White Men and Diversity

In many organizations, there is growing resistance to diversity activities among some white men. In addition, there is a felt sense among white men that they are being blamed, personally, for the continuation of racist and sexist practices. These are just two examples of a gap in understanding and perception.

Our goal in working with white men and their associates is to open up the conversation in such a way that white men -- as well as people of color and women -- are invited to consider the reactions of white men to diversity efforts in a larger context. VISIONS offers workshops focusing on white men, ranging in length from two hours to two days. Depending on the program and the audience, we cover the following topics:

white men's feelings and thoughts about workplace diversity
the impact of sexism and racism on white men
barriers white men face in understanding oppression
the benefits of a diverse workplace from a white male perspective.

White men may express the belief that "affirmative action has gone too far"; that white men now are being discriminated against in the workplace. Yet, hiring and promotion data in most organizations clearly show that it is people of color and women who are still at a distinct disadvantage. While there may be legitimate situations where white men have been "passed over" because of their race and gender, and, consequently, their anger is legitimate, there are also many situations where people of color and women are "passed over" because of race and gender -- situations where a less competent white man becomes their supervisor.

And, in fact, there are cases where white men are being blamed and resent it However, white men may fail to realize that the anger they are hearing may be directed at "a system," not necessarily at an individual, that benefits white men. And, to make matters more complex, white men (and other dominant groups in our society such as religious majorities, able-bodied people, and members of the middle and upper class) generally are unaware of the privileges they receive from continued systemic patterns of racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, able-ism, or classism. Rather, they are far more cognizant of the legitimate ways in which "the system" does not work for them either.

Objectives of the Workshop
As participants in this program, white men and their associates will have the opportunity to:

discuss the barriers white men face in understanding the impact of oppression in the workplace
explore the dilemmas of being white and male in a diverse workforce
identify strategies for white men both to support and to challenge one another through change
identify skills for working successfully in multicultural settings.

For more information, please Contact Us

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VISIONS, Inc.
48 Juniper Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
(617) 541-4100