Guide to Becoming a White

Accomplice and Anti-Racist

Kelly Husted, Christina Gerasimovich, Brittany Peck Williams

You’ve watched the news and are beginning to wonder,

how did our nation get to this point?
What are we even fighting for? Maybe you’re starting to hear language and terminology
you’ve never heard of or thought about before. And while I want to hold your hand and say
it’s okay, it’s not. You’re probably wondering why people continue to tell you you have
“white privilege” when you’ve worked hard your entire life. You’re hearing the phrase “red
lining” but what does that have to do with you?

Well, as a white person, it’s about time you learn.

This is a guide intended to educate, expand your thinking, challenge your previous
mentalities and hopefully, lead you to become an empathetic ally and accomplice to the
BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color) of this “great” nation. As you progress
through this work, you will work through four major phases to becoming an Anti-Racist:
Awareness, Education, Self-Interrogation, and Community Action. (based on
www.wherechangestarted.com) 

I urge you to pursue this work and to always keep trying. You’re going to make mistakes;
expect this. You won’t always have the immediate answers; but you’ll be provided with the
tools to find them. Keep showing up. Be compassionate. Lead with empathy, always. Keep
learning and growing. If you do this, I truly believe you’ll be doing the work of not only an
ally, but an accomplice.
 How to use this Guide
Take your time and digest all the information. Don't skim!
There is a lot of information we gathered in this guide, from articles, to videos, to Ted
Talks, to interactive resources, such as a journal and guiding questions.

This guide is not meant to be consumed in one sitting, which is why we've broken it up
into four steps to break up the knowledge and reflection. Please take the time to really
watch, read, listen, and process all the resources. Take time to reflect on the questions at
the end of each step, to really process how what you've learned impacts your own life.

Confronting your privilege, your biases, and perhaps the realization that you have been
contributing to systemic racism is an emotionally heavy task. Give yourself time to feel,
to take breaks if you need it, but always come back to the work.

Everything is clickable!
If you're seeing this in its digital format, then you will be able to interact with this guide!
There are links to all the resources embedded on each page. If you click on the title of any
cited article, video, or resource, it will take you to the original source.

Please save and share this guide and share it with friends and think about it as a way to
save many important anti-racism resources in one, organized place.

Don't keep this knowledge to yourself!

Dismantling systemic racism is a huge task that cannot be completed alone. As a white
person, we benefit and (intentionally or unintentionally) contribute to upholding white
supremacy and system racism. As white people, we have the responsibility to talk to our
white social circles, reject white supremacy and the benefits it gives us, and to not put the
burden on BIPOC of educating us on how systemic racism negatively effects our society.

Once you are armed with this knowledge, please don't keep it to yourself. We hope that
you use this guide to inform and kickstart your anti-racist actions out in the world so that
we can make long lasting change.
 Step 1
Awareness
This is your initial awakening to the racial injustices
around you...
"You are not only finally able to see that they exist, but that you play a crucial role in
stopping the cycle by becoming an antiracist.  

Being aware of racial injustices or understanding that you have white privilege won’t make
you antiracist, however. You have to keep going through the remaining stages."  

Brace yourself, though.

"This awakening is not a one time event. It will happen once, on a broad level regarding
race and white supremacy, but will continue to happen on issue specific levels as you dive
deeper into the work and create space for more and more varied lived experiences in your
understanding of these systems.”
Source: wherechangestarted.com

Your Awareness Resources:

What is Race, Ethnicity and

The Myth of Race
Nationality?

The Danger of a Single Story What is Implicit Bias?

Response to Microaggressions
What are Microaggressions?
Over Time

Being Nice is Not Going to End Unpacking White Privilege:

Racism Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

How White Privilege Works Stop Saying “All Lives Matter”

Awareness Reflection Questions:

What benefits has my white privilege given me, even if I did not realize it?
What assumptions have I been making about BIPOC or their experiences,
that I now realize are wrong or misguided?
 Step 2
Education
This is where you become an intentional student in this
work...
"The point of educating yourself on race and white supremacy isn’t for you to articulate
these complex topics in intellectualized debates about inequality. It’s about you being able
to develop the eye for identifying white supremacy in its many forms (in yourself and
others) without being handheld to do so."  

