Thread by @IolaElla

Peace yall, 

Some comrades and I are hosting an AA meeting every Wednesday for Black, Indigenous, and people of Color (BIPOC) who want to stop drinking and/or drugging. Details for the meeting are in the graphics below.

This meeting will be a place to read and discuss the BIPOC, working-class, and leftist roots of the 12 steps and push back against conservative and neoliberal traditions that claim to be the only history of AA and the steps.

Left-wing and right-wing cultural, spiritual, and behavioral science traditions went back and forth to create AA and the 12 step programs.

We owe it to ourselves and others trying to get sober and/or stay sober to know the nuance of this history in order to be of better service to those who are still suffering from addiction.

Some of the most egalitarian aspects of the programs, such as defining AA as "benign anarchy" or faith as a belief in a "higher power" or "God of your own understanding," or stating that "the only requirement for AA membership" is a desire to stop drinking or drugging,

are rooted in anarchist and other progressive and radical left traditions, particularly among BIPOC and working-class communities.

We hope that by reading books that uncover this history, people can better see themselves and their ancestors in the recovery process and push back against conservative and neoliberal interpretations of the 12 steps that pose as the singular history of the program.

If you or someone you know is interested in attending, let me know and I'll send you a link and more details.

#12steps #aa #recovery #sober #soberlife #peopleshistory