White Racial Identity Development
Having a Positive White Identity leads to the acceptance that White People must take responsibility for ending racism. To assume their responsibility, White People must become aware of how racism hurts White People and how ending it serves the interests of all People. And this awareness must be accompanied by the enhanced ability to recognize the many faces of racism along with the discovery of options to replace it.
White People seem to be the only racial group that spends more time and effort wondering about the implications of race for other groups than it does for itself. They find it hard to accept that they have a race and therefore are threatened by groups who have no such difficulties.
White individuals need to develop a sense of themselves as racial beings, acknowledge the realities of structural racism and White Privilege, and come to accept race as a healthy aspect of themselves and others.
Take a look at Janet E. Helms’ White Identity Development Model below.
Joel Kampf:
Executive Coach/Consultant, Anti-Oppression Advocate
Why I do this "White Work".
I’ve worked in a variety of organizations and all of the people I’ve met would benefit from learning to work and live together more effectively. I see struggles that don’t need to exist - struggles that diverse, equitable and inclusive led cultures do not suffer.
Leaders share their fears and doubts with me - their uncertainty around what they should or shouldn’t do around Social Justice. They have good intentions, yet feel at a loss over what to do and where to start. So we talk. We share why we want to do this work.
I share that I do this work to develop more allies. I do it because I grew up in and still live a life of privilege, while others suffer, and I do this work because as a White person it’s my responsibility to dismantle Racism.
These times find us more divided than ever so we must operate from the perspective that we’re more alike than different - which requires all of us to let go of our opinions and assumptions about ourselves and others. It begins by each of us becoming more curious… to seek to understand versus seeking to be understood. And I do this work to help others to adopt these behaviors and build more trusting, interdependent relationships.For me, the most successful and satisfying personal relationships happen when both parties support each other on their growth journeys - that they believe our differences are positive and a learning opportunity.
I adhere to the proven knowledge that leadership effectiveness results in improved overall performance - and that the most effective leaders are those working to further develop themselves so that they may assist in the development of others.
They learn to think more objectively and hold multiple perspectives at the same time, while still holding on to their own… without judgement. It requires persistence, patience and presence. I know. Because I’m working on it too.
A workshop and coaching series for Business Leaders
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