“Inspired by my own two-steps-forward, one-step-back journey away from racial ignorance, I educate other white people confused and frustrated by racism by transforming anxiety and inaction into agency and action.”

Debby Irving

Debby Irving

I’m a Good Person! Isn’t That Enough?

2 hour presentation with time for community conversation. Can be shortened to work as keynote or webinar and expanded to include more dialog and reflection.

Using historical and media images, Debby examines how she used her white-skewed belief system to interpret the world around her. Socialized on a narrow worldview, Debby explores how she spent decades silently reaffirming harmful, archaic racial patterns instead of questioning the racial disparities and tensions she could see and feel. This workshop is designed to support white people in making the paradigm shift from ‘fixing’ and ‘helping’ those believed to be inferior, to focusing on internalized white superiority and its role in perpetuating racism at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels. This presentation includes pauses for reflection, dialog, and Q&A.

Leveling the Playing Field: Interrupting Patterns of Power and Privilege

Alternate title: How to Explain White Privilege to a Skeptic

2 hour workshop, cannot be shortened but we welcome lengthening for more reflection and discussion time.

Using a series of pointed questions, Debby works with participants to build a graphic map of the groups people belong to because of social locations and historical roles in U.S. society. Participants will explore with Debby the social beliefs, attitudes, and dynamics that can perpetuate patterns of power and privilege. Understanding that the more versed we become in the ways of whiteness, the more able we are to set our individual and institutional intentions to actively counter it. This workshop offers a reframing of DEI work to shift current power and privilege dynamics to equitable shared problem solving, envisioning, and co-creating. Participants will leave with powerful tools to analyze power dynamics and cultivate transformative cultures in their circles of influence.  Requirements: Previous participation in I’m a Good Person! Isn’t that Enough? 

Transformational Conversations

2 hour workshop, cannot be shortened but we welcome lengthening for more reflection and discussion time.

Because dominant white culture encourages us to avoid conflict, many of us raised in it have not fully developed the insight, skill, and emotional stamina necessary to broach and navigate differences of perspective and opinion, especially when harm to a member of a marginalized group is part of the mix. Too often these conversations are completely avoided or broached only to go from bad to worse, leaving people in divided camps teeming with assumption and anger that further divides us and wreaks havoc on our communities. There is a different way. In contrast to the social norms of whiteness are norms designed to develop the vulnerability, skill, and courage necessary to create deep connection and resilience; ways of being that sustain and grow us personally and collectively. This workshop will explore how to embed new, transformational norms into our personal and institutional practices.