In February, PRODN sponsored a 2-day workshop on White People Confronting Racism, facilitated expertly and gracefully by Antje Mattheus and Lorraine Marino. The workshop was attended by nine people, mostly PRODN members, a few from outside OD, and one drove up from D.C.! Many have asked us what we learned and if we would recommend a second "introductory" workshop. The short answer is "Yes!" The longer answer encompasses the inspiring reflections of several participants . . .

From Eileen Shanahan

I was delighted to participate in this workshop. Although I am motivated to confront racism, I didn’t "get" why a workshop would be for whites only. It wasn’t until the "Mixed Race" group held the PRODN program in November that I thought differently. I realized that white people need a safe place to explore feelings and experiences without the risk of creating pain for others.

The workshop was life-changing learning for me! Before I attended the workshop, I had the disappointing realization that for me racist programming is so deeply embedded in my upbringing that I fear I will never eradicate it in myself. I was refreshed in the workshop by another realization: That (again, for me) working my racism is akin to recovering from addiction or compulsion: as long as I have a program and a support network, I can work my recovery from racism throughout my life journey. This is a powerful re-framing for me. Some of the models and challenges Antje and Lorraine presented so compassionately outline my program. My courageous, earnest colleagues who attended this workshop begin to form my support network.

I am grateful for the astute work that so many contributed to the formation of this workshop. At $225, it was the bargain of the century!

From Steve Strahs

It was for me a challenging and thought-provoking experience, an opportunity to put my feet to the fire and really test out some deeply held beliefs and attitudes. These even went beyond the core question of racism and how I relate to it and own my piece of it – to questions of how I and we respond to any system dynamic that by its nature is largely outside of our consciousness yet has an enormous impact on who and how we really are in a very complex world. The workshop provided a warm and safe space in which to connect with colleagues around the vital and volatile issue of racism from the standpoint of white privilege. Risk and authenticity were keys and they led to a powerful experience. Hopefully, a future step will involve confronting these issues directly and in conjunction with people of color who are grappling with the "other side" of the race question.

From Alison Steinkamp

The Whites Confronting Racism workshop opened my eyes to the sometimes covert privileges of being a white person. I have considered myself very aware of diversity, the importance of supporting people of color, and open to seeing my contribution to issues of racism. However, prior to the workshop, I was blinded by my own whiteness, not recognizing that just being me can be a contribution to the problem. The workshop enabled me to explore my own personal perspectives in a safe environment with other whites facing similar challenges. The facilitators provided a perspective based on the long history of oppression throughout the world and particularly in the United States. This perspective highlighted the role the evolution of white people played in defining our society today. I feel better equipped with tools to continue to explore my own role in racism, my personal values as a white person in this world, and my contributions to the "racial contract" which exists today. Lorraine and Antje served as excellent models and provided a comfortable, open, and productive learning environment.

From Kim Eberbach

This was a powerful learning experience for me. I believe it is important to give White people an opportunity to explore the many dimensions of racism and how we fit into it, in an environment where non-whites don’t have to deal with it. There is much work for us – Whites and People of Color – to do together in addition. With having completed this experience, I believe I can be in relationship with People of Color in a more meaningful and insightful way. This workshop was transformational for me in that respect. Antje and Lorraine are highly talented teachers and facilitators. They presented useful models and created an environment for rich dialog and learning. They challenged us and learned with us. This learning is essential for any White person working in organizations or communities today.

From Phil Hyde:

It is difficult to pinpoint all the gems I gained from participating in this experience but let me offer a few thoughts.

First, I learned a lot about the dynamics, depth and complexity of racism in the world, our society and us as people. Armed with this heightened awareness, I also learned some relatively simple first steps that I can take to think and behave differently in the future. For example, the technique of "tracking" patterns of behavior in groups and individuals is an effective means, for me, of seeing where racism exists.

Second, I learned a lot about myself through reflection, self-discovery, Lorraine and Antje. Their concept of the "Idealized Self Image" shed much light on my defensive thought patterns. This has enabled me to be much clearer about what is going on in my mind and how I can behave differently in future situations. I’ve made some personal commitments to act differently in situations where I might have remained silent in the past.