This stage of the process is crucial to the remaining stages

of the work...
"...because you need a solid foundational understanding of white supremacy and race in
order to begin the work of dismantling your own thoughts, beliefs, and practices that
perpetuate and uphold it.  Do this with intention. Don’t just accumulate resources to skim,
without diving deep into them.”
Source: wherechangestarted.com

Your Education Resources:

Essential History Resource Guides

Why Cities Are So Segregated
History of Black Lives Matter
Black American History
Systemic Racism Explained
School to Prison Pipeline
American Maps
Resources for Teachers
A Talk to Teachers by James Baldwin
A Class Divided (Jane Elliot film)
Project Ready: Reimaging Equity and
Access for Diverse Youth (free PD)
Racial Justice Resources for Teachers
How to be an Ally to the Black Lives
Matter Movement Guide
Syllabus for White Folks New to the
Fight
Anti-Racism Resources for White
People
Entertainment, Literature and Social
Media Guide
Shareable Anti-Racism of BIPOC
Resource Guide
Anti-Racist Allyship Starter Pack

Education Reflection Question:

How can I use this knowledge to identify white supremacy and deepen
conversations about race with my white friends and family?
 Step 3
Self Interrogation
This is the stage where the real self-work begins.
"This is where you disarm yourself of the racist tools of defense that you’ve used to bypass
the work of antiracism and harm BIPOC in your efforts. This is where you begin to replace
them with tools of accountability to stop your racist behaviors."  

Self interrogation is a skill and a process. Being effective

and efficient at this stage takes time and practice
"And while it will start out as the part of your work that source the most discomfort within
you, you will eventually get to a place where you’re operating out of a growth mindset and
embrace the many ways to identify how you can better be living up to the person you want
to be in this fight for human equality”
Source: wherechangestarted.com

Your Self Interrogation Actions:

8-Week Racial Justice Take a Workshop or Lecture
Create a White Affinity
Journal Series to actively continue
Group (online or in-person)
(click for free journal) your work

Self Interrogation Questions:

Self-assess constantly and consistently by asking yourself:
What can you do to support BIPOC in your community?
What are your local politicians’ policy on ending police brutality?
Do you agree with the current American schools’ education curriculum?
What are your thoughts on housing reforms?
Public educational funding?
Does the media, books, toys, social media, etc. you surround yourself with reflect a
diverse group of voices? Why or why not?
How do you respond to racially insensitive comments made by friends or family
members?
How can you help the fight to end racial discrimination and systemic oppression?
How can you use anti-racist knowledge to change and progress conversations with
friends, family, colleagues and peers?
How can you be actively anti-racist instead of simply “not racist”?
 Racism Scale
Where do you fall?
Feelings of White Guilt can lead to
Terrorism Overt Racism Subconscious Racism Indifference Defensive Justification Denial

I Violent Whites Blacks are "I'm not How am I I just If Racism

would/ Black are the naturally racist, privileged don't like he/they no
have Face superior more but..." if I am "ghetto" had longer
killed a (depict race violent / poor? just... exists
black hangings, less
person etc.) intelligent
simply
for the way
I inflict Blacks "Funny" That has It's just What I have I don't
being things are
fear should be Black nothing to a joke about black see color
black is God's
upon sent back Face do with reverse friends
black to Africa will me racism?
people
on I inflict Whites That is
Thugs But black Calling the police We had a black Slavery
purpose fear upon are under their on black because black president ended
black attack / problem, crime! folk make you feel therefore black 200
people "as will be not mine uncomfortable people are not years
a joke" minorities oppressed ago
soon

and compound many of these behaviors

White Savior "Woke" Justification Performative Ally Awareness Allyship Abolitionist

Whites There is only 1 I will help Being Systematic

were Race, the you, but involved racism is
slaves human race only if I with this very real
too lead will help and needs
my to be ended
reputation

There are There is no Love If they I expect Yes, my life as a poor, I will make
plenty of need for POC conquers want our praise white person has space for POC
successful to have their all help, they and/or been hard, but it isn't
POC ; they own spaces; should be publicity as hard if I were poor
just need to we are all one nicer/more AND a POC
work harder If we can't respectful My experience I will put my safety,
use the 'N' as a white health, and freedom
word, they person is on the line to fight for
shouldn't drastically POC. I will let them
either different than lead and not try to be
that of a POC at the center.

