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Confronting Racism
O
For many, the intersections of
n May 4-6, I and three other
Jewishness and whiteness came up in
Detroit Jews of Justice lead-
discussion. Almost half of the group
ers attended a “White People
identified as Jewish, with multiple gen-
Confronting Racism” weekend train-
erations represented. We shared
ing with Training for Change
insights about feeling marginal-
in Philadelphia. I arrived home
ized as Jews, carrying historic
surprised at how heartwarming
trauma and fear, and how that
a weekend confronting racism
can sometimes lead to disasso-
could be. The training ended with
ciating from white identity.
full hearts, affirmation and genu-
I thought about how I have
ine love for one another. I left feel-
found comfort in presenting
ing the most hopeful I have in a
myself as a Jewish person,
while. I was inspired by the brav-
Emma Share
the marginalized component
ery of bringing our full selves to
unconsciously absolving me
the table: fears, tears, insecurities
of some white guilt that so
and all. I left feeling ready to bring
often leaves me feeling frozen.
openness and compassion to the
We discussed how holding on
difficult conversations necessary
so tightly to the collective pain of our
for confronting racism.
Jewish identities fails to fully acknowl-
The weekend offered safety to feel
uncomfortable, a space for white people edge the impact of our white identities.
Participants also spoke to the impor-
to practice talking about race and
tance of bringing our whole selves, find-
whiteness. It didn’t take long to realize
ing a balance between validating our
how little we had talked about being
experiences as Jews and staying aware
white while growing up. A facilitator
of how people perceive the other identi-
reflected, “Silence is also a way we
ties we carry.
learn a lot about race.” Often fear drives
For other participants, it wasn’t
silence. Fear of the guilt that arises
Jewishness that resonated, but their
when confronting racism and privi-
own feelings of living on the margins,
lege. Fear of being rejected, criticized,
whether because of sexual orientation,
judged. Fear of saying the wrong thing,
economic status, gendered experiences
of not being a “good” white person.
or trauma they carry with them. A room
Doing harm. And the list goes on. We
full of people bonded through white-
humans are very good at fear.
ness, each holding their own diverse
Although silence may at times be
well-intentioned, the impact can still be perspectives and lived experiences.
We talked about moving beyond the
harmful. It prevents constructive action.
It normalizes the notion of whiteness as binary of viewing situations as all-bad
default, that white people move through or all-good. It’s not innately bad to feel
the pain of marginalized experiences.
the world without a racial identity. It
It can build empathy. As Jews, this can
can result in white children growing up
fuel our fight for justice. But sometimes
without the awareness or skills needed
starting from a place of marginalization
to constructively talk about race.
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can create a barrier to genuine con-
nection. The challenge is to work from
a place of empathy without equating
painful experiences.
White guilt and the self-loathing that
flows from it often motivate us to disas-
sociate from our whiteness. Thinking
that if we reject our whiteness, we won’t
have to associate with all the “bad white
people” or take responsibility for the
damage of white supremacy. As tempo-
rarily comforting as denying our white-
ness might feel, this in itself enables
white supremacy, by failing to recognize
how we benefit from and participate in
a racist society. It also allows for the co-
opting of white identity by white suprem-
acist narratives, leaving us to believe the
only way to claim whiteness is to associ-
ate with the white pride paraded around
by neo-Nazis. It’s sad to think this is the
only option for feeling confident as a
white person in the world.
When we hate our whiteness and
what the system has represented for so
many centuries, we stay stuck, frozen
and unable to re-envision a white iden-
tity that could be positive and focused
on anti-racist work. The training invited
discussion about the idea of build-
ing positive white identity. How do we
acknowledge the toxic legacy of white
supremacy, colonization, oppression,
etc., while envisioning a future where
whiteness no longer perpetuates this
history?
The weekend modeled how we as
white people can live out our values
more actively in our daily lives. It was
a sort of microcosm for what we as a
society need to do if we’re ever going to
become a sustainable, equitable soci-
ety. We need to reflect on internalized
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messages of racism. We need to create
more safe spaces to have uncomfortable
conversations. We need to bring more
love and compassion to the table as
we grapple with the root causes of our
country’s divisiveness and the immense
racial and economic disparities.
It will be difficult to recreate the
transformative space offered by
Training for Change that weekend. I
know this was a special and rare oppor-
tunity. But I did walk away knowing
there are things I can do.
I can try to create moments of safety
for white people in my life to grapple
with our fears and confusion about our
whiteness. I can bring more compassion
to interactions with the people I hold
dearest to me and with people whom I
might be quick to judge. I can be brave
enough to stand by my values while also
engaging in authentic curiosity about
how others’ experiences shape their cur-
rent views. I can acknowledge my fellow
white people’s humanity, as I challenge
myself and others to work toward a
world that respects and celebrates the
dignity and lives of all people.
Though my fears and perfectionism
will slow me down, I know I will make
mistakes along the way. I hope that my
white community will help me learn
from my mistakes, sit with me in the
pain of them and encourage me to keep
moving forward. •
Raised in a Humanistic Jewish community in
Ann Arbor, Emma Share moved to Detroit a few
years ago to work in youth-serving organizations
including a Head Start preschool in Southwest
Detroit and, most recently, an infant mental health
program at the Children’s Center. She is an active
leader on the Detroit Jews for Justice (DJJ) water
justice team.
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