UNtraining White Liberal Racism offers tools and practices for white people to investigate our white cultural conditioning, to uncover the ways it shapes our experience of ourselves and people of color, and to support change in ourselves and in the world. As children, we do not choose to take on our white conditioning, but as adults we can choose to undo it.

This program is held in groups of up to ten “white-identified” participants in a workshop format that combines presentation of concepts and tools, experiential exercises, self-reflection and group process. Most groups meet once a month for six months. Sessions are generally held on weekends.

Phase 1 of the ongoing program offers the basic tools and concepts of the UNtraining, including how to move beyond the dichotomy of seeing ourselves or other white people as either “good white people” or “bad racists” by learning to hold our white social conditioning in the context of basic human goodness.

The People of Color UNtraining group focuses attention on the places where the unique cultural/ethnic conditioning of each participant intersects with the diverse cultural/ethnic conditioning of the other participants, and with the social conditioning of the white dominant culture. The UNtraining isn’t a class as much as a group process using experiential exercises, interactive presentations, journaling, readings, and group discussion. The UNtraining is usually held in small groups that meet once a month for six months. This year the POC group will combine people who are continuing with new people who identify as people of color. The meetings are held on weekends.

Phase 1 offers the basic tools and concepts of the UNtraining, including how to move beyond the dichotomy of seeing people of color as “good representatives of your race” or “bad representatives of your race” and seeing white people as either “good white people” or “bad racists” by learning to hold all of your social conditioning in the context of basic human goodness.