A first of its kind, accessible, in-depth resource for leading effective white racial affinity groups—an essential tool for building the skills and perspectives needed for white people to challenge racism.

While there are a few short articles and guides addressing the challenges and complexities of leading white affinity groups, there has never been a detailed handbook exclusively for white racial affinity group facilitators. There are many challenges in facilitating these groups including the need to have a deep theoretical understanding of racism; a high degree of racial self-awareness; sensitivity to and the ability to work with the range of skills and degrees of awareness participants bring; and strong facilitation and conflict resolution skills.
 
The Facilitator’s Guide for White Affinity Groups is the first in-depth guide for educators, mediators, workplace consultants and trainers, workplace diversity groups, community organizers, conference organizers, members of faith communities, and members of racial and social justice groups.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo and Amy Burtaine, who collectively bring over 20 years of experience leading anti-racist education and racial affinity groups present:
 
· a theoretical framework for understanding racism;
· a case for the value of racial affinity groups as a tool for challenging racism;
· guidelines for setting up affinity groups in a variety of contexts;
· the skills and perspectives needed for effective facilitation;
· scenarios to illustrate common challenges;
· a glossary of definitions;
· exercises, discussion prompts, and assessment tools.
· an extensive list of common patterns and group dynamics and how to address them

Written accessibly for a wide range of readers and backgrounds, The Facilitator’s Guide for White Affinity Groups will be an important reference for anyone committed to anti-racism work.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo is an affiliate associate professor of education at the University of Washington. She has been a consultant, educator, and facilitator on issues of racial and social justice for more than twenty-five years. She is the author or coauthor of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers White Fragility and Nice Racism. Find her online at robindiangelo.com.

Amy Burtaine has been co-facilitating workshops, providing coaching and mediation, and educating through an anti-oppression lens for over 20 years. While she has experience leading this work on a range of oppressions, her passion and commitment is to center race, specifically looking at how whiteness upholds and perpetuates racial inequality. She most often works in collaboration with people of color to co-facilitate dialogues and trainings on racism. She holds a MFA and is trained in interactive pedagogy. Find her online at amyburtaine.com.

INTRODUCTION
Why White Affinity Groups?

CHAPTER 1
The Basics

CHAPTER 2
Different Contexts

CHAPTER 3
Getting Started

CHAPTER 4
Prompts, Discussion Starters, and Facilitator Techniques

CHAPTER 5
Addressing Common Patterns and Challenges

PATTERNS WE SEE BEFORE GETTING TO OUR WHEN STARTING THE AFFINITY GROUP

1. Resistance to Breaking into Separate Groups
2. “I’m Not White”

PATTERNS RELATED TO WHITE IDENTITY

3. Expecting People of Color to Teach Us About Race
4. Expecting Answers
5. Fear of Being Perceived as Racist
6. Taking Everything Personally
7. Claiming Racial Innocence
8. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
9. The Confessional
10. Critiquing the Thinking of People of Color
11. Intellectualizing

PATTERNS RELATED TO THE DENIAL OF RACISM

12. “It’s Different Where I Come From”
13. Removing Race from the Equation
14. Distancing
15. Claiming Reverse Racism: “They’re Just as Racist as We Are”

PATTERNS RELATED TO GROUP DYNAMICS

16. Checking Out
17. Dominating the Discussion
18. Out-Woking
19. Silence
20. Scapegoating
21. Fear of Challenging Others in the Group
22. Power Dynamics Rooted in Rank
23. Where Is Everyone?
24. The Closing Bomb

PATTERNS RELATED TO THE FACILITATORS

25. The Difficult Participant
26. Challenging the Facilitators
27. Trying to Facilitate from Within the Group
28. “Show Me the Agenda”
29. Feeling Entitled to the Facilitators’ Time
30. The Kiss-Up
31. The Pile-On

PATTERNS WE WORK ON HERE SO WE DON’T ENGAGE IN THEM WHEN IN MIXED GROUPS

32. Credentialing
33. Hopelessness
34. Hopefulness
35. Complaining about How Exhausting the Work Is
36. Channel Changing
37. White Fragility
38. Getting Stuck in Guilt/Shame
39. Centering Our Own Trauma
40. “I’m Powerless”
41. White Women’s Tears
42. The Extreme

CHAPTER 6
Closing the Group

CHAPTER 7
Accountability

Glossary
Additional Resources for Your Anti-Racist Practice
Acknowledgments
Notes