Recognizing the White Saviorism Trap: Social Justice Strategies for White Social Workers

Diana Rowan, PhD, MSW, LCSW Kris Taylor, MSW, LCSW

Kevin Edwards-Knight, MSW, LCSW

Faculty Members School of Social Work - UNC Charlotte

NASW-NC Racial Equity & Inclusion ConferenceAugust 4, 2021

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Let’s Chat….Who Are We? We are White social work educators/clinicians on our own journey away from White Saviorism and toward Anti-Racist Practice.

We do not have all the answers, but we strive to create a space to help White-identifying social workers examine our motives and improve our practices.

Our presentation was originally designed for “White clinician” break-out session

To Social Workers of Color - We do not presume to offer advice to you; you are invited to participate actively, listen, or not. The burden is not on you.

We may offend someone (purposefully or by mistake).

We acknowledge that we are presently in Charlotte, North Carolina, with its historical legacy of theft of indiginous lands and its exploitation of people who were enslaved for their labor.

Drop your answer in our chat….Why did you join the social work profession?

Why did you join the social work profession?

….to help the “Less Fortunate”?

• ‘Less fortunate’ from whose viewpoint ?

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Top 10 Signs you Might be a White Savior... 1. Working with clients to feel good about yourself.2. Get upset or angry when a client from a different culture, race, ethnicity does not

do what you suggest.3. Thinking your ideas are better than your client’s or you know what is best.4. Your suggestions are based on a Eurocentric narrative of helping.5. Dismissing stories of racism and discrimination, such as ‘driving while Black’.6. Uncomfortable and anxious when the client talks about discrimination and

structural racism.7. Viewing cultures as individualistic and not accounting for the natural strengths

found in collectivistic cultures and heritage.8. Not taking into account the historical struggles, perseverance, and strengths

associated with being of African descent or from other non-White groups.9. Thinking that mental health looks the same for Brown and Black clients.

10. Using “White Fragility” as a form of protection, insulation, or as an excuse.

White Saviorism is….• Phenomenon in which a White person “guides people of color from the margins to the mainstream with his or her own initiative and benevolence” which tends to render the people of color “incapable of helping themselves” and disposes them of historical agency (Cammarota, 2011: 243-244).

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Whiteness is…

• Overt and subliminal socialization processes and practices, power structures, laws, privileges, and life experiences that favor the White racial group over all others.

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Anti-racism is…..• “Anti-racism is the act of opposing racism/white supremacy in all forms - both in our society, other people, and even the racism that exists within yourself and in the ways you perpetuate racism with your behaviors. It is about identifying the root causes of racism and putting an end to them.” (Pratt)

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Ibram X. Kendi’s Model for Becoming Anti-Racist

Source: https://www.socialwork.career/2020/06/anti-racism-resources-for-social-workers-and-therapists.html 9

White Saviorism in Social Work History •COS- Charity Organization Society- “friendly visitors” were White volunteers who made moral judgements to deem those worthy of receiving help, based Puritan Work Ethic, Elizabethan Poor Laws

• Headed by White women who had no lived experiences related to oppression, historical context of slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, racial discrimination or indignation

•Settlement Houses:• White settlement houses and Black settlement houses. • Sarah Collins Fernandis founded 1st Black settlement house in DC and then one in Rhode

Island• Chicago had eight Black settlement houses - Two most notable were The Frederick

Douglass Center and Trinity Mission Settlement

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Saviorism in Pop Culture Media- 3 H’s

Helpless- POC are seen as helpless cannot help themselves out of the situation until the White Savior comes along. They have no resources, power or control, no recourse.

Hopeless- there is no hope, no future, no way out until the White Savior comes along to rescue them from their own fate.

Hungry- POC are hungry to be rescued, seldom question the motives of the White Savior. POC are eager to be saved by the White person with power.

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What is Critical Race Theory (CRT)?● Acknowledges the effects of race

and racism on society● Challenges conventional social

processes and normative standards that only reflect the White experience

● Offers insight into how the relationship between race, racism, and power maintains and supports racial inequality

● Convergence of race theory and the feminist theory of intersectionality in law

● Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw & Richard Delgado in the 1970s & 1980s

● 5 Tenets○ Racism as ordinary and

permanent (Bell, 1992, 1995)

○ Critique of liberalism (Freeman, 1977; Gotanda, 1991); color blindness of the law

○ Whiteness as ultimate property (Harris, 1995)

○ Interest convergence (Bell, 1980)

○ Unique voice of color and the counter-narrative

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Anti-Racism PrinciplesIntention – Set and live in the intention to cultivate an Anti-Racist America and take action that dismantles racist policies.AntiRacist Goals – Create Anti-Racist policies and engage in the world as an Anti-Racist.Individuality – See individuals as individuals. Positive or negative qualities of the individual are not attributed to all.Equality – Hold all groups of people, race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, age, and any intersectionality, as equal.

Empathy – Cultivate empathy by rehumanizing the dehumanized.Courage – Put courage, compassion, and vulnerability over comfort.Allies – Recruit and support partners committed to Anti-Racist work.Humanity – Take actions that support humanity.Love – Choose love and healing over fear and oppression.Educate – Educate yourself and honor the history of others

Source: https://theantiracisttable.com/13

How can you decenter White “norms”?

