The Facilitator's Guide for White Affinity Groups: Strategies for Leading White People in an Anti-Racist Practice

by Robin DiAngelo, Amy Burtaine

A first of its kind, accessible, in-depth resource for leading effective white racial affinity groups—an essential tool in anti-racism 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
· 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Justice, Professional Development

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2022

About the author

Robin J. DiAngelo is an American academic, lecturer, and author working in the fields of critical discourse analysis and whiteness studies. She formerly served as a tenured professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University and is currently an Affiliate Associate Professor of Education at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is known for her work pertaining to white fragility, a term which she coined in 2011.

In a 2011 academic paper she first put forward the concept of white fragility, the notion that the tendency for white people to become defensive when confronted with their racial advantage functions to protect and maintain that advantage.

Reviews

[Simon Schmitz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible

[Hannah Stowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the shifting of the initial anti-racism responsibility back onto white folks themselves. It makes a lot of sense to try and work through the first clumsy reckonings away from the people most likely to be hurt or burdened by them, and my own experience in this area has taught me that the particular struggles of learning about racism from a white perspectives are not (and really should not be) the focus of a mixed race group. At the very least, I think it would be helpful personally to have a space to discuss my own pain at the injustice of the world in a place that does not remove time or attention from those folks that have had to bear the brunt of that pain for their entire lives.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book - an excellent follow up to the foundational White Fragility. With actionable ways to facilitate groups of white folks in an anti-racist practice, supportive and extensive online resources, and direct quotes from BIPOC folks, white folks, and other facilitators this book is a must-have if you are a white person doing anti-racism work in your personal or professional life. Having provided a wealth of information, resources, and education, it ends by encouragingly supporting us not to give up, knowing it will be hard, imperfect, and come with plenty of feedback. The authors remind us that accountability is us sticking with the work in spite of the inherent challenges.

[Sawyer Rawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This guide is practical, thoughtful, and incredibly useful for anyone serious about anti-racist work. DiAngelo and Burtaine don’t just talk theory, they give real strategies, examples, and tools for creating conversations that are challenging yet constructive. I especially appreciated how the book addresses common roadblocks and emotions that come up in white affinity groups, offering ways to navigate them with honesty and accountability. It’s not always comfortable reading, but that’s exactly why it’s so important. A must have resource for facilitators and educators.

[Patrick Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to unpack

So I’ve gone through this book once and now it’s time to go through again. I know it is a resource I will keep within an arm’s reach. I know it will support work in facilitating white affinity spaces, but it’s countless reflective questions and advice on handling pushback to anti racism work would benefit individuals not leading affinity spaces as well.

[Virginia Serrano · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash

[Lucía Delgado · Rating 1 out of 5]

Junk

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely essential for anyone who is going to be running these types of meetings. I learned so much and still refer back to it frequently as I am running them. It is so easy to feel that we aren’t going to facilitate “well enough.” I personally struggle with anger toward our white colleagues who don’t seem willing to participate or change their worldview. I found this guide very helpful for both my own work and in helping facilitate groups without feeling so emotional. I am a Clinical Psychologist working for a large medical organization, and I help facilitate these kinds of trainings in our Anti-Racism Committee. I would not feel confident doing so without having read this book.

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. I'm not one of the Robin DiAngelo haters. I think she's doing difficult work with heart. I've only just started reading but I've skimmed through it enough to want to balance the one star review out with my honest five star review. It's full of quotes from folks who are qualified. I found several of the questions I already have answered in clear & useful ways. I'll follow up when I've read the whole book but if you're working toward being able to discuss whiteness, keep your mind open & read this.