White Antiracist Affinity

Support & accountability for white antiracism practitioners

Just white people? Sounds suspicious.

Fair enough. But there are good reasons for it.

Antiracist white affinity spaces exist to recognize, engage with, and dismantle our internalized racism. It is our responsibility as white people to build authentic, loving, accountable community to support our racial identity development and healing. These efforts are part of a network of small communities and individuals around the world trying to build something new: white antiracist culture that is not based on superiority, fear, and disconnection.

Our aim is to heal our internalized racism for our own wellbeing, and in order to be present with and accountable to the needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in our work, life, and civic communities.

Values

The values that guide this space are the same that guide Steph’s and my work as a team at Green Wood & Duff.

Antiracism affinity practice requires a balance of head and heart, finding that middle path between numbing out through over-intellectualization and paralyzing floods of emotion. Learning and unlearning, grief and joy, taking care of ourselves and each other, trying and failing in real time, living with accountability and holding compassionate spaces to do our deep dark work… if this sounds scary, overwhelming, or kind of weird that’s because it is. White culture that is not based on racial dominance, fear, and disconnection is new. So we’ll move at a sustainable pace. Because race is one of many intertwining identities, we’ll focus our work on racism explicitly but not exclusively.

What does white affinity work look like?

Affinity spaces for antiracism can be 1:1 coaching or small groups of willing white people. We can flex it to fit a wide breadth of interests and circumstances, including:

  • history lessons
  • understanding intersectional identities
  • learning how racism impacts different arenas (medicine, education, environmentalism, conflict, land access, etc.)
  • emotional processing
  • addressing specific incidents
  • building skills such as interrupting racism in the moment, talking to family, sustainable local activism
  • analyzing current events and media content with an antiracist lens
  • asking all those questions you’ve been afraid to ask
  • reading and processing that stack of books about racism you bought in 2020 that have become interior decorating rather than resources

I work with adults and teens, in the outdoor industry and beyond. While my one-on-one work is geared towards other white people, if you identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of color, or a body of culture and feel drawn to what I’m offering, let’s connect.

On a personal note

If we do our work together well, you will understand your skin in the game and how your liberation is tied to the liberation of all. You will feel grief and heartbreak and anger, but you will also feel less shame and fear and confusion. Your healing will reverberate for generations. You will become a catalyst for change in your communities and wield your power in your own spheres of influence with intention and integrity. You’ll find your center and sense of self; you’ll find deeper joy and authenticity with a merry band of pirates who inspire you.

If you want to learn more about the basis for white antiracist affinity work, check out the first ten pages of my Harvard Divinity School MDiv graduate thesis:  “Healing the Hidden Wound: The Role of White Affinity Groups in Racial Justice.”

Curious?

Schedule a vibe check and we’ll go from there.

Meet with Ella

What's it like working with Ella?

Working one-on-one with Ella has been a sanctuary for exploring new-to-me concepts, unpacking difficult topics, and carving a clearer path forward. Ella balances compassion with accountability, holding space for learning and growth while also offering insight, resources, and challenging me to think deeper.

AJ Wojtalik (Marketing Director, Outward Bound Services Group)

White Antiracism Affinity Coaching

Ella is a gifted educator. She is endlessly resilient and relentlessly compassionate. She has a unique way of creating authentic connections with people in a short amount of time. She can speak truth to power while also gently challenging assumptions. She’s taught me a lot about my own privilege and world view.

Ben Fickett (Executive Director, Outward Bound Services Group)

White Antiracism Affinity Coaching

Ella's ability to facilitate such challenging and deeply introspective conversations with empathy and grace is something that I had never experienced before joining one of her small group coaching cohorts. 

Christine McLaughlin (Employee Experience Program Manager, HubSpot)

White antiracist affinity group participant

Ella's exceptional facilitation skills created an atmosphere of safety and inclusivity, allowing us to explore complex subjects with curiosity, vulnerability, and compassion. Throughout our journey, we gained awareness of structural racism, deepened our self-awareness, and forged stronger bonds with each other. Ella provides a great balance of academic frameworks, real-world examples, and personal experience that leads to a rich learning environment.

Kelly Brooks (Chief of Staff of Global Sales, HubSpot)

White Antiracist Affinity group participant

Antiracism work was honestly harder than I expected it would be, and Ella was an incredible leader, coach, and mentor throughout. She worked alongside us. She was vulnerable and transparent about her own journey, and in doing so, she created an environment where people were able to be vulnerable and honest. I can honestly say that I learned things from working with Ella that I will always carry with me: how to be a better ally, leader, and person. I could not recommend the experience of working with Ella more highly. I learned so much. 

Eliza Glynn (Director of Contract Management, HubSpot)

White antiracist affinity group participant

Contact Ella

ella@greenwoodandduff.com
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