ARCC’s Personal Transformation Course

By: Kayla Gould

It is a privilege to be a part of the ARCC team. While I have been an intern with this non-profit I have been able to go on a personal transformation journey. We are over halfway with the course material in the personal transformation curriculum, so I thought I would share what I have learned so far. 

Session one covered identity and race. Many people may have to think about how to fill out a government form if they are multiracial. As a white person, I don’t think twice about it. This session helped me understand the privileges I have in a whole different way. 

In Session 2 we discussed White Privilege. In this session, I was able to better understand subjects like this because of the in-depth material we covered in the course. For instance, we discussed microaggressions in this session and going over the in-depth material ARCC provides created a clearer understanding of some people’s experiences that are difficult for them that I have never had to experience. 

Session 3 covered Systemic Racism. This session I learned more about the experience of those who are oppressed by our system whether that’s related to the school system, housing, healthcare, etc. For instance, we learned that in 2015, 1 in four people arrested for drug law violations were Black. 

Because of ARCC’s course, I have learned so much from the course material and I have had the opportunity to hear from so many people with different backgrounds about their own personal experiences and stories. I’m looking forward to continuing my transformational journey these next couple of weeks and continuing to evolve my understanding of things and how to become a true anti-racist.