Practical steps for well-meaning white people
White people are racist. Despite our efforts, racism is ingrained in us from birth and enforced in our thinking and behavior throughout our lives. If you are ready to try some new ideas and strategies to uncover and uproot the racism in your thinking and behavior I would love to have you join our private Facebook community and register for the next 6 week unlearning everyday racism course. I can’t wait to meet you!
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When we accidentally say or do something racist, why do we focus first on whether we meant to be racist; Was it on purpose or was it a slip of the tongue? (Lets set aside those situations where white people say racist things to cause harm, to show off or to attempt to control; all of those times when white people are purposefully racist. Those people aren’t reading anything I write). When white people let some racist word slip what we want is to address the immediate harm and then focus on unlearning this form of everyday racism.
What if for an experiment, the next time something racist slips out of your mouth, you:
An apology might not be the right action to take, what is most important is that you focus immediately on addressing the harm you created and that you avoid trying to explain or excuse what you said.
Self reflection could be taking 5-10 minutes with some paper and free writing. This is not to keep or to share. Write about how you feel now, how you felt when you made the mistake, when you first heard the idea, where the word or concept is being reinforced in your life now, etc. Set a time and keep writing.
Taking steps to uproot the racism beneath your “accidental racism” is important if you want to avoid causing harm to the people of color around you. Find another white person to share your experience with, ask for their ideas and make a commitment to hold each other accountable to change. Make the same time and energy commitment to unlearning your everyday racism as you do to your other big commitments such as your spiritual life, your health, your career.
After years of trainings and spending most of my career doing racial equity work, my thinking and actions still fell short. Many of my students have had the same experience:
“Despite the work I have done on my racism, my actions don’t always align with my values”
“There is so much to do, and I don’t know when and how to do it or even if it should be me doing it”
“I don’t want to do stupid things, to cause harm to people of color”
“There is so much I don’t know, it’s not safe to be out in the world stumbling around until I know more”
Everyday racism is what happens when we try to change our behavior without uncovering, acknowledging and unlearning our beliefs and thoughts at their roots.
Unlearning everyday racism takes creativity, curiosity and courage. If you are a white person committed to working on racism and ready for some new strategies for unprooting racism in your thinking and behavior I invite you to join our free, private Facebook community and register for the next 6 week unlearning everyday racism course.
I can’t wait to meet you! Book a 15 minute phone call with me!
To add yourself to my email list and learn more about the next course or workshop fill out the form below:
Hi, a little bit about me:
I live in Portland Oregon and love talking about, thinking about, and working on the elimination of racism. I spend as much time as possible outdoors in the beautiful pacific northwest with my wife, my dog and sometimes one or another of my 3 sons. I love whiteboards, sticky notes, and brand new notebooks. One of the best things about working from my home office is spending all day with our dog Jake. There is a little more about my education and work background below.
Kalissa Scopes
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Equity in Action LLC
Multnomah County Government Office of Diversity and Equity
Women’s Intercommunity AIDS Resource
12 week Unlearning Everyday Racism course January 2019If you are tired of simplistic conversations about race and have already spent time educating yourself about your own racism, this group is for you. This is a small group (limited to 10), 12 week course that is designed for white people who are ready to make a deep dive into their own racism work, people who are ready to have complex conversations about difficult topics (for example the role of police and if and where and how the voices of white people belong in racial equity work). The group combines individual attention, community support and group learning.
The course will begin with a one-on-one meeting with me to create an in-depth personal action plan and ends with another individual meeting to create an ongoing learning and action plan. This is an opportunity to dig for the roots of our racism.
Daily opportunities for support and resources will be available through the private facebook group. Each participant will have their own goals and desired outcomes for the course and we will practice supporting each other and holding each other accountable. We will read and think deeply together about reparations and the argument that many writers of color are making that healing from racism can’t happen without exploring this. The course meets online and once registration is closed we will come up with the best time for our regular meetings. Cost will be $300 per month.
