There are many perspectives and principles within anti‑racist work. Each one offers something valuable, and different approaches highlight different ideas. We encourage you to explore these perspectives—how they complement one another and how they differ. The principles we share here form the foundation of our approach. Click each heading to learn more.
Foundational Principles
HEALING
All people need healing from racism. For white people, our immigrant ancestors went through a process in which they gave up their own cultures in exchange for access to the economic and social advantages reserved for those considered white. Because every human being needs culture and belonging, this forced shift into “whiteness” was deeply dehumanizing. Its effects are still with us today, and white people carry wounds that need healing.
The bargain our ancestors made—to become white—has contributed to widespread depression, isolation, loneliness, addiction, and a loss of meaning in many white communities. The creation of race is a long, complicated historical process, but its impact is universal, and healing is necessary for all of us. Reclaiming our ancestral cultures and undoing the harms of whiteness are essential steps in our recovery. This is how we begin to restore our humanity and heal our families and communities.
HARMFUL TO ALL
All people need healing from racism. For white people in particular, our immigrant ancestors entered a process in which they relinquished their ancestral cultures in exchange for access to the economic and social advantages reserved for those considered white. Because all people need culture, this forced assimilation was universally dehumanizing. Its legacy continues to shape us today, and white people carry wounds that require healing.
The bargain our ancestors made—to become “white”—has contributed to widespread depression, isolation, loneliness, addiction, and a profound loss of meaning in many white communities. The invention of race is a deep and complex historical process, but its impacts are universal, and so is the need for repair. Reclaiming our ancestral cultures and actively undoing the harms of whiteness are essential steps in our collective recovery. This is how we begin to restore our humanity and heal our families and communities.
ALL WHITE PEOPLE
White people of every class, gender, sexual orientation, age, region, and political belief participate in upholding racism. Even the most progressive, educated, spiritual, religious, kind, or well‑intentioned white people carry racism within us. This is true even for those who have close relationships—friends, partners, children, or spouses—who are people of color. All white people uphold racism by default because we are all shaped by a system that teaches and reinforces it.
A core principle of anti‑racist work is this: if we do not want to create or perpetuate harm, we must choose to be anti‑racist. And that means being actively, consistently engaged in challenging racism—both in the world around us and within ourselves.
BEING ANTI-RACIST
Another core principle of anti‑racist work is that it requires ongoing learning and active engagement throughout our lives.
One of the ways white supremacy protects itself is by convincing white people that we already understand racism. In reality, most of us have only a surface‑level grasp of a system that is deep, complex, and woven into nearly every part of society.
This is why being anti‑racist starts with recognizing how much we don’t understand. Through lifelong learning—about the many ways racism harms people of color, harms white people, and harms our communities—we can become more effective allies and contribute to both systemic healing and our own healing.
UNCONSCIOUSLY EMBEDDED IN US
One way to explain how white supremacy operates within all of us—universally and often unconsciously—is through the analogy of a computer operating system.
We have all inherited the “operating system” of white supremacy. It’s the same system our parents, grandparents, and great‑grandparents ran. It’s also the system used by mainstream media and most major institutions. Because it’s everywhere, we don’t even notice it. It’s the only operating system we’ve ever known, so we rarely realize there are alternatives. It runs in the background, shaping our thoughts and reactions without our awareness—and it functions like malware. The operating system of white supremacy behaves like a virus: it hides itself, resists being removed, and constantly tries to reinstall itself. And it causes real harm.
We aren’t individually responsible for having this operating system any more than we’re responsible for the software that comes preloaded on our phones or computers. But we do use it, and we benefit from it, even as it harms others. That means we have a responsibility to help remove the virus and help build a new, socially just operating system.
Uninstalling the old system and creating something better—that ongoing work—is what it means to be anti‑racist.
WE UPHOLD RACISM WITHOUT KNOWING
One of the ways the virus of white supremacy is so successful is that most of us don’t even know we have it. Because we are unaware of its existence, we are also unaware of how destructive it is to us as its hosts and the resulting systemic harm and interpersonal pain we inflict without our knowledge or consent. And because we have no idea we create damage, we do not work to take responsibility or change the programming that causes us to inflict harm and pain. If we truly understood the harm we allow and the pain we inflict, virtually all white people would be anti-racist. The incredible sophistication of the virus of white supremacy can not be overstated.
THE ROLES OF WHITE FOLKS IN RACIAL JUSTICE
The roles of white folks in social justice are to educate and organize other white people for anti-racist social justice and support the leadership of BIPOC racial justice organizations. Learn more.
Core Values
Our approach is grounded in four core values that guide how we work. We lift these up as foundational because they help us stay true to the purpose of this work and support the most meaningful, effective change.
Systems Analysis
Racism functions as a system that shapes how power and resources are distributed across society. It is built into our institutions, policies, and cultural norms. Healing White People centers systemic understanding and systemic solutions because meaningful healing requires addressing the structures that create and sustain racial harm.
RESOURCES
Accountability
A core principle of social justice is that the communities most affected by injustice must lead the solutions. They understand the problems—and the paths forward—better than anyone else. To be effective, white people must follow the leadership of BIPOC organizations and remain accountable to those driving racial justice work.
RESOURCES
Take Action: Self-Guided Accountability Plan in DIY Tools
Take Action: Support BIPOC organizations
Anti‑racist work aims to transform society by dismantling systemic racism. To do this, we must build collective power with others and channel that power into movements that reshape our institutions and culture. White people often approach anti‑racism as an individual self‑development exercise, but the true purpose is collective liberation, not personal perfection.
RESOURCES
Compassion
Compassion and empathy guide our approach because racism harms and dehumanizes all people. Our culture often teaches us to dismiss or write off those who think differently. By focusing our criticism on systems rather than individuals, we support healing within white communities and strengthen our impact. We commit to staying compassionately engaged in the long-term work of healing ourselves and other white people.
RESOURCES
Go to Next Learning Destination
Social Transformation