Engaging White Awareness in Shelburne
A Shelburne book group, targeted towards white people, moved online after COVID to continue tough conversations on confronting white supremacy and privilege.
The book group, Engaging White Awareness, began in March of 2018. The group — a collaboration between Shelburne Social Services Committee and Pierson Library — is facilitated by Patricia Fontaine, a member of the Shelburne social services committee, who first proposed the idea.
“This is a book group for white people interested in learning about racial justice,” Fontaine said. “It's really essential for white people to understand what it means to be white first before we can be effective allies to BIPOC — Black, indigenous and people of color.”
The book group is a free six-part book discussion that is offered over Zoom. The group is reading their ninth book, “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. Interlibrary loans and ten free copies of the book are offered at Pierson, so finances are not a roadblock.
Shelburne resident Laura Wolfsen-Denise discovered the book group in her quest to confront her own implicit biases. She has been a part of the group for four weeks. Wolfsen-Denise said that a typical meeting consists of discussing the key elements of the assigned chapters.
“This particular book about white supremacy is a very different kind of book because...you actually have journal prompts at the end of each chapter, “Wolfsen-Denise said, “so people are sharing some very honest, personal experiences.”
Wolfsen-Denise said her favorite aspect of the book group are the additional resources people share to further knowledge and learn how to become actively involved in anti-racist work in the community.
“I could read on my own, but with the support of the group I feel like I can go even deeper and move more into a role of an active ally and be more engaged in the anti-racist work within my community,” Wolfsen-Denise said.
The group is open to all ages and capped at 20 people to encourage conversation. Normally, the group reads a book in the fall and another in the spring. However, after George Floyd’s killing on May 25, 2020, the group began meeting every other week in the summer to discuss how to take action.
“As white people we cannot afford to just read, we have to be informed enough to take action,” Fontaine said. “If I’m not examining my white privilege and how white supremacy exists in me, then I am causing harm and acting on my racism as opposed to choosing to be anti-racist.”
Before COVID-19, Pierson library provided a space for the group to meet and discuss their current book and have tough, open discussions about white people’s role in systemic racism in America.
Food Shelf Board Member, Georgene Grover, served with Fontaine on the Social Services Committee when Fontaine proposed the idea for the book group, Engaging White Awareness. Grover attended the first few sessions but is not registered in the current session.
“There’s a need to have a reckoning in this country for racial justice. and I think the first layer is personal...the next layer is family...and then you step out further into your community,” Grover said, “then you become more active or write to your senators and representatives.”
Fontaine has played a large role in the fight for social justice in Vermont. She taught two classes on race and gender at UVM. She also worked with the Peace and Justice Center as well as Showing Up for Racial Justice Vermont, before creating Engaging White Awareness.
“It’s building resilience as a white person in order to engage and come to terms with the shame and guilt that comes from a country that was founded on enslavement and genocide,” Fontaine said. “We haven’t maybe caused harm directly, but we are responsible for it as a community of white people to do our best to change the system.”
At the end of each session the group takes a poll to decide what book to read next. The current session ends March 1. To register, contact the library at 985-5124.
