What Is White Entitlement And How Does It Show Up In Ourselves And Our Communities?

Part of Mosaic Lifespan Curriculum

Open

Light chalice and listen together — “We Can Do Hard Things” by Tish Melton (YouTube, 4:27)

Read

Watch

Do

Online participant activity: Take a Touch Test

To access the test

  • Click the link.
  • Agree to the Disclaimer.
  • Select the Race Based Test

After the individuals take the test come together to discuss the results

On site Activity: Strategic Planning

Have each person work individually.

Tell them they are welcome to skip any step or prompt and work with what works for them. This includes if taking a break to draw or walk or breath is the best move for them at this time.

(Perhaps using a mindmap)

  • Make a list of several collectives, institutions, or various groups of people that they interact with regularly where white entitlement and microaggressions need to be confronted.

 This is not an abstract assignment. Have participants list places where they regularly interact physically or virtually.

  • List some examples of microaggressions that happen in these places.
  • Rank the collectives/groups from most difficult to least difficult for engaging discussions which confront white entitlement.
  • Make a list of possible micro interventions
  • Make a list of allies that can support them in doing the work in those various networks.
  • Connect the dots — look for any overlaps in the systems -where problems occur, allies, micro-interventions and where they could be plugged in.
  • Next, take some time to allow individuals to share what they learned. Encourage interactive and emergent dialogue. If participants are reluctant to share, put them in smaller groups / breakout rooms.

Some possible reflection Questions for the Exercise:

  1. What have they learned from doing the exercise? Any surprises?
  2. What are their experiences?
  3. Who are their allies?
  4. Where do they find the most difficulty?
  5. Do they give themselves grace when they are confronting the especially difficult collectives?

Close

That was the week you learned that the killers of Michael Brown would go free. The men who had left his body in the street like some awesome declaration of their inviolable power would never be punished. It was not my expectation that anyone would ever be punished. But you were young and still believed. You stayed up till 11 p.m. that night, waiting for the announcement of an indictment, and when instead it was announced that there was none you said, “I’ve got to go,” and you went into your room, and I heard you crying. I came in five minutes after, and I didn’t hug you, and I didn’t comfort you, because I thought it would be wrong to comfort you. I did not tell you that it would be okay, because I have never believed it would be okay. What I told you is what your grandparents tried to tell me: that this is your country, that this is your world, that this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.

—Ta-Nehisi Coates, writing to his 15-year-old son (Between the World and Me, Spiegel & Grau, 2015)

Closing Questions

On a scale of 1-10,

1- being easy as pie, and 10 being totally shattering to your sense of inner peace.

  • How difficult is it to receive these materials regarding microaggressions and white entitlement?

  • How much discomfort have you felt in the past around such topics?

  • How much are you willing to feel going forward?

  • How do you intend to strengthen your capacity for such conversations and deepen your understanding of why they are necessary?

  • What is one thing you are thankful to have learned or experienced in this space today?

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