The WtC Process
If we truly want to find common ground and Wake the unConscious, relational change has to start with the individual. Our goal with our work is to see a person arrive at a place we refer to as “transformational activism” — a state where one can leverage their privilege to close inequality gaps.
What You Will Do
WtC will guide you on a journey of learning, reflection, homework, and discussion to increase your education and awareness while also helping you uncover and identify gaps within your organization and where you can most improve.
How You Will Feel
This process will bring up a multitude of feelings to varying degrees depending on who you are and what your experiences have been. These can include denial, fragility, vulnerability, guilt, fear, shame, embarrassment, and enlightenment.
What You Will Become
You WILL be pushed out of your comfort zone and become committed to your ongoing journey of meaningful change. Your learnings will become so permeated into your being that you will hunger to learn more and act on the harm that you have been causing.
Data and storytelling are powerful elements we utilize in our workshops to help participants understand the daily experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community, and Persons with Disability as well as the intersectional component of these identities.
Crucial Process Components
Group Exploration
Participants will engage in a group experience where they can share their stories and learn about their colleagues while encouraging and supporting one another as they embark on this process.
Defining Shame Triggers
We explore and reveal individual shame triggers, allowing participants to come in touch with their own personal biases and discover how this affects their behaviour and choices.
Assessing Readiness to Change
Through discussion and use of various resources, we can assess each participant’s mindset and receptiveness to change. This will help determine the best way to support each individual’s personal journey to greater understanding and self-awareness.
Exploring Challenges
We explore challenges that relate to, and are largely caused by, intersectional identities, such a mental health issues. As these challenges can impact both the intentionally ignored and the privileged, this is a crucial part of our process.
Sharing Lived Experiences
Participants are given a safe space to share their own, often painful, lived experiences, creating a deeper understanding of the effects of privilege and the intentionally ignored.
Facilitating Intercommunication
Communication is key. Our workshops facilitate this understanding by demonstrating, in real-time, the interdependence of human communication as well as the importance of viewing situations as part of a greater whole rather than individual occurrences.
“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.”
- Ijeoma Oluo
Data is Key
WtC is highly data driven. We focus on closing knowledge and action gaps in the intentionally ignored areas of the EAE space.
In Canada, we often view ourselves as a colour-blind society. But that colour-blindness clouds our ability to see the disparities that exist all around us. Part of the reason why we’re unable to acknowledge anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, and other forms of racism within the healthcare system, policing, and other facets of society is a lack of race-based data. Without the statistics to support the lived experiences of those dealing with discrimination on all fronts, it hinders our collective ability to make the systemic changes necessary to address this widespread inequality.
Why the collection of race-based data is an integral part of WtC’s process:
By taking quantitative and qualitative data before, during, and after our workshops, we can analyze that information to determine what is working within an organization, what needs improvement, and how best to provide ongoing support for long-term systemic change (in addition to fine-tuning our own processes). By using the data to create better systems and understanding for marginalized groups at all employment levels, we also hope to expand those improvements beyond work-life into daily life.
Using Data in the Process
Auditing
We review firm communications, messaging, policies, and culture in regards to diversity and racial appropriateness as well as have an open dialogue with staff at all levels to better understand the current race/diversity profile of the company.
Custom Report with Action Plan
Based on our findings and data, we create a customized report of the current situation within the organization along with an action plan regarding what changes need to be made.
Implementation
We provide the organization with the required support to implement the actions that need to be taken in order to create long-term change.
Ongoing Assessment
We conduct further audits over time to gauge progress, change, results, and improvements within the organization. Based on these results, WtC can provide additional support and workshops to help improve the areas that fall short.
At WtC, we believe that being an anti-racist accomplice is not a static point that an individual or organization can reach. Rather, anti-racism requires an ongoing commitment and active efforts to improve your education, heighten your awareness, and expand your actions in an ever-changing world.
Moving Past Performative Measures
Traditional EAE, often riddled with performative measures, simply doesn't work. By now, everyone you know has probably "completed EAE training" by watching an online video. But this isn't making an impact, this isn't even starting to solve the inequities that plague our workplaces and broader society. Rather, this is surface level activism done in hopes of being recognized for involvement or to avoid scrutiny, instead of making a genuine impact on those that have been historically excluded. Think of these examples:
In your personal life…
During the George Floyd protests, did you change your social media display picture to a black box to show your support to the Black Lives Matter movement? If so, what did you do beyond this public display? Did you take some time to educate yourself and increase your awareness about this issue by consuming content created by Black authors? Did you volunteer your time and participate in events in your neighbourhood to support the Black community? What did you do when the protests died down? Do you continue to prioritize supporting Black-owned businesses? Have you expanded your friend group to include people of different races and ethnicities? Do you continue to integrate and prioritize anti-racism into your daily life?
In your professional life…
Are you currently looking for a course to gain a certification for yourself or your organization for EAE? While education is an essential foundation, what else are you going to do besides sharing your certificate on your LinkedIn? Are you going to have the hard conversations in the workplace to understand the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour? Are you going to take the time to reflect on how your actions are likely perpetuating discrimination and exclusion at your workplace? Are you going to become a leader in doing the hard work needed to overhaul the systems of oppression and discrimination that linger in your organization? Are you going to use your privilege as a voice to stand up for those that continue to be excluded?
If you really believe in meaningful change, what are you going to do that is different? How are you going to convey an ongoing commitment and prioritization to anti-racism? Your actions are not going to translate into meaningful change unless you embark on a deep journey of self-reflection to develop awareness about EAE issues. At WtC, we pride ourselves on delivering lasting and ongoing change with the organizations we work with. Our involvement requires you to do the hard work needed to recognize your short falls and to take action to dismantle inequities within your organization.
WtC is ready to collaborate with your organization to do the hard work needed to dismantle existing beliefs and attitudes to create enduring, positive change.