Feb 13-15/16, 2009
As white people, we don’t experience the racial oppression that people of color experience. Whiteness is the norm and the white way is the right way in our society, so it’s hard for those of us who are white to see our own white power and privilege. When we as whites talk about race we talk about other communities: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Asian Americans, but there’s a taboo about talking about our own white racial identity. As a result white people are stuck in the status quo, unable to work for effective change.
In this workshop we will identify what whiteness is, clarify the ways it operates on our lives, and explore ways of transforming whiteness into a force for justice. Whiteness is a social construct with a 500 year history that took shape in colonial times and has changed over time, including the racialization of European immigrants into whiteness.
Every person living in the United States has a personal racial identity journey and we will have an opportunity to explore the forces that have shaped our own personal journey regarding race. One of the dilemmas we face as whites is how to feel good about our racial identity – our whiteness – in a culture of white supremacy. The challenge is to develop a positive white identity that will empower us to work for change. We will discuss being a good ally to People of Color, working to end racism in white controlled institutions, nurturing a positive white racial identity in our children, and We will use videos, spiritual reflection, anda small group discussion groups, and we’ll prepare to take the work we can do back home.
Click if you would like to read an article we published in our newspaper The Center Post.
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church in Kent, Ohio, where she has been actively involved in learning about race, racism, and white privilege and she has worked with community, workplace, church, and school based anti-racism organizations.
The Rev. Bill Gardiner currently works as an anti-racism consultant for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a member of the Board of Crossroads, which does anti-racism organizing and training. From 1990 till 2004 he was Director for Anti-racism and Social Justice Empowerment Programs in the Department for Faith in Action at the National Headquarters of the UUA.
Melissa and Bill serve as co-chairs of the (UU) Allies for Racial Equity Education Committee and lead transforming whiteness workshops for congregations and community organizations