White people must commit to meeting with other white bodies for 3-10 years to develop a living, embodied anti-racist culture, grinding up against each other to contend with the issue of white body supremacy. This sustained communal effort is necessary because white body supremacy is a white people’s issue, and individual approaches are insufficient.
Move beyond cognitive understanding of trauma to experience it in the body through sensations, vibes, images, thoughts, meaning-making, behavioral urges, and affective feelings, noting its weight, texture, speed, and charge. This approach is crucial because cognitive methods have reached their limit in driving change, and the body is where trauma is located.
Engage in the practice of ‘orienting’ by consciously noticing your surroundings (exits, windows) and looking behind you, over your left and right shoulders, using your hips and neck. This practice helps to release historical stuckness in the body, particularly in areas like the hips, vagal nerve, and neck, which have historically been sites of trauma for Black bodies.
Gently place your hand on parts of your body (e.g., chest, stomach, head) where difficult sensations or emotions arise, not to remove them, but to offer support and stay with the experience. This consistent ‘self-touch’ provides support to parts of the body that may have rarely experienced it, helping to process and integrate difficult experiences.
In a trusted community of white people, engage in supported touch by asking another person to hover or gently place a hand over yours while you are self-touching for short periods (e.g., five seconds), then pause to notice what emerges. This practice helps develop communal synergy and understanding of how racial trauma manifests in the body, moving beyond intellectual exercises.
Understand that being a white ally is a verb, not a declarative statement, requiring active, communal work rather than mere declaration. Cultivate relationships with other white people to build embodied anti-racist practices and culture, as evidence suggests that declarations without communal action are insufficient.
Be prepared to lose friends, money, relationships, and status when committing to developing an embodied anti-racist culture. This understanding is vital because the fear of such losses often prevents white people from engaging in the deep, sustained work required.
Treat the work of dealing with race like learning any skill, requiring consistent ‘reps’ and a willingness to go through awkward stages to condition and temper your body to understand nuance. This sustained practice is necessary because racial understanding is not innate for white people and cannot be achieved without dedicated effort.
Recognize that individual feelings of white guilt and shame can be a ‘dodge’ from genuine engagement and responsibility. Instead, ‘get in the game’ by actively participating in communal anti-racist work, as guilt and shame do not help anyone and prevent meaningful action.
Understand that trauma is a protective mechanism, not a defect, and its energy can be harnessed for personal transformation. By engaging with this energy, individuals can find fuel for growth rather than remaining stuck in damaging patterns.
When inquiring about someone’s well-being, especially a Black person or person of color, ask specific questions about sleep, eating, self-care, breathing, and body movement, rather than a generic ‘how are you?’ This approach elicits more honest and impactful responses, acknowledging the deeper impacts of racialized trauma.
Prioritize checking in with your body before important conversations or processing difficult topics. This practice ensures authenticity and prevents feeling ‘sold out’ or disconnected from your true experience, as the body is where all experiences are located.
Engage in anti-racist work with the genuine intention of building culture and structural change, rather than seeking individual affirmation or ‘wokeness points.’ Such superficial engagement does not lead to the sustained cultural shifts necessary for true anti-racism.