“Before We Were White” 2021 Logistics & FAQ

Hello! This page is designed to help you successfully navigate the technical & logistical components of taking the Before We Were White 2021 online course. We’ve organized the information in a couple of different ways:

  1. As a list of action steps you’ll need to take in order to participate
  2. As a list of frequently asked questions (found below the Action Items list)

White Awake is a small organization with limited staff. Please do your best to look for the information you need here before writing us directly. This will help us a lot! If you still have questions, you can reach out via: info@whiteawake.org

*LIVE SESSION PARTICIPATION FOR THIS COURSE IS FULL* (as of 6:20pm eastern time, Jan 11)

If you registered to access the course via recordings only, please do not apply for a Zoom login. These applications are cross referenced with our participant database before approval. Thank you for your understanding!

For more information about participating via recordings see our updated online flyer for the course. Note that we will hold a video call with recording only participants towards the end of the course, where you can ask questions of facilitators and interact with one another in real time. Date and time TBD. Please watch for this information via course mailings and on your participant page.


Before We Were White – Action Items

1) – REVIEW COURSE LOGISTICS

Basic logistical information about the series is as follows:

  • Registration for the course is a requirement for participation.
  • There are six sessions in the course. Each session builds on the content of the last. You will get the most out of these sessions if you participate in all of them or commit to watching recordings of those that you miss.
  • Live sessions are: 1/24, 1/31, 2/14, 2/21, 3/7 and 3/14 from 4-6:30pm ET (1-3:30pm PT US Time). Notice that sessions take place on Sundays.
  • Sessions will be recorded and available for participant viewing.
  • You may participate without attending live.
  • Note that we have a limited number of logins for joining sessions live.
    • We asked you to inform us if you will be joining live, or only using recordings, when you registered. If you need to change this information with us, please write to: info@whiteawake.org.
    • If we reach capacity for the number of participants who want to join live, we will close this option and only allow folks to register for participation via recordings.
  • Homework materials will be recommended for each session. Please allow 2-3 hours to complete homework prior to each session.
  • Study materials will remain up on our site for three months following our final session (until June 14, 2021). After this, study materials will be sent to you as a PDF and session recordings will no longer be available.

2) – TAKE ACTION TO BE SURE YOU RECEIVE ALL COURSE MAILINGS

  • Please add “info@whiteawake.org” to your list of contacts.

Workshop mailings (after your confirmation email) will come from Mailchimp bulk email service, which is sometimes sent to spam (or your Promotions tab, if you use Gmail.) Adding “info@whiteawake.org” to your list of contacts prevents this from happening.

3) – TAKE ACTION TO RECEIVE A LOGIN FOR JOINING SESSIONS

  • To participate in the live, video conference sessions of this course CLICK THIS LINK and fill out the form.
  • Please complete this process at least one day before the first session (January 24).
  • We approve these registrations manually, so you will not receive an instant response.
  • Once your request is approved, you will receive a confirmation email directly from Zoom with the login information you need to join the sessions.
  • If you do not see the Zoom confirmation email in your inbox:
    • Please check spam and/or your promotions tab (in Gmail). Your personal login email comes directly from Zoom, email address: no-reply@zoom.us
    • You can also search your inbox for the subject heading: “Your login for Before We Were White live sessions”
  • This login information is specific to you – please do not share it with others, as only one person can use each login.
  • You only need to register with Zoom once – you use the same login for each session.
  • Before registering with Zoom, be sure you have read our Ground Rules for Group Participation document.

When you receive your email from Zoom (with your login information) note that:

  • There is a lot of information in the email. The only information that you need is 1) your personal login link (and/or telephone number, if you will be joining by phone) and (2) the passcode for all live sessions (which is “Before” with a capital B). You will be prompted to enter the passcode shortly after clicking your personal login link. It is not necessary when calling in by telephone.
  • For joining the video conference online, see “Join from PC, Mac …”. For calling in by phone, see the following chunk of text and “Or Telephone: …”
  • You do NOT need to use the calendar invitations that are part of this email, however if you use them they will save your login info in the calendar event they create.
  • The first time you click on your login link from Zoom, please allow an extra 5-10 minutes for the platform to download a small utility to your device. You will then choose audio via the device or via a phone.
  • If you have trouble using Zoom, please contact Zoom support between sessions for technical assistance. (We are limited in our ability to help you use Zoom on your device.)

4) – MAKE NOTE OF YOUR PARTICIPANT PAGE FOR THIS COURSE


Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT REGISTRATION

None of the workshop times work for me, is there another way I can participate?

  • You can register and participate via the recordings and staying current on homework.

Can I sign up a group of people? Does every member of my group need to be registered?

  • You cannot register a group. We encourage folks to participate in our courses with others, but each person who will participate must be registered individually.

What is the difference between donating to White Awake and paying for an event?

  • A donation is tax deductible, an event payment is not.

ABOUT COURSE PARTICIPATION: RECORDINGS & LIVE SESSIONS

When will I get the recordings of the live sessions?

  • Recordings will be posted to your participant page within 3 days following the corresponding live session. You will be notified via email each time a recording is posted.

How do I get a login to join a live session?

  • To receive a login to join the live sessions, click this link and fill out the form.
  • We manually approve folks to join, so you’ll see a “pending” status until you’ve been approved.
  • Please do this at least 24 hours before the first (or next) live session.
  • You have to be registered with White Awake for this course before we can approve you to join a live session.
  • You also need to read and agree to the ground rules for this course to join the live sessions.

I filled out the form, but I never received my login!

  • Please check your spam or promotions tab. These emails go straight out from Zoom, and sometimes do not land directly in your inbox.

The session is about to start, can I get my login?

  • White Awake is a small organization with limited staff. We ask that you apply for your individual login at least 24 hours before any given live session, as it is very difficult for us to process new login requests at the same time we are hosting the live session.
  • If you have waited until the last minute, please be patient. We will do our best to get you in. If we don’t get you in, know that you can access a recording later.

Can I share my login with someone else?

  • No, you cannot. Your login information is specific to you. Only one user can use each login at a time.

I already use Zoom, is it necessary to apply for a login for these calls?

  • Yes. You aren’t registering for Zoom, you are registering for the specific Zoom sessions associated with this training. We require this in order to verify that only those people who registered are allowed into the live session.

Do I need to apply for a personal Zoom login if I’m only using the recordings?

  • No, you do not.

Do I need to apply for a new Zoom login for every individual session of the same workshop?

  • No, your unique link stays the same for every session

ABOUT ONLINE COURSE PARTICIPATION: OTHER QUESTIONS

I haven’t received any information about this course!

  • Please check your spam or promotions tab for mail from “info@whiteawake.org”, and add info@whiteawake.org to your contacts. We use a bulk email service to correspond with participants, and occasionally these mailings do not go straight into your inbox.

Where can I find my homework assignments?

Where can I find the recordings for specific sessions I missed?

  • All links to recordings of live sessions can always be found on your participant page for this course.

How much time does the homework between sessions usually take?

  • We estimate 2-3 hours of homework per session, depending in part on how much time you want to spend with your assignments.

Can I share the videos of live sessions?

  • No. Please do not share recordings of the workshop sessions with folks who are not registered for the course. You are welcome to share any of the homework assignments.

AFTER THE COURSE ENDS

How do I access recordings and homework? 

How long will the recordings and homework materials remain accessible?

  • The participant page for this class will remain live for three months after the last live session. Following this period we will email everyone in the course a PDF of all study materials to keep.