Resources

White Supremacy Culture (Estimate: 1 Hour)

White Supremacy Culture (WSC) refers to the dominant, unquestioned standards of behavior and ways of functioning embodied by the vast majority of institutions in the United States. These standards may be seen as mainstream, dominant cultural practices; they have evolved from the United States’ history of white supremacy.

Framing:

• We are all conditioned to buy into WSC norms and we are all impacted by them

• WSC defines what is normal and what is not, what is “good behavior” and what is “bad behavior”

• Advancing racial equity requires WSC to be confronted with courage and sometimes discomfort 

• Dismantling WSC begins with your own reflection 

Directions: Dig into the work of Tema Okun 

Questions to Journal/Reflect On:

• How are tenets of white supremacy culture at play specifically within your business? 

• How might adhering to tenets of white supremacy culture impact your shared interest partners (i.e. target population, internal staff, community members, customers, etc.)?

• What actions can your organization or business take to dismantle white supremacy culture in your practices?

  • How can you hold yourself personally accountable to working against tenets of white supremacy culture in your role?