Waking Up White: A Town-Wide Read Along And Virtual Workshop

A Healthy Lynnfield and its diversity work group is sponsoring a town-wide read along of Waking Up White along with a virtual presentation for Lynnfield residents with the book’s author, Debby Irving, on Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 6:30 – 8:00pm.

Using historical and media images, Irving examines how she used her white-skewed belief system to interpret the world around her. Socialized on a narrow worldview, she explores how she spent decades silently reaffirming harmful, archaic racial patterns instead of questioning the racial disparities and tensions she could see and feel.

To prepare for the workshop, The Lynnfield Public Library has copies of Waking Up White, which can be accessed through the NOBLE catalog from the library website. In addition, The Friends of the Lynnfield Library will be selling copies of the book as a fundraiser. Borrowed or purchased copies of the book can be picked up during the library's Front Door Service hours. For more information, see https://www.lynnfieldlibrary.org/, call 781-334-5411, or email lfd@noblenet.org.

The workshop is designed to support white people in making the paradigm shift from “fixing” and ‘helping’ those believed to be inferior to focusing on internalized white superiority and its roles in perpetuating racism at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels. The presentation includes opportunities for reflection, dialog, and Q&A.

This is the first in a series of three events that will take place in early 2021 and is sponsored by A Healthy Lynnfield and its Diversity Work Group, including: Town of Lynnfield, Lynnfield For Love, Lynnfield Clergy Association, Lynnfield Anti-Racist League, and the Lynnfield Public Library.

Register for the workshop by January 8, 2021 at www.ahealthylynnfield.org/events. Space is limited.