WAKING UP TO
WHITENESS
A Journey from Awareness to Justice
“The arc of history is long, and it bends toward justice.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
In many ways, racial understanding and race relations have improved very little for nearly 100 years. Inequity, violence, and injustice are deeply embedded features of American society. The damage, historical and ongoing, is incalculable – and undeniable. However, many are through with being silent and are raising their voices for systemic change, and are recognizing that uncomfortable conversations are a critical part of creating a more just society.
“I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I cannot be free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.”
~ Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Brad Bowers and Tom Houle, the creators of this course, have been fundamentally changed by pursuing this exploration of whiteness, white supremacy, and systemic oppression. Watch the video on the right from a recent ManKind Project USA Town Hall meeting to learn more about their journeys.
Waking Up to Whiteness provided me with more background knowledge around racism, antiracism, bias and privilege. It gave basic tools on how to speak with others on these topics as well as ways to begin taking action. I recommend this workshop to anyone wanting to begin taking steps to end racism.
I found the material presented in this training, and the opportunities for self-examination, deepened my awareness of how issues of race and racism impact our culture, and me. It also deepened my awareness of opportunities for me to actively do more to be part of the solution.
Who Is This Course For?
- Are you looking for a place to start or continue your journey around understanding race, racism, and whiteness, and how to discuss and engage in these topics?
- Are you looking for a group of New Warrior Brothers who are willing to engage together in these challenging discussions?
- Are you open to learning new things, and discover ways to take action to create change?
Together – we’ll build a container, dig in to resources, touch our shadows, and commit to next steps as conscious men.
For us to do our work as White men, without putting additional burden and aggression on our brothers and sisters of color, we’ve created this container for us to learn and converse amongst ourselves. At the same time, many of the learning materials we will use in this course were created by people of color to ensure their voices are being heard.
This course is designed to look back to how we got where we are today, and then look forward to creating change. We believe that there is an incredible amount of richness, truth, and beauty that emerges when we commit to facing challenging issues together.
We hope you will join us in this journey.
We hope you will stand with us to create an increasingly rich, diverse,
and equitable ManKind Project community.
Your Challenge for Each Week …
4 – 2-hour Sessions + Pre-Session Work
Each week participants will be expected to read/watch/listen to
approximately 90+ minutes of content to prepare for the upcoming week’s Zoom session.
WEEK ONE
WEEK TWO
WEEK THREE
WEEK FOUR
If you know or even suspect that you have personal work to do regarding your racist shadow, this is both an excellent starting point and a place to reengage after recognizing the need to continue stepping into your s***t.
Prior to this class, I felt I had a strong grasp of issues facing BIPOC. I didn’t know how much I didn’t know until I went through this course. My eyes, my head, and my heart have been opened even more.
Fellow Travelers and Guides
Brad Bowers
Initiated: June 2010
Waking Up to Whiteness Course Co-Creator, MKP Northwest, Co-Leader Candidate, Living Through Disruption Facilitator
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I am a successful entrepreneur, executive coach, and leader in The ManKind Project, and for over 25 years I have studied and applied various modalities related to my personal and spiritual growth, to continue to evolve into the best version of myself. Equality, equity, and social justice are important to me, and I continue to learn, make mistakes, and grow, while working to actively create change.
Tom HouleInitiated: October 1998
Waking Up to Whiteness Course Co-Creator, Metro NY LKS Headman
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I am a life-long spiritual seeker and retired Fortune 100 senior leader. Building on work during my career, social justice and equality has become a life mission. Because of the skills MKP gave me, I just celebrated a 27th wedding anniversary and was able to father with authenticity. So very grateful to the men in this organization.
Ted Freedman
Initiated: February 2001
Past Steward Metro NY Tri State, Co-Convener of the White Men Unraveling Racism calls.
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For over 35 years, Ted Freedman has been traveling all over the USA facilitating educational and experiential programs on self discovery, understanding differences and group cooperation. When not traveling, he spends his time fishing, writing and fixing things at his cabin in Pine Bush, NY.
Alan Kay
Initiated:Initiated: December 2011
Creator of the Train Station social justice newsletter and the Better Dads Festival. Past ECI rep of the Greater Carolinas Area.
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After 32 years as a practicing veterinarian, Alan now focuses his time, energy and resources on social justice issues. He is guided by the three pillars of learning, teaching, and creating action for change.
Cost & Logistics
$150 for 4 – 2-hour sessions
In addition to the live sessions; each week participants will be expected to read/watch/listen to approximately 90+ minutes of content to prepare for the upcoming week’s Zoom session.
A portion of the proceeds from this course will go to the MKP USA Men of Color Scholarship Fund
Starts Wednesday April 28th
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(SOLD OUT)
Starts Tuesday May 11th
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Tuesday Evenings
(May 11, 18, 25, Jun 1)
7 pm – 9 pm Eastern
(find my time)
If you have any questions, please email us at otpsupport@mkpusa.org and we’ll be glad to assist you