Unmasking Whiteness institute 2024
AWARE-LA offers a workshop series on building white anti-racist practice and community in an intensive 4-day institute designed specifically for white people. Through personal reflection, group dialogue, activities, and embodiment practices, this institute invites white people to explore:
meanings of whiteness
white privilege & multiple identities
addressing guilt & shame
structural, institutional, and systemic racism
anti-racist practice, identity, & community
Unmasking Whiteness happens twice annually: a virtual Winter session and an in-person Summer session in Los Angeles.
The Summer 2024 program will take place over four consecutive days: Thursday, July 25 through Sunday, July 28. Registration will open mid-April, and space is limited. Please consider registering early. Once the institute is full, there will be a waitlist.
Who should attend this institute?
All people who identify with being white and who want to contribute to a more just and equitable world. Unmasking Whiteness can support folks anywhere on their anti-racist journey.
How will participants benefit?
Increased knowledge and skills to:
Recognize racism in interpersonal interactions and institutions
Engage in constructive dialogue about race
Build an anti-racist community
Build confidence and skills to disrupt racism in action
What does this institute involve?
Participants explore the following topics:
Relationships to Whiteness
Many people struggle to grasp what it means to be white in today’s society. How do we create a positive, anti-racist white identity? One important issue is figuring out how we individually relate to white culture and support the movement toward a culture dedicated to social justice.
Historical Assimilation into Whiteness
Becoming “white” didn’t happen the same way for all European groups. How did these experiences differ? What did people gain and what did they give up by identifying as white? What impact does this have on different groups? Understanding how our assimilation history affects how we view race can help us when in conversations in multiracial groups.
Institutional Racism
Racism is not just about individuals’ ideas and actions. Institutional racism is a systematic way of organizing the world that privileges one group at the expense of others. How do we participate in the maintenance of this system unknowingly? What can we do about it once we become aware?
White Privilege
U.S. society does not usually ask white people to explore how race affects our lives. When we honestly grapple with this question, we can recognize the various ways we receive social and economic benefits by being seen as white.
The Many Aspects of Ourselves
We are more than just our race, our class, our gender, our sexual orientation, etc. We are an interrelated mix of our multiple social identities and each can affect how we contribute to social justice efforts. An essential step is attending to the areas where we feel oppressed and staying responsible for areas where we experience privilege.
Guilt and Shame
Two common emotions that arise when we learn about our history of racism and privilege are guilt and shame. These emotions often lead to paralysis and an inability to participate effectively in movements for change. Working through challenging emotions is essential to building a solid anti-racist practice.
Building an Anti-Racist Practice
A key to creating a viable and sustainable anti-racist practice is forming a community that is similarly striving. Within a community we can develop and practice skills, hone our analysis, be challenged, and find support. This institute invites participants to build an anti-racist community.
You can find AWARE-LA’s foundation documents on this webpage, including Why a White Space.
What do participants say about their experience?
“I have never been around such a caring, warm, and informed group of people (white people especially) and my heart is forever grateful.”
“My juices are flowing, battery charged…I am invigorated.”
“Life changing. I am not the same person I was four days ago.”
“I left the institute feeling confident, renewed and motivated.”
“The institute was extraordinarily well planned and implemented, with a potpourri of activities to keep our minds, bodies, and spirits alive.”
“The building of trust within this group was incredible. All of the exercises created a sense of community and a space to share, mess up, and succeed.”
“I leave with increased courage, intention, desire, and tools. I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity to grow …”
“Facilitators did a great job balancing facilitation and participation and bringing in developed thinking as anti-racists, along with openness and transparency about their own continued growth.”
Email unmaskingwhiteness@gmail.com if you have any questions.