Lastly, I came away with a renewed sense of hope for our world and a commitment to contribute positively to it. The world I live in is becoming a more frightening place to live. I watch the news and see the anger, hate, intolerance, hostility and violence. I see this around the world but we also live in the middle of it! Cumulatively it can be overwhelming. But, I also see a way out and it starts with me. If I can be more tolerant, understanding, open to seeing the world through others eyes and talking about the differences, I’ve made a difference. As long as I’m thinking and talking, I’m learning. Think about it, where might we be if more people in the world adopted a pattern of thinking, talking and learning? See why I’m hopeful?

Consultants, trainers and leaders of European-American descent -- white people -- who want to strengthen their self awareness and ability to address racism and racial issues -- at the level of individual, group, and systems. It is also intended for whites who want to learn to become better allies with other whites and people of color to work toward a nonracist society. Also encouraged to come are consultants who might think they’ve already "been there, done that" with diversity or feel frustrated by previous experiences in diversity programs. We are our best instruments: the more we do our own work, the better we are able to support our clients.

This workshop differs from traditional diversity offerings in that we will learn about racism from the perspective of our whiteness – to understand what it means to be white in a society where whites and white culture predominate. Some specific outcomes include:

• Learning to recognize the effects of white privilege, and ranking on our attitudes and behavior.

• A better understanding of how our racial history impacts present-day situations – economically, politically, culturally – as well as understanding racial dynamics at the individual, group, and systems levels.

• Self-awareness tools -- to understand our own racial programming and how it affects our belief system and choices today as OD practitioners and leaders.

• Some key definitions and concepts, such as racism, prejudice, multiculturalism, ranking, white privilege, white culture, mainstream and margin.

• Practical skills in recognizing and intervening in racist situations. Constructive confrontation and engagement skills (support/confront).

• Skills to become allies to other whites and people of color.

• Understanding how those of us who think we are already "enlightened" around racism can be the most difficult – the most resistant to feedback and sometimes the worst offenders.

• How to better use our leadership positions to support our clients’ learning around race.

How do Lorraine and Antje know what is important to work on?

To keep the workshop content as effective as possible, we stay in dialogue with colleagues of color about the workshops, including PRODN members of color. In addition, we have worked with white OD practitioners and heard about the things that frustrate and confuse them in interracial situations.

In interviews with OD practitioners of color we learned a gap exists between consultants of different races in terms of how whites are viewed: many of us whites are unaware of the ways we perpetuate racism or our lack of ability to deal effectively with the subject of race (an issue that permeates all systems we work with). We specifically learned that:

We are good people and we have racist programming. As OD practitioners, we care about the people we work with. We want their organizations to be more effective, more humane. We are the "good guys." So it’s hard for us to see that as whites, we are not "neutral." Rather, we are the products and beneficiaries of racist systems, which we unwittingly perpetuate if we don’t become aware of how we do so. It can come as a shock when we are told that we contribute to racism. We can’t reconcile that and also feel we are good people. Yes, we are good people: we can be good people and have prejudices and blindnesses at the same time.

White people need a safe, non-judgmental place to unlearn racism and to develop the skills and capacity for action. Our experience in working with mixed and single race groups has shown that it is very important for whites to have a safe place to deeply explore feelings and experiences, including biases and racist beliefs. We build a safe learning community in this workshop in which we learn to support each other in the process of unlearning racism. Further, many people of color experience pain when white people express their racism. Since people of color experience racism on a daily basis, we don’t want to inflict more pain by working our racism in their presence -- or by making them responsible for teaching, counseling, admonishing, or advising us.

The majority of PRODN members who are people of color have encouraged us to hold this workshop and have provided input to the content.

Note: This workshop -- White People Confronting Racism -- is part of a long-term learning process for all OD practitioners. Parallel to the white people workshops, people of color will look at how racism has effected them. In addition, joint learning and dialogue opportunities will be available after these parallel programs.