White people are trapped in a history they don’t understand and until they understand it they cannot be released from it.
James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
What To Expect
Over the course of nine weeks participants will read, hear, and watch the work of Black creatives. While there are many more that could have been chosen, these selections will embolden you to acknowledge and confess your Whiteness. Hopefully, you will be inspired to invest time, energy, and heart to delve deeper into this discovery. The more dedicated you are, the more you will get out of the series.
The difficulty the author, Rev. W. Benjamin Boswell, experienced trying to lead his congregation to work for racial justice in their community convinced him that there needs to be a new conversation about race and racism that helps members of White-dominant churches and institutions identify their own racial history and wrestle with what it means to be White. That conversation developed into Confronting Whiteness, an intentional spiritual journey of anti-racism to aid people racialized as White to identify and dismantle their Whiteness.
This program consists of nine sessions, each designed to last approximately 90 minutes. Preparation for the sessions requires completing assigned readings and viewings and writing a racial autobiography.
The participant's guide to Confronting Whiteness offers people of faith a new posture for addressing racial issues. Spiritual practices will help participants engage writings and films by Black authors and filmmakers and develop habits that confront and undermine the power of Whiteness. The guide was developed for groups of White people who will be led by a trained facilitator.
The facilitator's guide for Confronting Whiteness provides productive tools for conducting conversations with 5-10 participants. The facilitators need to have previous experience as a participant in Confronting Whiteness and a readiness to engage in the inner work necessary for transformation.
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