In order to create a safe container for this sharing, Kokomon always starts each Racial Healing Circle with thirty minutes of community drumming. This means that all participants follow a simple series of rhythms, led by Kokomon. This is done to build community and to reconnect everyone to the ancestors, allowing participants to transform the ancient pain of mistrust and misunderstanding into hope and love. This helps participants to more fully express our beauty and goodness as human beings.
The participants in Racial Healing Circles have confirmed that by drumming together first, they come to experience a sense of deep connection with the other members of the circle even before the verbal interactions begin. Out of this sense of connection and community, they report that they are able to share deeply their intimate experiences with the other people in the circle, even those they may have initially mistrusted out of preexisting judgments or a fear of being judged.
Through the circle of unity, created by the power of drumming mindfully together, participants are able to explore their deepest wounding around highly charged issue of racial relations with others from different backgrounds. This is a profoundly healing experience.
