Emotional Resiliency and Accountability Training: Accountability and some symptoms of whiteness
Activity: The body is a truth cord
The body is a truth cord. Notice your body when you talk, and as you listen. Your body is the silent observer.
Take some time to reflect on the questions below. Choose one or two that you know you should answer for yourself. Take some notes on what answers come to you.
- Is there an important truth I haven’t willing to tell?
- Is there something I haven’t been willing to hear from someone else?
- Have I been living in fear of the worst?
- Have I been pretending to know more than I really know?
- Is there something I should have done that I’ve left undone?
- Have I been waiting for someone or something else to rescue me?
Activity: Some symptoms of whiteness
Please watch the video directly below, and then take some notes on the reflection questions in the green box below.
Folks who have move through the world as white commonly have a deeply embodied distorted sense of self. Here are some ways that might show up for us:
- individualism: I, I, I instead of we, we, we – I need to prove my worth or I will be rejected
- entitlement: I, I, I instead of we, we, we – safety and comfort at the expense of Black and Brown folks
- white supremacy has a spoiled child effect on us – hoarding space and resources, with little patience when we don’t get our way (thinking our rights are being taken when we’re asked to only take our fair share)
- white exceptionalism: many of us white folks in social justice movements think anti-racist practices aren’t about me, it’s about other white folks. There is no anti-racism resume that makes us immune to doing the work of unpacking our internalized white supremacy iteratively and forever.
- white superiority – our minds and bodies are programmed that whiteness is best
- White superiority and white exceptionalism often result in white folks acting like a boss, supervisor, expert (giving unsolicited advice, thinking there’s an objectively “best” way) – talk too much, over-value opinion, center themselves (instead of the whole group)
- individual/ancestral trauma (weaponizing victimhood)
- I have suffered, therefore the world owes me.
- I was treated like I wasn’t smart, so now I constantly try to prove I am smart.
- I can’t feel into my heart because I need to protect myself from grief.
- If I am not seen as good, I will be rejected—there is not enough unconditional love for me.
If you get really honest with yourself, which of these do you recognize in yourself? Write down some key words or notes on how you see these show up for you.
Do a body scan to see what your body needs before moving onto the next reflection activity. Do you need to take a walk? Get some food or water? Take some deep breaths?