Black Lives Matter is often referred to by the news and in conversation as an elusive organization, an untouchable group of distant revolutionaries. Without at doubt, many of us are curious about how to get involved with the movement beyond the occasional protest that turns up on Boston’s streets.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about the various communities that Black Lives Matter works to uplift, a local chapter called Black Lives Matter Cambridge (BLMCambridge) is hosting various events meant to educate as well as explain the expected protests.

The chapter, as explained on their official website (blmcambridge.org), began on Jan. 21, 2015, when lead organizers Toni Bee and Stephanie Guirand staged the first anti-racism protest in Cambridge. After the protest, BLMCambridge was recognized as an official chapter.

BLMCambridge is highly active in the city. On Sept. 14, BLMCambridge hosted a talk called “Understanding LGBT Issues 101” as a way to encourage people to learn more about minority groups with which they may not be well-acquainted. The talk was geared towards non-LGBT people, making it the perfect environment for those feeling uncomfortable about their lack of knowledge.

I consider myself to be acquainted with LGBT issues, especially in my own South Asian and Muslim communities.  Yet as an ally, I understand my role as someone who needs to be open to learning as much as possible, especially for the sake of LGBT people of color. Going to a BLMCambridge meeting for the first time, I was expecting a little more formality—I expected to be talked at, and to sit quietly in a crowd.

I was surprised to experience one of the warmest and most hands-on learning experiences I’ve had in a long time. One of the BLMCambridge members, Tangela Roberts, who openly identified as bisexual, had a presentation and powerpoint ready, and was careful to make discussion and group activities the key focus of the night.  She was sure to complete the discussion with handouts of “The Genderbread Man” analyzing gender and sex. Roberts encouraged everyone to voice their opinions and feelings, even those that might have made others uncomfortable.

The room had a special atmosphere. People were genuinely interested in hearing one another out, and discussing disagreements respectfully rather than lashing out. Even though one participant admitted to having a strong reaction to someone asking “why they should care,” every member of the discussion carefully broke down each point of view.  They even analyzed the role of historic conflicts between groups—like in the instance of Asian-Americans and Black-Americans.

I have rarely experienced such a loving and supportive way of approaching such a difficult topic. Participation was encouraged for all ages, occupations, and ethnicities. One participant was as young as 16. I learned far more than I expected to, and was happy to see that Stephanie Guirand, one of the original founders of BLMCambridge, was present, and just as encouraging as everyone else.

To keep up with upcoming BLMCambridge events, check out their frequently-updated Facebook page “Black Lives Matter Cambridge” as well as their website, blmcambridge.org.