College Group Plans To ‘Organize White Men’ For ‘Racial Justice’

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By Rob Shimshock

A group at a Texas college is seeking to “organize white men” for the purposes of “racial justice and equity.”

The White Allies for Race Equity (WARE) group at Austin Community College District (ACC) has launched a program of conversations with white male faculty and community members, according to the group’s description page.

“WARE is an affinity group of white males focused on such race issues as systemic racism, implicit exclusion/inclusion, and equity issues from their perspectives,” reads the group’s description. “The group includes ACC faculty, staff, and community members. New members are welcome.”

“Our mission is to organize white men to become more respectful, effective, aware, and engaged partners in the pursuit of racial justice and equity at Austin Community College and in the broader Austin community.”

The group’s website also links to two articles, “Why White People Are Afraid” and “Diversity Workshops Try to Get Friendlier to White Men.”

The Daily Caller News Foundation spoke with Jeff Johannigman, a representative for WARE.

“We started thanks to a suggestion from [ACC’s associate vice president of the Office of Equity and Inclusion] Stephanie Hawley, in response to the observation that race equity work is often ‘preaching to the choir,’” said Johannigman. “Such discussions tend to primarily involve people of color, and there has rarely been substantial involvement of white males in race equity work.”

The group has 10 faculty members, the majority of whom are ACC faculty.

“We have shared our own personal stories of race and defined our group’s mission,” stated Johannigman. “We participated in ACC’s Regional Equity Summit in February, particularly in the session entitled ‘Waking and White: How Can Privilege Flip the Education System?’ We are starting to looking for groups to partner with to make a broader impact within ACC and the rest of the Austin community.”