In the fall of 2016, sitting in a classroom full of change practitioners at the Kansas Leadership Center, I was reminded that some changes are harder than others – in this case we were talking about “white privilege” and all that it entails. That week was a catalyst for me to lean into the space of equality and inclusion. It turned out that I was not alone and it was powerful to know many of my classmates had been pushed into a space of discomfort too.
One white male colleague revealed a year later that as someone who grew up in poverty, he grappled with the question of whether he indeed was privileged. But after some deep reflection, he was able to articulate that there are structures in place from which he derived some benefits. These included among other things, the influence of an elementary teacher that looked like him (studies show having one black school teacher between the 3rd and 5th grade can increase graduation rates by 29%), having a father in the home, and not being in fear for his life at a routine traffic stop.
This revelation shared by my white male colleague, inspired me to take action. What if other white males got it too? Now that feels like it would be a force for good. In one of those moments of serendipity, I was introduced to an organization called White Men as Full Diversity Partners (I know it’s a mouthful, so they go by WMFDP). What attracted me to WMFDP was their audacity to tackle societal issues head on, starting at the source. Another reason for my attraction was their genuine interest in me and what I had to offer as a person of color with more diverse stripes than average. It was probably one of the first times in my own career I felt the power of having a white male ally. Within a few months they offered me a chance to join their facilitation team, which is not for the faint of heart — but the work is very rewarding.
WMFDP flips traditional approaches to diversity and inclusion on their heads by shifting the mindsets of leaders — typically, white males — and exploring their unconscious behaviors and behavioral patterns. That’s what I experienced in Kansas and I wanted to be part of doing it in a more concerted way.
Why focus on white men?
When Michael Welp and Bill Proudman found WMFDP, they set out to develop methodology for bringing about cultural change by including white male leadership in the experiential learning process. The WMFDP Way is built on the premise that everyone has a