A year or so ago, I was giving a talk at a progressive boarding school. They had a group there, a white affinity group, called WERC (pronounded "work") it stood for "whites exploring race and culture" it was started by an incredible woman whom i would later ask to become my esteemed first assistant. mad props and respect to her for starting it. She's hot stuff.

However, I was appalled that white people were part of a group pronounced "work" that wasn't really "work" and as part of our workshop together i made them change the name to an acronym that spelled real WORK. They did: Whites Overcoming Racism through Knowledge. I LOVED IT. it was the hottest idea i had heard in a long long time.

A year later I learned that the white people at the school had squirmed out of their responsibility to work hard and educate themselves again. They changed the name to WORC: "whites overcoming racism through communication."

This is PRECISELY the issue that is plaguing the white community's ability to admit that racism is a problem, take responsibility for their role in it, and to actually achieve progress. "communication" is something that white people often think they can do about racism way before they have any skills or knowledge to do so.

WORK is important, critical and clear. It's time to make it REAL. So here it is: White People Overcoming Racism through Knowledge, right here before your eyes.

This is WORK.

Here are some great role models that show white people that it's not only okay to talk about race, but it's okay to fight racism- as white people.