Buddhism and Black Liberation

Black Buddhists have always read the dharma through the lens of liberation.

A 6-week series on Black radical thought and Buddhist practice | Sundays 10/11-11/15, 2026 | 12:00–1:30pm ET | Online

For too long, Buddhism in the United States has been filtered through a dominant cultural lens that has centered whiteness and sidelined the voices of people of color — including the Asian and Asian-American teachers who brought these traditions here. Black Buddhist practitioners have always found their own way in.

This course centers their interpretations. We'll look at how Black Buddhists have woven together the teachings of the BuddhaDharma with the Black radical tradition — not as a contradiction, but as a profound and coherent vision of freedom. Political freedom. Psychological freedom. Collective freedom.

This is for people who love the dharma and love their people. Who want both liberation and belonging.

What's included

• Live weekly sessions on Zoom

• Access to all 6 sessions with a single registration

• Session recordings shared after each class

• Space for reflection, grounding, and real conversation
  

Live attendance is welcome but not required.

Schedule (all times Eastern)

• Sunday, October 11, 12-1:30pm

• Sunday, October 18, 12-1:30pm

• Sunday, October 25, 12-1:30pm

• Sunday, November 1, 12-1:30pm

• Sunday, November 8, 12-1:30pm

• Sunday, November 15, 12-1:30pm

Pricing

Registration covers the full 6-week series. Sliding scale: $150 (base rate for BIPOC-identified); $300 (base rate for white-identified).. Please pay what feels generous but not painful to you right now. Donating any amount truly helps keep this work going.

5 pay-what-you-can spots now filled.

We take care of each other.

Week-by-week roadmap

• Week 1: Introduction — Intergenerational Trauma. What we carry, where it comes from, and why it matters for practice.

• Week 2: Honoring Ancestors in Black Buddhist Practice. How Black practitioners have adapted and expanded the tradition.

• Week 3: Political and Psychological Freedom in the Black Radical Tradition. Freedom as both inner work and collective struggle.

• Week 4: Black Buddhist Interpretations of the BuddhaDharma. How Black teachers have re-read and reclaimed core teachings.

• Week 5: The Body as a Vehicle for Liberation. Embodied practice in a culture that has weaponized Black bodies.

• Week 6: Collective Care and Refuge in Black Buddhist Communities. What it looks like to build real sanctuary together.

About your teachers

I (Rima) am the Founding Director of the Initiative for Black Buddhist Studies and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. I am the author of The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde (North Atlantic Books, 2026), among two other books. A twice-awarded Fulbright Scholar, I have spent my career bringing together Black radical thought, contemplative practice, and the wisdom of ancestors — and making it accessible beyond the walls of academia.

I (Rashid) am an intersectional-contemplative teacher and restorative justice facilitator. My practice involves actively envisioning a transformed world where everyone can exist free from the pain reinforced by systems of othering, domination, and disembodiment. By utilizing various contemplative practices and healing-centered ways of knowing, I assist individuals in rediscovering belonging and meaning within the unique expressiveness of their individual embodiment. 

What people say

"Dr. Rima's content is powerful and timely. But equally, if not more important for me in these times, is her attuned capacity for online group work. As someone who often struggles with virtual classes, I was put at ease. Dr. Rima has a way of using the technology to actually build trust, intimacy, and healing community over time. I found myself opting for camera-on, participating wholeheartedly, and being touched and changed not only by her teaching and embodiment, but by the group dynamics and deep sharing." — Jae Carey

"Rashid's Four Pillars of R.E.S.T. Retreat was excellent in all ways. Rashid eloquently yet clearly shared pertinent insights, reminders, and perspectives for practitioners at all levels. After a day of dialogue, practice, and connection, I feel both grounded and uplifted, inspired and at ease. Rashid's R.E.S.T. practice provides a beautiful framework for deep self acceptance, life acceptance, healing, and love. Thank you, thank you, many times over."-Zef