This event video was recorded by Chalice UU in Thousand Oaks, CA on August 4, 2023 as part of their Community Forum series. The presentation by Shelly Tochluk addresses themes highlighted in Tochluk & Saxman’s Being White Today‘s first two chapters. It argues that successfully fending off far-right advances require us to stop conflating white people with whiteness and, instead, advance a positive, antiracist white identity. The discussion includes what a positive antiracist white identity looks and feels like and considers how antiracist community and culture building is part of the effort. Drawing on themes from Being White Today, the final segment offers tips for talking with friends and family about race.
Following the presentation, attendees received links to the following resources:
• TIPS #1 - Talking with White Friends and Family - Moving from Individual focus to a Systemic Focus
o This 2-page document offers helpful hints for conversations with people early in their racial identity development, people who do not recognize racism as more than individual acts of hate or bigotry and/or do not believe racism is widespread and embedded in our systems.
• TIPS #2 - Talking with White Friends and Family - Moving from a Systemic Focus to an Internal Focus
o This 2-page document offers helpful hints for conversations with people in the middle zones of racial identity development, people who focus on systemic racism and overtly racist people while not yet recognizing their own internalized racism.
• AWARE-LA’s Theory of Personal Transformation
o This 2-page document offers AWARE-LA’s collective thoughts on essential understandings and elements involved in developing a positive antiracist white identity and life.