborah L Johnson is a lifelong social justice strategist and diversity specialist whose work has received numerous awards. She has been featured in many books and films including Showtime’s Jumping the Broom, Glamour Magazine, Ms Magazine, ABC Nightline, and the Donahue Show. As an Organizational and Diversity Consultant, she serves the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, including many Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, Apple Inc, Kaiser Permanente, Hewlett Packard, MCA Universal, and the Ford Foundation. She is the successful litigant in two landmark civil rights cases setting the precedent for the inclusion of sexual orientation as a civil rights issue.

Rev Deborah is founder of Inner Light Ministries in Santa Cruz, CA, and a founding member of Agape International in Los Angeles. Author of The Sacred YES and Your Deepest Intent, she is also the founder of the newly forming nonprofit, Unleashing Our Future. A former pension fund Real Estate Investment Manager, she holds a BA from USC, an MBA from UCLA, a ministerial degree from Holmes Institute, and an honorary DD from Agape University. A dynamic speaker and strategist, she is known for bringing clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues. Wherever she goes her message is about healing, inclusion, empowerment, and possibility.