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.

We’re committed to making MKP Trainings and Circles More Powerful, Safe, & Effective for Men of Color to do their work.

One of the values of the ManKind Project USA is Intercultural Competency. This training is part of our commitment to continued learning and growth. Four basic skills for Intercultural Competency that we define include:

  1. Recognizes Cultural Identities in self and others
  2. Participates constructively in cultural conversations
  3. Models learning about cultural differences
  4. Forms mutual empowering relationships across cultural lines

This 4 week live online course can help expand intercultural competency skills and give you a solid foundation for the action you’re ready to take in the world.

We are calling in white New Warrior Brothers to further explore aspects of our identities, systems, and culture, recognizing that we may have blindspots to historical and social realities that are outside of what we learned growing up. This awareness can be invaluable in breaking down divisions that cause harm not only to People of Color, but to White people as well.

Whether you are looking for a place to take your first steps, or have already started on this journey but seek to go deeper, this course is for you!

“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.

Dennis G.

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.

Marty H.

Who Is This Course For?

As well intentioned and loving men, we recognize that there is always another step to be taken, another curtain to be swept aside, another light to reveal us to ourselves.

This is work we can do together – not with shame, blame, or self-hatred – but to be more alive, more congruent, and more equipped to meet everyone we encounter with deeper compassion and empathy.

“Waking Up to Whiteness” is designed to bring White New Warrior Brothers together, in a more intimate forum, to provide:

  • Focused historical education on important topics related to racism
  • The opportunity to dig deep in uncovering your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings on these challenging topics
  • A container to honestly share your truth, which may be new to you, and which you may not have previously admitted to yourself, much less to others

You’re invited … 

  • 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 front and center in the conversation. This is a container for exploration, without blame, shame, or self-hatred.

We start by recognizing that the lived experiences of white people in the United States can be significantly different than those of people of color, especially Black Americans. We explore some of the history that creates these differences, and we lean in to how we, as white men, can foster spaces for trusting and powerful relationships across differences. 

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

Establishing the landscape –What is the backdrop of history that informs this course? What is Whiteness, and why does it matter when addressing racism?  

WEEK TWO

What is my place and role in this landscape? Uncovering our biases, where these were learned, and exploring white privilege.

WEEK THREE

The case for change. Discussing the ongoing negative impacts of systemic racism on people of color, and the unexamined costs to White people from supporting the status quo.

WEEK FOUR

Commitments and actions I can take. Looking at what will be required to create an anti-racist, equitable culture, and how to stay involved over the long haul.

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.

John S.

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.

David O.

Fellow Travelers and Guides

BRAD BOWERSBrad 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 HOULETom Houle
Initiated: 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 KayAlan 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 October 4th, 2023

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Wednesday Evenings
(Oct 4, 11, 18, 25)
7 pm – 9:15 pm Eastern
(find my time)

REGISTER

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If you have any questions, please email us at otpsupport@mkpusa.org and we’ll be glad to assist you