WHY UNDERSTANDING WHITE PRIVILEGE AND CULTURE IS A 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP CAPACITY

We recognize that white privilege and white culture are contentious terms and difficult issues with which to grapple in many settings. We went into the development of the curriculum with a strong belief that the effort to grapple with them would be worth it for the participants, particularly in terms of seeing new entry points for positive change.

That is because most of our current laws, regulations, policies and practices in areas like housing, health-care, education and law enforcement were established, or justified, in part because of assumptions about what is normal, appropriate or desirable (see Dr. Khalil Muhammad on “Facing Our Racial Past”). These assumptions tend to reflect dominant cultural narratives or norms – for example, what constitutes a “family,”’ who is dangerous, which groups are deserving of societal support and which are not (e.g. the deserving and undeserving poor), etc.

Over time, the consequence of laws, regulations, policies and practices is a multigenerational system of inequity. This system reinforce stereotypes and access to organizational and system power. In addition, when those assumptions are codified into laws, system policies and organizational and community practices, they are part of what creates persistent advantages for some groups and persistent disadvantages for others (for example, via redlining; access to education via the G.I. bill, mandatory minimums drug-sentencing policies, etc.). And, even when those inequities are persistent and obvious, their underlying assumptions and the assumptions that maintain them may not be. We argue that understanding white privilege gives leaders another tool for cutting through this complex system, and thus, real and practical entry points for change.

Thus, we believe the capacities to identify, talk about and intervene around white privilege and its consequences are critical leadership capacities. We also believe they are useful capacities, especially for leaders working towards equitable outcomes at organizational, community and system levels.

The modules are also a deliberate effort to fill a gap. Based on a survey of leadership groups, we found that frank discussion of white privilege is often taboo, even in motivated groups working on reducing inequities. Leadership groups did not always feel confident about addressing white privilege, and they noted a lack of resources that they could embed in their training which could help them do that. The Transforming White Privilege modules were created specifically in response to that opportunity and need.

INTENDED OUTCOMES

We assume that supporting leaders to be confident and skilled at identifying how white privilege operates will help them better understand root causes of racial inequities and entry points for change within their spheres of influence. We also assume they will gain confidence, tools and access to peer support, and the combination will help them take additional actions to redress inequities and towards racial and social justice.

For example, in the short or intermediate term, post-training, participants might:

• Include an analysis as part of any decision-making process that considers assumptions that reflect, intentionally or unintentionally, dominant cultural norms, make those assumptions explicit and review and alter them, where appropriate;

• Help others see patterns of accumulated advantages and disadvantages and ways they are codified in laws, policies, regulations and other system behaviors, and feel more confident in discussing root causes as part of seeking solutions;

• Review organizational culture within their spheres of influence by incorporating a deeper understanding of white culture and white privilege, share that understanding with others, and make individual and collective changes that reflect equitable structural change

• Feel motivated and accountable for their own continued learning around the concepts, analysis and practices explored in the training.

Ideas for facilitating TWP virtually

Transforming White Privilege community members have shared their experience and insights. (Read more in July 2021 newsletter.)

HOW TO PURCHASE TWP

Thank you for your interest in purchasing the TWP curriculum. We look forward to engaging with you in this work.

If you decide to purchase, choose one of the three sliding fee card options to subscribe as a TWP member: Individual/Small Organization, Large Organization/School/Government, or Foundation/Corporation. TWP membership means you will have full and permanent access to the Transforming White Privilege curriculum.

After choosing a card, you will:

1. Complete a basic contact form online.

2. Receive an email from Wix (our website platform) confirming your account. If you don’t find the email immediately, be sure to check your spam folder. Then refresh your browser and try again. Click the link in that email to direct you to your profile page, where you can make any changes.

3. In the profile form at the top left, you will see a tab that says “My Subscriptions” − go there, and the card you chose will be listed.

4. Press the corresponding button to confirm, then enter your credit card information.

5. Once you complete this step, log in from any page on racialequitytools.org using the pink “TWP Log In” link at the top right. Any time you are logged in, the “TWP Log In” label will be replaced by your username. You will be able to access all materials behind the paywall. We encourage you to start with the TWP member home page.

Note that we strongly encourage you to read the Terms of Service Agreement to understand our relationship with you and your use of the curriculum.

If you have any questions, please contact us at twp@world-trust.org.