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A Philadelphia Region Organization Development Network
Special Learning Event
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A Two-Day Workshop Sponsored
by PRODN
Facilitated by Antje Mattheus
and Lorraine Marino
Thursday & Friday, January
16 & 17, 2003
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Who should attend this
workshop?
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 non-racist 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.
What will I learn if
I attend the workshop?
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 to hear 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:
Many
white consultants do not work in interracial teams. Or, when
part of interracial teams, find themselves in certain dilemmas:
they are unable to support their colleagues of color well; feel
awkward to engage in conflict; unconsciously dominate the team
or impose their culture and style or conversely, may not voice
their thoughts and ideas out of fear of being racist; may speak
or act ways that negates a person of color who attempts to bring
up racism or bias.
As
whites, we are sometimes afraid or awkward to confront racist
dynamics -- in our families, with friends, or clients. We fear
the impact on our relationships, and we don't feel skilled in
handling conflict. So we sometimes collude by staying silent.
We
feel pressure as white consultants to be competent, be perfect,
non-racist. We might feel shame that we have any racist behavior
or thoughts - conscious or unconscious. There is no safe to
explore or work with our own needs for learning and understanding.
We
don't take risks for fear of making mistakes, especially in
front of people of color.
We
see ourselves as the "good whites" (versus the racist,"
bad whites") and get defensive when confronted with our
own bias or inability to deal with racial issues.
We
sometimes stay at the level of awareness and don't know how,
or are afraid, to move to action or create change - in ourselves,
groups, and systems.
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.
Why only white people at this workshop?
Isn't it racist to exclude people of color?
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 affected
them. In addition, joint sessions will be set up for cross-race
dialog.
| Logistics
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Registration
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| Registration:
8:30 a.m.
Program: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
(Both Days)
Cost: $250
Breakfast and Lunch included
Location:
Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine
(City Line Avenue Philadelphia)
Parking
$4
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