In This Issue

scale your action to something you can
begin now. Clarify your role and the
steps you can take, using the principles
of learning from history, developing
leadership (including your own), and
maintaining accountability as guides.
Is the first step educating others so that
you have a shared language to communicate
as you move forward? If you
have that foundation, is your role to
organize a group to take the next steps?
Does your organization not recognize
the concern? If so, your role may be to
engage in productive activism to draw
attention to the issue. Note that activism
does not need to be confrontational,
and certainly not hostile. You are working
for an awesome vision, not against
people or institutions.
You Can’t Do It Alone. Identify
partners, allies, and people whose support
you need to achieve the vision.
Figure out how you will access these
people and what you will need to do
to gain their trust and partnership. The
principles of networking and gatekeeping
are helpful here. Some of those you
meet in this process will already be active
in their own endeavors. Make sure
your actions support and enhance, not
detract from or compete with, theirs.
There Is Different Work for Different
People in Your Group. Analyzing power
and sharing culture are important as
your group comes together to understand
social and organizational culture
and manifestations of racism. As the
members of the group build trust, their
different histories and culture emerge
and they will clarify how their work
will be different. It is not unusual for
internalized racial oppression, both
superiority and inferiority, to become
central here, and it is important to identify
challenges in working together and
plan for what can be done to address
concerns.
Develop and Nurture Systems of Accountability.
Networking will broaden
your base, and it will likely bring you
closer to leaders who can make change
in the organization. Meaningful change,
however, requires accountability to
communities of color and open communication
with them to continually
assess the strength and viability of your
partnerships. Since diverse groups of
people of color are often not represented
among agency leaders, accountability
structures must be developed
inside and outside the organization’s
hierarchy.
You Don’t Need Critical Mass; You
Need Gatekeepers Who Can Open Up a
System. Effective organizing requires
that you analyze the power structure
and identify gatekeepers for the systems
you are working to benefit, and that
you use your own gatekeeping power
productively. Develop allies outside of
your organization who can guide and
support you. Use allies’ help to figure
out how you can access people in
power and bring those in power closer
to the group to whom you are accountable
so decisions about change can be
made collaboratively.
Thank you to those who have
thoughtfully read our columns, those
who “liked” us (and those who didn’t!),
and especially to those who are using
our experience to move your antiracist
work forward.
References
In solidarity,
Mary, Sandy, and Lisa
Blitz, L. V., Pender Greene, M., Bernabei,
S., & Shah, V.P. (2014). Think creatively
and act decisively: Creating an antiracist
alliance of social workers. Social Work,
59(4), 347-350. Available online at: http://
sw.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/07/31/
sw.swu031.short
Blitz, L. V., & Pender Greene, M. (Eds.).
(2006). Racism and racial identity: Reflections
on urban practice in mental health and social
services. New York: Haworth Press. Peer
reviewed, published simultaneously as a
double edition of the Journal of Emotional
Abuse, 6(2/3).
Carten, A. J., Siskind, A. B., & Pender
Greene, M. (2016). Strategies for deconstructing
racism in the health and human services. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Mary Pender Greene, LCSW-R, CGP, is an
organizational consultant, psychotherapist
in private practice, career/executive coach,
professional speaker, and co-founder of the
AntiRacist Alliance.
Sandra Bernabei, LCSW, is President of
the National Association of Social Workers—
New York City Chapter. She is a founding
member of the AntiRacist Alliance.
Glenn Martin of JustLeadershipUSA was the keynote speaker at the NASW New York City
chapter conference of the profession in April 2015. Photo credit: Sandra Bernabei.
Lisa V. Blitz, Ph.D., LCSW-R, is a social
worker, researcher, and educator with 25
years of experience in mental health and social
justice centering on culturally responsive
trauma-informed practice and organizational
development.
The New Social Worker Winter 2017 29