Twelve Steps toward Ending White Supremacy

This blog post is part of a series for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, 2021.

I have a strong distaste for the word racism and I’ll tell you why: my race is not the problem. Brown and Black bodies are living proof that we are survivors. Racism is a form of violence done to Brown and Black bodies, and if we as a society want to heal from it, the focus needs to be on holding the oppressors — White People and systems — accountable for their violent ways and leading them towards transformation and healing. Therefore, when we talk about dismantling White supremacy, decolonizing, ending racism, and all that other good stuff, we should also add another step that asks White people to be that much more engaged in creating a world that is safe for non-White people.

Let’s reflect for a moment on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A major part of that process was to have residential school survivors go before a panel of commissioners and tell their stories of abuse and trauma. While compensation hearings for the abuse they endured were private, they were forced to speak publicly about childhood traumas to determine what societal restitution might look like. Despite the fact that Canada and the churches apologized, the perpetrators were still protected and their identities will never be known. Many of the former students were hurt and angered that their abusers never publicly acknowledged the abuse. Nor did White Canada hold the individuals to account through criminal charges.

The culture of White supremacy lies about big and small things – to maintain its position of authority, to avoid rejection or judgment, and to keep up appearances. It has created a society that tolerates racism and that does not demand an end to violence, oppression, hoarding of wealth, and unfair land distribution practices.

Racism is violence and the healing of our society needs to happen with White people. To heal, White Canadians must acknowledge the truth that the problem of racism begins (and ends) with them.

When I first started to think about adding this step, the active engagement of White People, to current anti-racism measures, I looked up some of the steps that are required in treatment programs for other ailments. I know there are people who agree with the 12-Step Program and many who don’t, but humour me for a second and take a look at the “12-Steps of Violence Anonymous”:

1. We admitted we were powerless over violence — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood God.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

And what if we asked the following 12 steps from White people who are seeking to heal from their own White supremacy?

1. We admitted that we have been active participants in racism and that many non-White people are suffering because White people don’t want to let go of their power.
2. Came to believe that race is a social construct; it’s not real and the power that White people hold is destructive.
3. Made a decision to unlearn supremacist behaviour and truly believe that Creator does not place White people above all others.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to Creator, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to work with ourselves, Creator, and a mentor to remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Creator to help us remove any White supremacist ideologies and beliefs.
8. Made a list of all the Black and Brown people we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Creator, as we understood Creator, praying only for knowledge of Creator's will for all peoples and the power to carry that out. 
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other White people, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

It seems a bit laughable to expect all of these things from White people, eh! I say it’s about time that we cut the crap and do away with the White people’s diversity training of “you have to train us so that we won’t oppress you” model. We are missing a few critical steps in anti-racism education, and the first one is for everyone to understand that race is not the issue — White supremacy is the root cause of racial oppression. The other step that I think is missing is asking White people to sit down, take personal inventory, and speak their truths out loud.

How else might they begin to change?

How else can they become a kinder and a gentler people if they don’t start taking some accountability?

 — The author wishes to remain anonymous.

The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.