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The Whiteness Within

This workshop uses story sharing, reflection and physical expression to give participants a chance to recognize and shift away from racism.
Postures expressing the opposite of white supremacy in the OpenArt Whiteness Within workshop
Recognize
ways in which white or white-passing people embody racism in day-to-day interactions
Begin
unlearning those habits of behavior
Develop
a personal understanding of white supremacy norms
Practice
and build stamina for self-reflection around issues of racism
  • How does white supremacy culture show up in my life? How can I confront and challenge those behaviors safely and constructively?

    The purpose of The Whiteness Within for Individuals is to unearth and recognize our own conditioning and complicitness in perpetuating white supremacy culture, and to imagine new ways to move forward in our day-to-day interactions without it.

    A four-hour workshop, divided over two days
    Available to individuals who are not signing up as part of a workplace or organization
    $50 (sliding scale available)

    All funds contributed for this workshop go directly toward (1) paying our BIPOC facilitators and administrators, (2) developing the workshop for future learners, and (3) supporting the work of Black Humboldt and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. White and white-passing facilitators willingly donate their time and energy to support this anti-racism work.

  • Why is undoing racism urgent for my field or business? What can I do, and what can we do, to achieve anti-racist business practices?

    The purpose of The Whiteness Within for Teams is to help individuals within an organization examine ways in which they personally uphold white supremacy culture without realizing it, and to set the organization on a path toward cultural competency where an authentic diversity of perspective can thrive within the business’s day-to-day operations.

    Approximately 1.5 hours pre-workshop planning sessions
    Approximately 1.5 hours individual preparation (homework)
    A six-hour workshop, divided over three days
    Post-workshop interviews (one-on-one, 20 minutes) with each staff and leadership team member who attended
    $3,000 for up to 25 attendees

    When possible, we recommend that your team seek to take this workshop in partnership with other organizations in your field.

  • While this workshop is intended for white people in the US, we welcome people of other ethnic backgrounds who may feel called to observe or share their valuable perspectives.

Learning Activities

This workshop uses a variety of activities, including pre-session prep (reading, writing, reflection), whole-room learning, small-group breakout discussions, theatre-based games with simple gestures and physical image creation, and quiet reflection.

Theoretical Foundations

The Whiteness Within is based on the following work.

This workshop was created in early consultation with artist educator Dionná Fletcher Ndlovu.