Applying Transformative Organizing Theory to White Antiracist Organizing

Authors

Josal Diebold, University at BuffaloFollow

Keywords

Antiracist organizing, transformative organizing, social movements, social change, oppression, white supremacy

Abstract

White antiracist organizing is a type of community organizing that works to build a movement that challenges the political, social, economic, and cultural manifestations of white supremacy, especially in white communities. In striving to harness strategic white antiracist organizing, an applicable theoretical lens is needed to guide both scholarship and practice. Transformative organizing theory, predicated on the need to organize and work for change on multiple levels at once, is particularly salient. This paper highlights how transformative organizing theory can anchor and cultivate white antiracist organizing through the application of key theoretical concepts, such as suffering and oppression; self-awareness and intentionality; vision; centering impacted communities; and reaching scale. Although the transformative lens carries tremendous possibilities, it is not without its limitations. Implications for both practice and research on transformative white antiracist community organizing are also discussed.

Recommended Citation

Diebold, Josal (2020) "Applying Transformative Organizing Theory to White Antiracist Organizing," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 47: Iss. 1, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4257
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol47/iss1/3