Resisting Oppression by Building Trust and Connection with Amber Banks

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“I hope listeners reflect on their own relationship to trust. I hope they get curious about the places in themselves that need healing in service of broader societal repair. I hope they seek to be trust leaders in their own contexts”
–Amber Banks

Dr. Amber Banks shares her personal journey into activism and social justice work. She speaks on the complexities of trust, how personal and cultural experiences shape trust, and the intersection of trust with race and power. Dr. Banks discusses the importance of creating spaces where individuals can feel seen and heard and stresses the critical nature of repair in the trust-building process. Her storytelling also touches on the necessity of rest and self-care in sustaining activism and promoting resilience against systemic oppression.

Insights for consideration from Dr. Banks:

• Who and how we trust is shaped by our racialized experiences/identities
• We are allowed to have our own unique relationships to trust and repair.
• Our collective liberation relies on us being able to navigate each others “trust languages”.
• Engaging in the vulnerable and complex work of healing our wounds is necessary in order to heal wounds with others.

“Our understanding of trust has been whitewashed– the popular thought leaders on trust over the past century have been predominately white men, which has resulted in definitions of trust that are void of cultural nuance. Ignoring this aspect of trust is causing harm and impeding our ability to repair at the personal, interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels.

By seeing trust through the lens of our identities and experiences, we begin to understand that our trust perspectives and behaviors are necessarily informed by our identities, histories, and more. If we do not evolve the paradigm on trust, we will be stuck in a white dominant relational system that does not allow for authentic repair and connection.”
–Amber Banks

Meet Amber

Dr. Amber Banks is the inaugural Vice President, Programs at Decolonizing Wealth Project. She is honored to lead DWP’s programs and support the direction of Liberated Capital’s funds. Dr. Banks is also the Founder & CEO of the Center for Trust and Transformation (CTT). CTT offers coaching, training, facilitation, and advising to social sector organizations focused on trust, healing, repair, and racial justice. Dr. Banks started her career as a Special Education teacher and is a seasoned social sector leader with over two decades of experience as an educator, researcher, coach, facilitator, advisor, grant maker, entrepreneur, and organizer.

Across all her work, Dr. Banks’ centers trust as a foundational building block for racial justice and social change and elevates how race and power shape our relationships, and how healing and social transformation go hand in hand. Dr. Banks completed her undergraduate degree in Journalism at Boston University and Ph.D. in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Policy from the University of Washington with a focus on cross-cultural trust, racial justice, and social network analysis.

Dr. Banks is certified as a Healing Centered Coach and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP). She also is an Pahara Institute Fellow and a Mosaic Changemakers Fellow. Dr. Banks loves to dream of what’s possible when we work together from a place of trust and healing.

Connect with Dr. Banks on LinkedIn

What you’ll learn in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to Social Justice Origin Stories
01:13 Dr. Amber Banks’ Journey into Activism
06:06 The Complexities of Trust
08:39 Trust in Professional and Educational Contexts
12:11 Cultural Nuances in Trust
21:04 Developing Trust in Oppressive Systems
29:04 Creating Spaces for Trust and Connection
34:44 Building Trust Between Police and Communities
36:32 The Importance of Rest in Social Justice Work
37:27 Healing and Boundaries
40:43 The Role of Community in Personal Wellbeing
45:59 Navigating Conflict in Beloved Communities
48:36 Sustaining Hope and Interconnectedness
56:49 A Message to Future Generations
59:31 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Name Drops, References, and Resources from Amber

Decolonizing Wealth Project

Center for Trust and Transformation

Book: What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill

Book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glower Tawwab

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Social Justice Origin Stories is produced, edited, and hosted by Relando Thompkins-Jones