Values Activity

Activity: (35 minutes) Who waters your roots?

Facilitator’s note: Begin in circle and share the story about Oak Trees in adrienne maree brown’s book “ Emergent Strategy”

Some notes from the Oak Tree story

  • In 2005, Hurricane swept through the United States’s guld coast
  • Out of all the areas it affected, the hardest hit was New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • At the end of the Hurricane, nearly 1,200 people lost their lives and states saw over $125 billion in damages
  • Amb shares in her book that very things in NOLA didn’t feel the wrath of HK, one being the Oak Trees.
  • Oak Trees were able to withstand the 174 mph winds because at their roots, they are interconnected.
  • Because they weave into and support each other, they were able to survive and stand strong
  • That is what we must be for each other, interconnected roots,

Give each participant a picture of a tree and explain:

  • The bottom put all the names of people who water your roots (those who support you).
  • The trunk is who we are and the roles that you have (friend, mother, sister).
  • The leaves are for the people we take care of, inspire, or hold space for.
  • The fruits are the values that uphold these relationships (love, loyalty, commitment, understanding)

Facilitator’s note: have your own diagram prepared to show participants.

Additional tip: draw the tree out on a large board/ flipchart paper which the explanations so that the visual came remain up when folks are working on their own

Circle Question:

Reflection of the activity: Ask participants to share their tree with a partner. Ask them to think about how these relationships, identities, and experience has helped you to become the resilient person you are today. After, partner groups will present about each other.

Facilitator’s note: Alternatively, participants can go one by one sharing about themselves.

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