This section is organized in relation to the White Racial Identity Model developed by Dr. Janet E. Helms and described in A Race is a Nice Thing to Have. This section incorporates resources included in the Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources created by Anna Stamborski, M. Div Candidate (2022), Nikki Zimmermann, M. Div candidate (2021), and Bailie Gregory, M. Div, M.S. Ed. To quote their guide, "The goal is to facilitate growth for white folks to become allies, and eventually accomplices for anti-racist work." Remember that you can be in multiple co-occurring stages, that you may move in between and back and forth between stages, that growth is a continuous process, and learning is lifelong.

This section of the guide does not include print resources, as they are not currently available to DU community members while the Libraries are closed. When print resources are available again, we will update this section of the guide.

At this stage, white people do “not see race.” They may adhere to a “colorblind” motto, or may see racial difference but do not feel it is salient. Somebody experiencing the contact stage might see acknowledgement of race/racial difference as a demonstration or cause of racism, and believe that if somebody doesn’t act in racist ways they aren’t and can’t be racist.

At this stage, new experience(s) confront one’s initial “colorblind” conception of the world. This challenge often leads to feelings of guilt and shame. One can feel stuck, helpless, and unsure how to move forward.

At this stage, somebody experiencing reintegration settles into feelings of guilt/shame, increasing defensiveness, and a sense of superiority. It's the #notallwhitepeople phase. Here, it's important to revisit some of the resources in the “Contact” section and keep working to grow instead of settling into shame and superiority.

This is the first stage of positive racial identification. At this stage, a white person begins to acknowledge privilege, but still looks to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) for validation, education, comfort, and absolution. The person experiencing pseudo-independence is still unsure about how to be simultaneously white and anti-racist.

Somebody experiencing immersion begins to work against systemic oppression, rather than seeing racism as a series of individual actions. They're able to embrace their white identity and what that whiteness means/how it manifests, while working alongside BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

The person experiencing autonomy has embodied anti-racism and is willing to intervene when witnessing racism. They recognize that growth is continual, and they commit to revisiting resources and tactics useful in previous stages.