I’m a Good Person! Isn’t That Enough?

2-3 hour presentation and facilitated dialog by Debby Irving

5 smiling cast members from TV show "Father Knows Best"

Using historical and media images, Debby examines how she used her white-skewed belief system to interpret the world around her. Socialized on a narrow worldview, Debby explores how she spent decades silently reaffirming harmful, archaic racial patterns instead of questioning the racial disparities and tensions she could see and feel. This presentation and dialog is designed to support white people in making the paradigm shift from ‘fixing’ and ‘helping’ those believed to be inferior, to focusing on internalized white superiority and its role in perpetuating racism at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels. This presentation includes pauses for reflection and small group discussion. Can be done as a keynote or workshop. Keynote duration can be shortened.