You Belong Here

Stretch

Happy Friday, friends! This morning, I had the pleasure of chatting on LinkedIn with my friend and fellow social justice advocate, Dr. Meredith Reitman. She’s a powerhouse of knowledge and research, especially when it comes to understanding how race plays out in workplaces and challenging practices that harm the Global Majority.

Our event, “Breaking Free of Whiteness,” was all about exploring some big questions:

• What drives white folks to behave in ways that harm BIPOC communities?

• How does fear influence these choices?

• And how can white people show up as true allies to those who are marginalized?

The conversation was incredible. Dr. Reitman shared so much wisdom that it was both eye-opening and, at times, a gut punch (in the best way). It gave me a lot to think about and helped me better understand some of the patterns of harm we see.

Here are a few of my favorite takeaways:

• When we focus too much on our privilege instead of practicing solidarity, it can lead to harmful behaviors like saviorism.

• We need to challenge systems that block us from being authentic and building real relationships.

• White people often wear “whiteness” like a coat that protects the powerful. But you can take it off, embrace your humanity, and start showing up as an ally.

• Dividing white people into “good” and “bad” only serves the people at the top of the power structure (wealthy white men).

• There are tangible steps white folks can take to step out of whiteness and live in alignment with their values and community.

There’s so much more we covered, but I’d need a whole newsletter to share it all. 🙃 If you want to dive in, you can check out the full conversation here.

One key theme we kept coming back to is this: To break free of whiteness, we have to first see it for what it really is.

• It’s a system that harms everyone—but especially the Global Majority.

• It’s an identity rooted in a violent, oppressive system. The good news? You have the power to determine how much of your identity it defines.

• It demands perfection, which keeps people from aligning their actions with their values.

When we see whiteness as a system, we can choose to step away from it and act in ways that align with our values—ways that benefit everyone.

But breaking free isn’t something we can do alone. It takes a collective effort. When we balance individual identity with collective power, we unlock the ability to create a world that’s truly equitable and inclusive.

I will leave you with one final gift from Dr. Reitman, which is a simple list of actions white folks can take every day to begin breaking free from whiteness. If you’d like more context around these actions, I encourage you to listen to our LinkedIn Live conversation I’ve shared above.

Let’s keep moving toward that together. ❤️

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Resources

During our conversation, Dr. Reitman shared many resources that have supported her in her anti-racism journey. Here are a few to explore:

1. A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with our Past and Driving Social Change by Dolly Chugh

2. Black and White Racial Identity by Janet E. Helms

3. Brown Faces, White Spaces by Latasha Morrison

Reflect

1. How have I seen fear influence harmful actions or decisions, either in myself or others?

2. In what ways might I focus too much on privilege or guilt rather than practicing solidarity?

3. What does “collective power” mean to me, and how can I contribute to it?

Act

1. Challenge Perfectionism: Identify areas where the pressure to “get it right” might be holding you back from meaningful allyship or action.

2. Interrupt Harmful Practices: Speak up when you witness behaviors like saviorism, tokenism, or stereotyping in your spaces.

3. Practice Active Listening: Engage in conversations with colleagues or friends from the Global Majority with a mindset of listening to understand, not to respond or fix.

4. Commit to Concrete Actions: Take specific steps to align your actions with your values, such as donating to anti-racist organizations, volunteering time, or mentoring individuals from the Global Majority.

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