© 2019 *Note: It is common for many people to move back & forth along the scale regularly, especially the middle parts
@CristilnMD ** The term “blacks” is used to be more familiar to anyone of those mentalities
V4.0 ***”Blacks” can be substituted with people of any nationality/ethnicity other than European white since it’s
RacismScale.weebly.com people of European descent who have held institutional power in America since its inception.
 Step 4
Community Action
You have a list of resources. Now what?
Is it enough to sit and read and re-post and share information on social media? It’s a start.
But having “good intentions” is not enough to make radical change. Creating awareness is
step one, but now we have to create actionable change. This labor does not and should
not belong solely to Black folx -- white people created this problem, and it is up to us to
dismantle it. That being said, we must center Black folx in the conversation and amplify
their voices in order to create actionable change. 

We must make sure we are not “Centering our Whiteness.”

We as a group have a tendency to get defensive about our action or lack thereof, centering
the conversation by saying “but I don’t see color,” or “but I have a Black friend,” or “yeah,
but I grew up poor.” The absolute first step in unlearning is to stop worrying about being
perceived as a "bad person".

1) White feelings derail productive conversations: when we step in with our feelings,
we are no longer listening - we are centering whiteness

2) White feelings tone police POC: we get defensive and don’t recognize that these
stories are not personal attacks, but rather are true life experiences
3) White guilt don't compare to reality of racial oppression
4) White feelings prevent progress
Adapted from "4 Reasons Centering Whiteness Can Derail Racial Justice Conversations — And How to Do Better by Shae Collins

Remember that this stage of the work will not be void of

mistakes.
The way mistakes are handled, and decreasing the number of times thereafter, is what will
make the difference here. Part of this last “action” step is doing just that: moving from
being a white “ally” to a white “accomplice.” You may be familiar with hearing the term
“ally” to refer to white, cis, straight folx who are “with” the Black communities. A lot of
Black folx have called out the use of this term, and called for white folx to go beyond “ally”
and become “accomplices.”

Actor Ally Accomplice

Actions do not disrupt Actions that disrupts,
the status quo challenges, and educates
other in white spaces
Actions that directly challenge
institutionalized racism /
colonialism by blocking racist
people, policy, and structure
 How to Ally
Dos and Don’ts
A guide by Marie Beecham, @WasteFreeMarie

Racism is indoctrinated and systemic. Even if you’re actively

fighting against the racism of our families, friends and peers, you
Do Check Yourself continue to benefit from centuries of oppression. Refrain from
centering yourself in a movement that deserves your support but
is not about you in which you are not an authority.
While you may think this is helpful, realize that you feel guilty
Talk to Us About because of how badly we are persecuted. If you think racism is
Don't Your White Guilt
upsetting, imagine how we feel. Why are we spending time
working through your guilt instead of working to fight our
persecution?

Talk About Have uncomfortable conversations about prejudice with other

white people in your life. Realize that in these social situations, you
Racism With
Do Other White
hold power and privilege. You need to initiate these conversations
so that race isn’t a topic only addressed after a black person has
People been persecuted. Be proactive rather than reactive.

We aren’t your personal set of encyclopedias. The expectation of

Expect Black black people to explain themselves and their struggles to you is an
Don't People to example of white supremacy. This upholds the ideology that black
people are to serve you and that black people owe you something.
Educate You If you learn from a black educator, compensate them financially.

To the black man, “Wait” has always meant “Never.” Understand

that  for generations, we have been told to wait. Our grandparents
Do Act with Urgency were told to wait, our parents were told to wait, and now we’re
being told to wait. Like James Baldwin said, we are tired of waiting
for your so-called “progress.
White it may be a well-intentioned attempt at empathy, this
Compare Racism conversational pivot prioritizes your struggles over racial
Don't to Struggles You discrimination. In drawing comparisons to your own life, you’re
putting yourself at the center of an issue that has nothing to do
Have Experienced with you. This mental comparison can help you empathize, but
you’ll never feel the burden of racism.

