“Every White person who claims and/or believes themselves to be liberal, progressive, and a champion for social justice NEEDS to critically engage with whiteness in this way in order to truly begin to do real work. It's not just a program of learning, discussion, and activities; it helps you develop the mindset, outlook, practice, and lifestyle that is necessary to truly being anti-racist. It is deeply fulfilling and inspiring, and it serves as a critical pillar of support and guidance during what can be an uncomfortable, disorienting, and frustrating journey.” -Students Exploring Whiteness Participant

Racism impacts and implicates everyone. Meaningful anti-racism work by white-identified students requires spaces to critically engage with whiteness, challenge internalized superiority, and seek humility and vulnerability in shaping and maintaining commitments to anti-racist action. It requires pursuing this without adding to the burden that many students of color already feel to teach their white peers.

Students Exploring Whiteness is a yearlong cohort of students who desire a space for sustained personal work and peer support around understanding race and challenging racism with a goal of developing an anti-racist framework and toolkit that can be brought to other student communities on campus. We hope to create a space of nourishment and accountability that will produce meaningful partnerships and achievable action steps.

Questions? Email diversityed@columbia.edu.

Description

The program will meet for ten sessions throughout the academic year on Friday afternoons (tentatively from 4:30-6:45 p.m., though this may be adjustable based on the needs of the selected participants). Through interactive exercises, storytelling, readings, videos and group dialogue, the sessions will explore bias, privilege, systemic oppression, white fragility, solidarity and tools for taking action. Students will leave the program with a detailed plan for personal next steps and ways to bring their learning to others on campus. 

Selection Process

Participants will be selected via an application and interview process. We especially encourage applicants to apply who wish to bring anti-racist leadership to particular communities they are a part of on campus. Availability for programming and commitment to being a responsive communicator will be prioritized in selecting applicants.