FAQ

What is this group about?​

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We are a group of white men who are concerned about the impacts of racism in this country. We know it's an issue even if other people try to deny it and we want to more clearly understand what's really going on and what we might need to do about it.

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But, I’m not a racist – What does this have to do with me?

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We probably could not have this conversation with someone who was a committed racist.  We have come to understand that you don’t have to be intentionally racist to be part of the problem. Much of what negatively affects people in our society is hard for us to see. Our friends in the Groundwater Network say, “It’s in the groundwater.” It’s embedded in the culture and in systems that benefit some and disadvantage others. We didn’t create it, but we can’t ignore it.

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I’ve been active in my organization around our DEI initiatives. How is this different?

 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have played an important role in advancing understanding of problems and opportunities surrounding human differences that have traditionally been marginalized. Some of these initiatives have effectively created a true sense of inclusion and belonging for most people. Others have been implemented in ways that undermined the central purpose of fostering belonging and building a sense that we’re all in this together.

 

Our program is focused on white men of influence who are not yet sure where they stand on questions of race, racism, and their own place in these conversations. We are convening conversations that make room for skepticism and disagreement as a way to hold honest dialogue in which we all can learn facts, expand our understanding, and explore solutions to problems that are not going away without our involvement.

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Didn’t electing a Black president prove that we are past this?

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Electing a Black president showed we could be a racially equitable and just society. It demonstrated that progress made in civil rights in the last century could culminate in equal opportunity for all regardless of skin color.

 

However, it did not eliminate unfair systems and structures that still determine negative outcomes for groups based on color. And, we would argue that it led to a backlash from people who still believe that raising the prospects for some groups reduces the prospects for others.

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Who else will be in the group?

 

We are inviting influential white men from a few sectors of society – corporate leaders, health care leaders, religious leaders – who are not yet decided about their position, may not feel they know enough about the issue and may be skeptical about the importance it plays for their leadership. 

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Is this going to be another white men-bashing experience?

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No. What it will be is an opportunity to learn together through an examination of facts, data, and stories that we as white men may not have been exposed to before

 

What will the group do?

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• We will first get to know each other, in part by sharing our own experiences around race and ways we have come to see race as an issue in our work and our lives

• We will read, view, and discuss materials on the subject

• Over the course of a year, we will meet monthly over Zoom and twice in person

• As our shared understanding evolves, we will explore what each of us might do to use our influence to extend this understanding beyond our group…we see this program as providing an on-ramp to other ways of learning and contributing to advancing racial equity in our society

 

What will I get out of it?

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That will largely be up to you…if you are willing to come to this experience with an honest, open mind and heart and engage fully with the material and your fellow participants, we promise that you will:

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• learn facts and perspectives that have not been part of our education

• form connections with other influential white men who think critically about their own leadership and the spaces in which they lead

• come to a new and fuller understanding of race and the role it plays in our society, our sectors, our organizations and our lives

• stand before a choice to use your influence to make the playing field more level, more fair and more opportunity-rich for the next generation

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How much time will I be expected to invest?

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• Beginning January 14th, we will meet monthly by Zoom for 1 1/2 hour sessions

• For each session we will have a reading or video assignment as pre-work

• We will meet in-person at least once (possibly twice) over the year for a full day

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How much will it cost me?

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• There is no tuition fee for this program

• We ask that you pay for your own travel, lodging and meals for the in-person meeting(s)

• We invite you to contribute to the administrative and logistics costs as the core team has been doing 

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What are the other commitments?

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• Once you have agreed to participate, we ask that you clear your schedule for all the meeting dates and commit to attending

• We also ask that you commit to completing the pre-work for each session

• We ask that you commit yourself to learning with us and your fellow participants and do your part to create a productive learning environment by:

  • Listening fully

  • Speaking candidly

  • Sharing your experiences and your views openly and with vulnerability

  • Maintaining confidentiality of the group to promote trust and safety for learning

  • Confronting conflict productively as a catalyst for learning and growth

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