INFORMATION PAGE

Raising Anti-Racist White Children

Begins January 10!

An online, live interactive workshop for parents and educators offering information and guidance on how to prepare white children in our increasingly multiracial society. The workshop encourages the development of an anti-racist outlook in all children, and focuses on the particular experience of raising white children.

Did you know?

Among families with kindergarteners, white parents are 3 times less likely to discuss race than parents of color.

75% of white parents never, or almost never talk about race.

First graders placed in cross-racial study groups changed their play habits in a positive way, while third graders placed in similar cross-racial study groups did not.

Researchers speculate there is a "developmental window" when positive crossracial habits are most readily learned.

"The more diverse the junior high school or high school, the more the kids self segregate by race and ethnicity within school, and thus the likelihood that any two kids of different races have a friendship goes down."
-from Even Babies Discriminate: A Nutureshock excerpt.
By Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

“The more children know about the seriousness of racial-ethnic oppression and its consequences, the more they will be equipped to contest it in their present and future lives.”
-from The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism By Debra Van Ausdale & Joe R. Feagin

“Katz and Kofkin (1997) found that infants are able to nonverbally categorize people by race and gender at six months of age…. and numerous studies show that three- to five-year-olds not only categorize people by race, but express bias based on race.”
-From “Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race” by Erin N. Winkler, Ph.D.

“Over 3 in 10 white millennials believe blacks to be lazier or less hardworking than whites, and a similar number say lack of motivation is a reason why they are less financially well off as a group. Just under a quarter believes blacks are less intelligent…”
-From “Millennials are just about as racist as their parents” by Scott Clement

When

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 6:00 PM EST
-to-
Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 8:00 PM EST
Add to Calendar 

Learn How To Talk To Your White Children About Race!
This workshop takes place using the Zoom online conferencing software. During the workshop we will:

  • Educate you about children's grasp of race & racism
  • Inspire and empower you to model and teach anti-racism
  • Boost your confidence in teaching children anti-racism
  • Show you how to counter the present culture of colorblindness with more effective strategies
  • Help you raise white children who have an aware and healthy racial identify and the potential to join the next generation of anti-racist healers and organizers

The workshop will provide you with information, tools, analysis, strategies, language, and resources. We will also explain the importance of a positive anti-racist racial identity in white children while engaging you in small and large group discussions and guided study. 

The workshop is open to anyone who is interested in teaching white children about race and will be very helpful in particular to:

  • Parents
  • Grandparents 
  • Godparents
  • Guardians
  • Caretakers
  • Teachers
  • Educators
  • Service Professionals who work with children (e.g. counselors, case workers, advocates, etc.)
  • Community members with a concern for raising the next generation of anti-racists

The workshop touches on several topics, including:

  • What and when children learn about racism
  • Media literacy for children
  • Auditing juvenile books for racist and/or anti-racist content
  • Helping white children develop a positive anti-racist white identity
  • Dealing with microaggressions

When

The workshop will take place during three Sunday meetings in January of 2021, for a total of 6 hours of information-packed content.

First Meeting -- Sunday, January 10th*

Second Meeting -- Sunday, January 17th*

Third Meeting -- Sunday, January 24th*

* All meetings take place at 6-8pm Eastern; 5-7pm Central; 4-6pm Mountain; 3-5pm Pacific

All meetings are recorded and the recording will be made available for viewing after each meeting by registered workshop participants only.

Registration fee: Standard rate $125

For more information please contact:

Catherine Klebl
Center for the Study of White American Culture, Inc.
catherineklebl@gmail.com

Meet The Trainers

 

Bonnie Berman Cushing

Bonnie Berman Cushing is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an anti-racist organizer and educator. She has worked in the mental health field for over 25 years as a family-systems therapist. She informs both her own — and others’ — clinical practice with an analysis of the dynamics of power, privilege and oppression. To this end, Bonnie has trained and/or supervised therapists and other human service practitioners throughout the tri-state area — including JBFCS, JCCA, the Ackerman Institute, the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships and NYU, Fordham, Columbia, Hunter and Rutgers Schools of Social Work.

In 2004, Bonnie co-authored a chapter with Monica McGoldrick for the book Human Development and Faith by Chalice Press. In 2010, she was the Lead Editor of the multi-authored book Accountability and White Antiracist Organizing: Stories From Our Work, published by CDD Books and served as editor for Living in the Tension: the Quest for a Spiritualized Racial Justice, by Shelly Tochluk, published by CDD Books in 2016.

Bonnie is a Core Trainer with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and a facilitator with Border Crossers, an organization that trains educators on how to work with issues of race and racism in the classroom. She is a member of both the People’s Institute Northeast Leadership Collective and European Dissent NJ, and co-founder of the North Jersey Chapter of the AntiRacist Alliance. In addition to her services as a board member, Bonnie also develops curriculum and co-facilitates workshops for CSWAC

 

Edie Grauer

Edie Grauer, BSW, MSW, is a seasoned non-profit executive and change agent whose career has focused on promoting empowerment, inclusion and self-determination of oppressed and disenfranchised persons. She has extensive experience in the areas of homelessness, criminal and juvenile justice, children in out-of-home placement, substance abuse and addiction, and HIV/AIDS.

Edie has taught at numerous colleges and universities in the areas of social work, criminal justice, community and leadership building, drug abuse and addiction, sociology, and psychology. She developed and presented training for The New Jersey Project on Inclusive Scholarship, Curriculum, and Teaching to college faculty on honoring and infusing cultural diversity across the disciplines.

Edie has designed and implemented training in community-based agencies including power and privilege; empowerment; self-determination. She was recognized by Volunteers of America for her infusion of cultural diversity into their employee training and program policies and standards, and was awarded a Transcultural Art Project through Rutgers University for a transitional housing program for persons affected by HIV.

Edie currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties (CASA).

 

What People Are Saying

Phenomenal work. I am so grateful for your leadership and teaching. The section on children learning racism was enlightening. If we don’t talk to our kids about anti-racism, institutionalized racism will have all the power of influence. This whole concept of tools to nurture a positive racial identity in white children was exactly the next step I’ve been looking for. Thank you for positively encouraging us to confront and accept our own whiteness.
~Jen Rutner  

Thoughtful group, very well facilitated, enough time to process. Lots to think about. I have always felt committed to raising anti-racist white children, but now I have the tools. Feeling empowered.
~Lila Barchetto 

The workshop continued to deepen my understanding of racism and ways in which we can oppose/counter it as parents and teachers. Articles were very helpful.
~Laura Bilodeau 

The workshop fueled my excitement and commitment to raising anti-racist white children.
~Rachel Brown

I especially liked the media literacy PowerPoint, although that also hit me emotionally…. I thought both trainers were such amazing facilitators and you guided the discussion gracefully and compassionately.
~Emma Timbers