On Friday, February 23, 2024, Wellspring on Main of Arlington is hosting Gathering at the Wellspring: Traces of the Trade, a day-long-exploration of how the enslavement and trafficking of Africans and African Americans in the United States from 1619 until the end of the Civil War in 1865 continues to reverberate throughout our nation, our government, and our individual lives. Participants will view an award winning film, Traces of the Trade, a story from the Deep North; explore the social and cultural advantages of being white and the corollary disadvantages facing Black people; and learn ways to answer the question, “Now what?” The goal is to take a courageous clear-eyed look at our shared history, the lessons we can learn from it, and the ways we can engage with one another locally as we strive to become a healthier community, physically, spiritually, and economically. Co-moderators are Estrus Tucker and Katie Sherrod. There is no charge to attend. The event will take place in the former Arlington Museum of Art building, 201 W. Main Street, which has been purchased by the Arlington Center for Community Engagement (ACCE).The ACCE sponsors Wellspring on Main. Wellspring on Main is a place where diverse people engage with one another in ways that foster the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of our community by celebrating the dignity of every human being. Gathering at the Wellspring programs facilitate broad community engagement to create a more equitable, healthy Arlington for tomorrow. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by Simply Divune Cafe, Arlington, offering the cuisine of Africa & Cuba. This event is supported by the Episcopal Health Foundation. Childcare will be available for children up through age 5 at no charge. Traces of the Trade tells the story of the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history, the DeWolfs of Rhode Island, the forefathers of Producer/Director Katrina Browne. The film follows Browne and nine fellow family members on a remarkable journey which brings them face-to-face with the history and legacy of their New England family’s involvement in the slave trade in the 18th and early 19th centuries against the backdrop of Northern business, communities, and residents who condoned and benefited from slave trading. The descendants retrace the steps of the Triangle Trade, visiting the DeWolf hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island, slave forts on the coast of Ghana, and the ruins of a family plantation in Cuba. Once back home, the family confronts the thorny topic of what to do now. The issues confronting the DeWolf descendants embody questions that apply to our nation as a whole: What, concretely, is the legacy of slavery—for diverse whites, for diverse blacks, for diverse others? Who owes whom what for the sins of the fathers of this country? What history do we inherit as individuals and as citizens? How does Northern complicity change the equation? What would repair—spiritual and material—really look like and what would it take? Immediately following the film, DeWolf descendant Dain Perry and his wife Constance Perry will lead a conversation in which participants process what they have just seen. After lunch, the Perrys will facilitate a workshop on “Unpacking Your Invisible Knapsack,” a phrase from the work of Peggy McIntosh. McIntosh points out that white people are taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but rarely are taught to see one of its corollary aspects, that white people are at an advantage. Participants will work in small groups, aided by trained facilitators. A reception will follow, for people to unwind, socialize, and continue to process the work they have done together. The Traces of the Trade program is the first in a series of three. In early summer there will be a program featuring local organizations working to overcome the legacy of enslavement and the resulting racism. Representatives will talk about ways to continue anti-racism work on the local level. In the fall the thorny topic of reparations will be explored – what are they, who owes them, and how do we make them? These programs have been developed in consultation with Estrus Tucker, president & CEO and co-founder of DEI Consultants, Fort Worth, and a longtime national leader in racial justice and reconciliation efforts, sponsored in partnership with The Episcopal Health Foundation. Traces of the Trade Schedule Friday, February 23, 2023 Note: Breakfast and lunch will be provided by Simply Divune Cafe, Arlington, offering the cuisine of Africa & Cuba. 8:00 am – Participants gather. Coffee and light breakfast available 8:50 am – Introductions 9:00 am –Screening of Traces of the Trade 10:30 am – Moderated session on reactions to the film 12:00 pm – Lunch 1:00 pm - Unpacking Your Invisible Knapsack Workshop 4:30 pm – Reception “Until we talk about the issue of race and racism and until we learn how it came about in this country and how it is affecting people today in such terribly negative ways, we’ll never succeed in overcoming racism...knowing our history is critical in how we move forward.” Dain Perry, facilitator “The more diverse the audience is, the more we are truly listening to each other, not just with our ears, but with our hearts and our humanity in a non-threatening way. We can maybe begin to understand the challenges we all face and agree that we have work to do. But it’s through these conversations that we develop knowledge, that we begin to build trust and begin to build community so that together we can begin to break down the walls of racism.” Constance Perry, facilitator.