Call Out And Reject Notice that the answer isn’t regarded as correct until the white
person reiterates it? Notice how you are offered awards or jobs
White Privilege You
Do Witness Or
that only go to white people? Call these things out and reject
them. You have to give up your privilege to level the playing field.
Experience And if you don’t notice these things, start paying attention.
You are not our savior. You’re not rescuing us from our own
Practice White
Don't
situation. You are simply making an effort to lessen the hurt that
you have caused. Don’t give yourself a gold medal for doing what
Saviorism
you are supposed to do.
While your instinct may be defensiveness, listen earnestly to black
Honor the voices and black stories. Put black people’s feelings ahead of your
Do Feelings of Black own. Start giving black people the benefit of the doubt. Do not tell
black people how to mourn, feel, or protest in response to their
People
oppression.
 How to Respond to
Common Racist Statements
A guide by Marie Beecham, @WasteFreeMarie

While we are all human and biologically the same, the systemic oppression
“I don't see color, we of black people  makes my experiences vastly different from yours. To say
that you don’t see my race means you don’t see my oppression, my
are all one human marginalization, or discrimination I’m facing daily. This diminishes my
race.” suffering and excuses you from your responsibility to be anti-racist. You
must see race to combat racism.

“You think something I When individuals perpetuate racism, it’s usually unintentional. You may
said was racist? have had good intentions. Still, racist acts are defined by their impact, not
their intent. Give black people the benefit of the doubt when we call out
You must've racism. Rather than suggesting we lack understanding or intelligence,
misunderstood me." listen and learn from us about how to confront racist ideologies.

This ‘good non-racist people’ vs ‘bad racist people’ binary concept is a gross
oversimplification of what racism is. Racism is oftentimes subconscious,
“I'm not a racist undetected, and born out of privilege or apathy. Racism isn’t just in bad
person." people’s minds; racism affects all people who belong to a racialized society.
Put more effort into learning how to be anti-racist than you put into
convincing others you’re non-racist.

We are living in a society that was built on the backs of black people for the
“I'm not responsible for benefit of white people. Generational wealth, prosperity, and opportunity
what my ancestors did. benefit white people. Recognize that injustice didn’t stop with our
Am I supposed to feel ancestors. White people are presently benefitting from the very systems
that marginalize black people. Feel convicted to reconcile today’s
bad about that?" injustices.

Racism requires both prejudice and power. You may face prejudice. That’s
“As a white person I'm not racism, because your race is in power. The criminal justice system
discriminated against favors white people, social institutions favor white people and white
because of reverse culture, and internalized prejudices attribute favorable traits to white
people. White people are irrefutably in the place of power, so reverse
racism." racism cannot exist.

Everything in our society is blanketed with white supremacy, which is the

“Why do you make notion that whiteness is the norm, the standard, or the ideal. Blackness is
regarded as abnormal, substandard, and not ideal. White supremacy
everything about covers every facet of our society, but it often goes unnoticed by those it
race?" benefits. To better recognize your privilege, take notice of oppression that
you don’t experience.

All lives can’t matter until black lives matter. “All lives matter” overlooks
systemic injustice plaguing the black community. “All lives matter” has
“All Lives Matter" been weaponized to silence the cries of the unheard. “All lives matter”
promptly ends progress before it starts. To work toward equity for all
people, we must start with advocacy for the most marginalized.
Okay, okay, okay, you’re thinking: get to the point.
I have listened.
I have learned.
I have amplified black voices.
And now, I’m ready to act...but where do I start?

If you are looking for actionable steps, click here to find a list of examples:
WhiteAccomplices.org

You have access to the knowledge and the tools - now you must actively and
consciously continue forward with this work. Please continue in this fight.
Never.
Stop.
Fighting.
Follow BIPOC leadership; don’t try to grab the mic yourself. Continue to reflect
intrinsically. Continue to educate yourself and others. Have difficult conversations. 

Remember this is a process, and forgive yourself if you make mistakes. You will make
mistakes. Be receptive to criticism, and adjust your actions as necessary. Show up.
Show support. Remind yourself this is a marathon, not a sprint. We cannot let this
movement lose momentum.

As a white accomplice, continue amplifying Black voices, pay advocates for their
services, support BIPOC businesses, sign petitions, vote in local, state, and federal
elections, donate money to organizations that support racial justice, disrupt white
spaces, diversify your social media and entertainment, and continue your self-
education with other white folx.

Most importantly, your voice can no longer stay silent. Your continued work on this
journey is what can help to break the systemic racism for generations to come. This
journey should be uncomfortable because without discomfort, change cannot come.

And without change, how will we ever progress?

 Works Cited
First of all, THANK YOU!
Thank you so much to all the creators and thought leaders who created the resources in
this guide and made them accessible to all, so that we were able to feature them in our
guide. Without their work, the creation of this guide would not be possible.