Either/Or Thinking Systems/Complexity Thinking

Paternalism Partnership

Competition Collaboration

Power hoarding Power sharing

Comfort with majority White leadership Leadership representative of community/those most affected

Individualism & Separateness Community & Collectivism

Fear of open conflict Conflict as a tool for growth & learning

Superiority of the written word Valuing all forms of communication

Comprehensive but not clear Clarity & Action Oriented

Transactional relationships Transformational relationships

White Dominant Culture “Norm” De-centering Whiteness

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Transactional goals Transformational goals

Defensiveness Vulnerability

Progress= bigger, more Progress= sustainable, quality

Expectation of over-working Self-care/Community-care

Perfectionism Appreciation for mistakes

Skeptical management Supportive management

White mediocrity awarded Fair and just promotions and evaluations

Equity washing Real equity

Title outweighs experience Holistic view of employee

Comfort over conversations about race, diversity, culture

Compassionate curiosity about race, diversity, culture

Narrow valuation of performance/intelligence Broad appreciation of differences

White Dominant Culture “Norm” De-centering Whiteness

Adapted from https://www.cacgrants.org/assets/ce/Documents/2019/WhiteDominantCulture.pdf 15

INDIVIDUALS FAMILIES GROUPS

MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORK FORENSIC SOCIAL WORK CHILD WELFARE

ADVOCACYPOLICY ADMINISTRATIONRESEARCH

Image retrieved from https://ecosocialwork.wixsite.com/ecosocialwork/blank-1

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Some Examples of HOW White Social Workers Can Advance Toward Anti-Racist Social Work Practices

Individual/Family Direct Practice: Properly pronounce names; Eliminate “I know just how you feel..”; Don’t re-phrase what the client said for them; Success doesn’t mean “be more like me”; Allow for variation in cases for reasons you can’t/won’t understand (Don’t over-intellectualize someone’s emotions and experiences)

Community practice: Don’t go or do unless invited (Remember “nothing about us without us”); Ask community about needs, don’t assume - center the community in the program, not the workers or agency/funders; Partner with local leaders

Advocacy: Step out of the limelight; Don’t name self as Ally; avoid being “performative ally” and seek to just stand shoulder to shoulder or behind BIPOC leaders

Administrators: Have client-centered service hours/locations; Consider on-site child care, virtual services (not when/how workers prefer); Partner with outside agency to evaluate your policies for blind spots

Policy: Avoid “color-blind” language in policies; Question who is making policies for whom

Social Work Research: Involve BIPOC from “communities of focus” (not “target population”) throughout research process, from formulation of needs assessment to dissemination of results

Social Work Education: Of course - Hire and retain BIPOC faculty, administrators - unit policies and practices elevate minority voices; Avoid ‘tone policing’ in the unit and the classrooms; Admissions process celebrates first generation college students and immigrants, values life experiences/perspectives over standardized test results 17

Guidelines for Group Discussion/Chat

What are your examples and ideas on how White social workers can advance anti-racist social work practices?

PLEASE ● Use "I" statements● Show respect - No judging ● Active Listening - Give each person the time and space to

speak (Whose voices are prioritized?)18

Mindfulness and Compassion Practices Can Reduce Racial Bias

• For social workers, medical professionals, first responders, anyone with a badge…

• Before/When meeting a client - Pause and Contemplate: • “I see you”; • “Just like me, this person has loved and been loved”; • “This person has experienced pain and loss-- maybe

color-related pain and loss?”

• Mindfulness practices can minimize “stereotype threat” and “colorblind racism” in social workers

• Pause and contemplate “color” ( including “whiteness”), racial trauma, conscious/unconscious bias, White privilege, systemic and historical oppression - even if it hurts.

• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_mindfulness_can_defeat_racial_bias 19

Stay in the FightFind Your Resilience

• There is a lot to do. There is No Time to be overwhelmed. KEEP. SHOWING. UP. Get uncomfortable and stay focused and present in the work.

• It’s on White people to work to improve this. (-Toni Morrison)

• Social Workers of Color – We imagine that you may be tired of having to educate and motivate White coworkers. We suggest it’s not your responsibility - but it’s our responsibility. Thanks for listening while we do our work. We are sorry that it is taking so long.

• When we participate in White saviorism we continue to be complicit in robbing BIPOC of their cultural, collective and individual resilience.

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Source: https://www.wearebeloved.org/blog/2020/5/29/white-supremacy-amp-anti-blackness-a-covert-amp-overt-beast21

Suck it up, Buttercup! Why MUST we do this work?….

● What does our NASW Code of Ethics say?

○ Section 1.05: Cultural Competency (newly updated - June 2021)

○ (b) Social workers should demonstrate knowledge that guides practice with clients of various cultures and be able to demonstrate skills in the provision of culturally informed services that empower marginalized individuals and groups. Social workers must take action against oppression, racism, discrimination, and inequities, and acknowledge personal privilege.

○ (c) Social workers should demonstrate awareness and cultural humility by engaging in critical self-reflection (understanding their own bias and engaging in self-correction); recognizing clients as experts of their own culture; committing to life-long learning; and holding institutions accountable for advancing cultural humility.

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Reminders: Ongoing Reflection• 1. IF you DO anti-racist work, what is your motivation?

• 2. How do you work with client stories related to racial trauma?

• 3. How do YOU incorporate anti-racist strategies across your practice?

• 4. When you notice White saviorism or White supremacist approaches in your own work, what is your plan to correct them?

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