“Practical tools rather than theoretical understanding of ways to actually work across race in a way that genuinely centers marginalized communities”
“Intentional self-reflection and action planning. I’m excited to be part of a group that will support me in examining my own racism, the ways in which I perpetuate white supremacy, and the ways that I can actively participate in dismantling white supremacy.”
“It’s not a pat-on-the-back kind of thing, but it is more of a “this is possible, keep going, we support you through your process” kind of thing”
“I feel like my trainings are too brief and only scratching the surface. I still feel like there is knowledge to unearth that one day workshops just can’t fill.”
“I feel committed to working on my racism, but I feel like I am drowning and directionless, I need a clear, easy to follow, actionable process”
January 2019 Unlearning Everyday Racism 12 week Course –
The course will begin with a one-on-one meeting with me to create an in-depth personal action plan and ends with another individual meeting to create an ongoing learning and action plan. The 12 week group provides individualized support and coaching, networks of support and accountability, and new ways of maintaining sustainable commitment. Daily opportunities for support and resources will be available through the private facebook group. We will read and think deeply together about reparations and the argument that many writers of color are making that healing from racism can’t happen without exploring this. The course meets online and once registration is closed we will come up with the best time for our regular meetings. $300 per month, your first payment holds your spot. The final two payments are due on the first of the two following months.
$300.00
Unlearning Everyday Racism 6-week course January 2019Format: A small group of white people (limited to 10) meet weekly using Zoom (a video meeting software) to learn together and practice behavior awareness and behavior change. Together we encourage each other to be aware, accountable and to be continuously learning. Each participant meets with me to assess where they are and to create personal goals for the course.
The focus in on learning how to make our anti-racism work resiliant and focused so that life and the painful realities of the current world don’t make us ineffective or hopeless. We practice integration and action, uncovering our own racism and learning how to support each other’s growth.
Topics: Each participant works on their own goals and uses the group for accountability, support and momentum. Between sessions participants apply 5 steps for unlearning racism to a new topic using whiteness cards. Discussion takes place in the private Facebook group and during group time. Whiteness cards include how to recognize various harmful ways of thinking and behaving and activities that help us practice daily unlearning of those. Course cost is $75 per week. Registration is limited to the first 10 who sign up starting with anyone on a waiting list.
Two one-hour private consultations are included along with a private Facebook group for connection, accountability and support.
What past participants have found most helpful:
“Oh man, so much. The whiteness cards and the safe space to bring my insecurities and questions”
“Spending time in white caucus where I could ask questions and feel safe saying the wrong thing and without leaning on the emotional labor of POC”
“Being able to hear others’ stories that are similar to mine and feeling like I’m not doing this work alone, and that I have support when I’m feeling lost”
“I love the whiteness cards. I think they are succinct and helpful, and great at condensing the main points. they are great reminders and really capture the essence of what we are talking about”
January 2019 6 week course
Format: A small group of white people (limited to 10) meet weekly using Zoom (a video meeting software) to learn together and practice behavior awareness and behavior change. Together we encourage each other to be aware, accountable and to be continuously learning. Each participant meets with me to assess where they are and to create personal goals for the course. The focus in on learning how to make our anti-racism work resiliant and focused so that life and the painful realities of the current world don't make us ineffective or hopeless. We practice integration and action, uncovering our own racism and learning how to support each other's growth.
$450.00
10% of my profits are split between these two organizations:
Airway Science for Kids’mission is to create equity through aviation STEM education.
We do this by offering free programs to kids who typically don’t participate in STEM education, such as kids of color, kids living on low-incomes, girls, and other kids who may face barriers; where all kids are welcome. http://wp1.airwayscience.org
The Foundation for Learning and Youth Travel Education (FLYTE) is a nonprofit organization that empowers youth living in underserved communities through transformative travel experiences. https://www.takeflyte.org
Group experiences tailored to your workplace are available by request. Give me your contact information and I will be in touch to schedule a call to talk over your needs and see if we are a good fit.
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