Tapestry of Faith: Building the World We Dream About: An Anti-racism Multicultural Program

Activity 2: Introducing White Privilege

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Make copies of Handout 1.
  • Write on newsprint, and post:
    • What is my response to the handout?
    • How does White privilege appear in my life (as a White person or a person from a racially or ethnically marginalized group?)

Description of Activity

Introduce the activity by reminding participants that this workshop and the next will focus on "White privilege." Repeat the definition you offered in the workshop Opening:

"White privilege" is a system of racial preferences that are automatically awarded to people who identify as White or of European ancestry, while, at the same time, there is a system of systematic disadvantages for People of Color and other people marginalized by race or ethnicity.

Acknowledge that participants may feel resistance or discomfort as they examine White privilege, and affirm the importance of the work they are about to do together as part of the process of transforming exclusion, inequities, and oppression based on race or ethnicity.

Distribute Handout 1 and invite participants to read it. Allow five minutes for participants to finish reading and to reflect for a brief time.

Invite participants to move into groups of three and discuss the handout, using the posted questions to guide them. Allow 15 minutes for discussion.