Our intent of creating this guide was to highlight BIPOC voices and the content of Black
creators and use our insight and perspective to present them to white allies.

Below is a list of all the resources we used or featured in this guide. Each citation is a
clickable link that will take you to the original source.

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. The Danger of a Single Story. TED, July 2009,
www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en.

American Kids; The School-To-Prison Pipeline, AJ+, 18 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?

v=04pcSyzwoTg.

Baldwin, James. “A Talk to Teacher.” The Saturday Review, 21 Dec. 1963.

Beecham, Marie. “How to Ally.” @Wastefreemarie, 2 June 2020,

www.instagram.com/wastefreemarie.

Beecham, Marie. “How to Respond to Common Racist Statements .” @WasteFreeMarie, 4 June

2020, www.instagram.com/wastefreemarie.

A Class Divided, Frontline PBS, 18 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mcCLm_LwpE.

Collins, Shae. “ Why White People Shouldn’t Impose Their Feelings Into Conversations on
Race.” Everydayfeminism.com, 17 Jan. 2017, everydayfeminism.com/2017/01/white-feelings-
racial-conversations/.

Collins, Shae. “4 Reasons Centering Whiteness Can Derail Racial Justice Conversations — And
How to Do Better.” Thebodyisnotanapology.com, 7 Oct. 2019,
thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/conversations-on-racial-injustice-whiteness-4-ways-
not-to-police-people-of-color-be-a-better-ally/.

Croyle, Bonita. “Come As You Are: An 8-Week Guided Digital Racial Justice Journal for Allies
of BIPOC.” The Ebenezer Project, 27 May 2020.
 Works Cited
Demby, Gene. Why Cities Are Still So Segregated, NPR, 11 Apr. 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5FBJyqfoLM.

Demnowicz, C. “Racism Scale: Where Do You Fall?” Racism Scale, 6 Mar. 2019,
racismscale.weebly.com/.

Desmond-Harris, Jenée and Estelle Caswell, directors. The Myth of Race, Debunked in 3
Minutes. Vox, Vox, 13 Jan. 2015, www.vox.com/2015/1/13/7536655/race-myth-debunked.

DiAngelo, Robin. Being Nice Is Not Going to End Racism, Big Think, 24 Oct. 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jin7ISV85s.

Dorrell, Tatum, et al. “ANTIRACIST ALLYSHIP STARTER PACK.” Google Drive, Google, 2020,
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Fisher, Max. “16 Maps That Americans Don't like to Talk About.” Vox, Vox, 27 May
2015, www.vox.com/2015/5/27/8618261/america-maps-truths.

Flicker, Sarah Sophie, and Alyssa Klein. “Anti-Racism Resources for White People.” Google,
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QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic?
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Gorton, Kate. “Syllabus for White Folks New to the Fight.” Rage on the Page, Rage on the Page,
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democracy.html.

How Microaggressions Are like Mosquito Bites, Fusion Comedy, 5 Oct. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDd3bzA7450&feature=emb_title.

How White Privilege Works | Unpack That, The Root, 15 Aug. 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I84jxCNsmo.
 Works Cited
“How You Can Be an Ally to the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Great Big Story,
www.greatbigstory.com/guides/how-to-become-a-better-black-lives-matter-ally.

Jones, Van. Van Explains It All - Implicit Bias, Rebuild The Dream, 3 June 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GPBq-gGjY.

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docs.google.com/document/d/1hpub-jkm9cLzJWqZSsETqbE6tZ13Q0UbQz--
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Lopez, German. “Why You Should Stop Saying ‘All Lives Matter," Explained in 9 Different
Ways.” Vox, Vox, 11 July 2016, www.vox.com/2016/7/11/12136140/black-all-lives-matter.

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Morse, Lauren, et al. “Www.WhiteAccomplices.org.” White Accomplices,

www.whiteaccomplices.org/.

Pipes, Eliana. Race, Ethnicity, Nationality and Jellybeans, Western Justice Center , 23 Feb.
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“Racial Justice Resources for Educators.” Google Sheets, Google, May 2020,
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edit#gid=2029202458.

Systemic Racism Explained, Act.tv, 16 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?

v=YrHIQIO_bdQ.

What Are Micro-Aggressions?, Catharsis Productions, 8 Nov. 2017,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_WW7M5E3A.