YWCA is seeking participants for Witnessing Whiteness weekly sessions hosted virtually by the Metro St. Louis YWCA beginning on January 21, 2025. The Witnessing Whiteness sessions provide a deep dive on Shelly Tochluk's book Witnessing Whiteness: The Journey into Racial Awareness and Anti-racist Action, 3rd edition.

Witnessing Whiteness provides a space for white individuals to explore their relationship with race, racism, and privilege. These sessions aim to foster racial awareness and equity. Here are some key benefits: increased self-awareness, deeper understanding of racism, skill building for anti-racism work, empathy and connection, promotes accountability, strengthens allyship, and fosters community change. By creating a safe and structured space for dialogue, Witnessing Whiteness sessions help individuals develop the tools and mindset to become active participants in fostering racial justice.

YWCA Metro St. Louis has hosted this Witnessing Whiteness program, based on the three editions of Shelly Tochluk’s Witnessing Whiteness books, since 2011 and staffs sessions with past Witnessing Whiteness participants who serve as volunteers. Members of staff at YWCA Southwestern Illinois have taken previous iterations of this course and highly recommend it.

“I remember taking away a wide range of information regarding resources available, (i.e. organizations, podcasts, books, articles) from the moderators and participants,” said Barb Paisley, YWCA Fiscal Officer. “These resources have increased my knowledge of historical racism as well as systemic racism and white privilege that exist today.”

YWCA Southwestern Illinois will be offering free copies of Witnessing Whiteness: The Journey into Racial Awareness and Antiracist Action by Shelly Tochluk to those joining this group. The book walks the reader into a greater awareness of the disadvantages avoided simply by being white and directs them to find ways to improve the world for everyone in the present and future. The group will listen to podcasts, read articles, participate in exercises, and go into in-depth discussion together. The Metro St. Louis YWCA may charge a small fee for this program to cover programmatic costs.

Dates: Tuesdays, starting January 21st - May 6th, except for February 25th and March 18th

Time: 6:30-8:30 PM

Location: Virtual

Please note that Witnessing Whiteness is a group for white identifying people. The reasoning behind this is that the group is not meeting together to learn about other people, but instead how to cultivate an anti-racist white culture. For more information on why this group has taken that approach, follow the link below to read Why a White Space.

For a free copy of the book, please contact the YWCA at Info@ywcaswil.org.