This is an invitation for white folks in the Twin Cities who support The Yarn Mission from me, Jeanne Burns, a white knitter and Yarn Mission enthusiast.

Last year after the election I saw an announcement for Safetypin Box, a subscription service for white folks to get learning assignments from Leslie Mac and Marissa Jenae Johnson, two Black women in the movement for Black Lives. White folks would get a box every month with SWAG and homework. And people subscribed. It’s brilliant.

But I was like, why are us white people expecting more stuff from Black people? Can’t we just send them the money and engage in our own education?

One of our collective, who does a TON for The Yarn Mission, is struggling, and I wondered if I could just send her money every month. But I wondered what difference that could possibly make if it were just me. I wished there were a way for me to organize the many white people who support The Yarn Mission to join me.

Then CheyOnna Sewell and I had a conversation, she wrote a blog post on reparations vs. regeneration, and this invitation is born.

Would you join me in an affinity conversation about how we can support The Yarn Mission in a regenerative way?

Black folks do a lot to keep The Yarn Mission going and growing.

We white folks give a lot of yarn. And needles. And time. Some of us give money from time to time. Can we come together to organize first ourselves and then other white people to also give regularly to sustain The Yarn Mission?

Join me on Tuesday, January 24th at Boneshaker Books, 5-8 pm, on the corner of Franklin Ave & 23rd Ave S for a report-back about the Cooperative Economics workshop from the previous week, and the first conversation in our collective role in Regeneration. Please read CheyOnna’s article before you come. We will have copies there. BYO brown bag supper. I might bring some snacks.