REAL WORLD ISSUES COURSE
Addressing Everyday Racism
Drs. Charlotte Wekker
How it works and what you can do about it
OVERVIEW
“But we’re not racist!” “Racism doesn’t exist here.” “We are color blind.”
Statements like these, despite often being sincere and even well-intentioned, dismiss the lived experiences of countless individuals who face subtle, yet persistent, racial discrimination daily.
This course raises awareness of everyday racism, the various roles that all of us (including racialized people) play in it at any given time, and, as a starting point for a more equitable future, explores how to overcome resistance to acknowledging racism and its effects.
Helping ourselves and stakeholders acknowledge and articulate their own fears, frustrations, and questions around race and racism — and learn how to sit with the vulnerability and discomfort that these topics often bring — can seem overwhelming.
This is especially true in communities where race may not be openly discussed or is avoided altogether — a denial which only perpetuates the already endemic problem.
But recognition of the issue and our role(s) in it is a pre-requisite for moving forward to a more equitable future. Guided, constructive conversations and dialogues can be important starting points in this process, noting that real change takes intention, time, practice, grace, and accountability.
This course is for those who work to help individuals and organizations develop across differences and can benefit from learning more about how to help stakeholders move beyond “Us vs Them” and start to discuss — using open and constructive dialogue — racism “not as a fight against white people but against systems that maintain white privilege” and are exclusionary.
In this course, you will learn how to help yourself—and those you work with—so that you/they can better:
- Be aware about the existence and impacts of everyday racism.
- Help move beyond resistance to addressing racism by allowing for discussion about the reasons behind the resistance.
- Hold constructive conversations about race using the “Dear White Groningen” and similar dialogical approaches.
This course will blend input sessions and discussions about key concepts, research insights and evidence-based practices together with interactive skill-building exercises to help you develop your dialogical facilitation abilities.
This course is for you if are — or are helping those who are —
- Helping individuals and organizations develop across differences as a DEI or related practitioner and can benefit from learning more about how to initiate the topic of race / racism in ways that promote constructive engagement without alienating stakeholders in workplaces, classrooms, etc.
- A coach, mentor or otherwise work with people on their interpersonal development and want to feel more confident in conversations around race, e.g. when a coaching client or student you mentor or advice is experiencing racism.
COURSE TYPE
All Career Levels
DURATION/DATES
1 day/9 July 2025
TARGET LEVEL(S).
New or Experienced
HR, Consultants, Trainers, Educators & Other Leaders
TUITION FEE
€615
includes certificate from the University and the Institute
Drs. Charlotte Wekker
Drs. Charlotte Wekker is a trainer, coach, researcher, and advisor in the field of equal opportunities. With work grounded in the fields of social work and education, her focus is two-fold: empowering marginalized groups and the helping professionals in the field better appreciate the challenges that members of non-dominant groups encounter on a daily basis.
On faculty at the Hanze University (Netherlands), she specializes in helping stakeholders use dialogue to develop innovative solutions for complex social issues. Charlotte’s publications and methods are in wide use as practical resources by educational institutions.
Charlotte is a member of the University of Groningen’s external diversity and inclusion advisory board.