Oakland Unified School District contracts with consultant to develop ‘affinity spaces’ for BIPOC students and faculty

Oakland Unified School District, CA, contracts with Fuller Freedom Consulting, a consulting firm that provides training for faculty and administration related to restorative practice that includes “affinity space training.” The $4,200 agreement, formally approved on May 29, covers the period of February 16, 2022, through June 30, 2022.

According to the contract, the consultant will be the “main point for our Affinity Space training” that is intended to “create a more impactful space for our BIPOC students and faculty.” Affinity spaces separate people into groups based on race.

According to its website, Fuller Freedom Consulting offers sessions in “Restorative practices,” Social-Emotional Learning” and “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) & Critical Race Theory.” Services provided in the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” session includes “Holding Space Without Harm: Developing Affinity Group Leaders,” “Waking up in whiteness: white supremacy & privilege in education,” “Unpacking white fragility,” and “Practicing Self-Care in the Face of white Fragility.”