Developmental Stages of Anti-Racist Identity

Jul 5

(Based on Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and the Integrated Model of Racial Identity Development)

This model is used to map your own white anti-racist identity development AND to assess where on the scale other white people are so you can better understand how to reach them and move them along on their process towards anti-racism. Some other things to note about this model of anti-racism development:

It is very hard to reach people who are more than one stage behind you. If you’re in Minimization, it’s going to be difficult to work with someone in Denial.
Each stage needs different types of exposure to racial differences, and unique types of messengers. For example, someone in Denial needs to be exposed to cultural differences, which is why Black History Month and multiracial picnics were created. They may seem rudimentary to you when you look at them, but that’s because they weren’t made for you.
The tool can be used to map individual people, teams or organizations, and even cultures or countries. See if you can figure out when American was in Denial, when it was in Defense, etc.
If someone is in a stage and is exposed to the wrong kind of intervention, they can regress into a prior stage. The model isn’t a one-way street-- people CAN go backward (which is why it’s important to be strategic with your persuasion work).
I don’t think of the model as being linear, either. I think change is a spiral. Once you make it all the way to Integration, you’ll find that there are aspects of cultural difference you’re still in Denial about. You can always deepen your learning; awareness of growth areas doesn’t mean you’re failing-- it means your lens is sharpening and you’re moving forward on your journey!
There are MANY tools describing parallel identity development processes for marginalized identities—particularly the development of POC identities and queer identities. This one is focused on whiteness because I am white and am doing work with white folks. I use different models when working multiracial spaces.

Denial/Conformity

People in the Denial/Conformity stage do not recognize the existence of cultural differences and view whiteness and white culture as the default norm. They believe there is a correct type of living (theirs), and that those who behave differently simply don’t know any better. In this phase, people are prone to imposing their value system upon others, believing that they are “right” and that others who are different are “confused.” Generally, those who experience cultural denial have not had extensive contact with people different from themselves, and thus have no experiential basis for believing in other cultures. A key indicator of the denial stage is the belief that you “know better than the locals.”

Defense

Those in the defense stage recognize the existence of other cultures, but not their validity. Cultural differences are seen as problems to be overcome, and there is a dualistic “us vs. them” mentality. Whereas those in the denial stage are unthreatened by the presence of other cultural value systems (they don’t believe in them, after all), those in the defense stage do feel threatened by “competing” cultures. People in the defense stage tend to surround themselves with members of their own culture, and avoid contact with members from other cultures.(6) They will dismiss claims of racism with PLE’s (perfectly logical explanations). They express the view that everyone has struggles and people of color should just “get over it” and go forward as Americans (which really means be more like white people).

Minimization

People in the minimization stage try to minimize cultural differences by telling themselves that people are more similar than dissimilar, and that racism is a thing of the past (or that racism against white people is the bigger problem). No longer do they see those from other cultures as being misguided, inferior, or unfortunate, but they are still insistent about everyone “getting along.” Because they assume that all cultures are fundamentally similar, people in this stage fail to tailor their approaches to a cultural context. (7)(8)

Retreat

Not everyone goes through this stage, but I see it enough that I want to pull it out here. People in Retreat find themselves overwhelmed with the information that racism and white privilege are real, and may find it hard to function with this information revealed to them. They may lash out at other white people who aren’t as aware of these issues as they are, and may even experience self-hatred and shame around their own privileges. (9)

Acceptance/Emergence

In this stage, people begin to recognize other cultures as viable alternatives to their own worldview. They know that people are genuinely different from them and accept the inevitability of other value systems and behavioral norms. They do not yet adapt their own behavior to the cultural context, but they no longer see other cultures as threatening, wrong, or inferior. People in the acceptance phase can be thought of as “culture-neutral,” seeing differences as neither good nor bad, but rather as a fact of life.

Adaptation

During the adaptation phase, people begin to view cultural differences as a valuable resource. Because differences are seen as positive, people consciously adapt their behaviors to the different cultural norms of their environment. People are also able to name specific mentors and role models who are the type of white person they would like to be.

Integration/Anti-Racist

Integration is the last stage in one’s journey before they return to the beginning stages to deepen their learning. In this stage, people integrate all of the learnings of the previous stages into the larger fabric of their identity. They are aware of their own privileges and their complicity in white supremacy, yet are also able to maintain a sense of clarity about their specific strengths as an anti-racist. In this stage, people are also able to hone their lens of awareness, identifying when interpersonal and systemic issues of race come up--and having the tools to address them effectively.