Dr. Josal Diebold
Assistant Professor Josal Diebold will give a presentation that explores white people's stake in racial justice on Friday, March 14.
The talk, "White people's stake in racial justice: Mutual interest as a framework for social work practice," will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Williams Center Room S204.
It is crucial for white antiracists to find their stake, or mutual interest, in the struggle for racial and economic justice, noted Dr. Diebold, of the Department of Sociocultural and Justice Sciences, referring to empirical research and theoretical work published in peer-reviewed journals. That is, white people can identify the way that racism is harmful for everyone, including white people, though in vastly different ways than for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, she said.
To sustain commitment, it’s valuable for these white antiracists to anchor in what they have to gain through the fight,” Diebold added.
The presentation is co-sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers-New York State Western Division and SUNY Fredonia’s Social Work program in recognition of Social Work Month, which is March.
Diebold’s program explores mutual interest, with a focus on its meaning and significance for white people engaged in racial justice work. The session will begin with an overview of mutual interest and then explore white antiracist motivations and mutual interest’s alignment with social work values and ethics.
Insights from critical race theory and systems theory to provide a theoretical framework for thinking about mutual insight will be utilized in the workshop. Participants will also engage with findings from a study of white members of a large antiracist organization, examining how they express their personal journeys of exploring and relating to their mutual interest
The session concludes with a practical application, offering participants the opportunity to begin developing their own mutual interest stories. Interactive discussion and a question-and-answer period will be held to foster reflection and connection to professional contexts.
