In 2015, a small group of white people began to meet monthly to explore a common focus: how do we as white people engage in dismantling racism – in identifying our own racist biases, identifying our racist behaviors, and putting our beliefs into action.
Two of the group members, Tom Mitchell and Frank Staropoli, saw a pattern that concerned them: Although there was a growing array of events and workshops and seminars for business people, the organizational leaders (owners, presidents, CEO’s) were notably absent. They were soon joined by Gary Domenico. The three set out to create similar groups, specifically geared to these leaders.
Since then, the groups expanded to include leaders from the Not-for-Profit world, as well as government leaders. And the description of “leader” expanded to include influencers, people who by their role and responsibilities and personalities have significant impact on the culture of an organization and/or community.
A curriculum was developed, so that each monthly meeting has a particular focus, with Pre-work that includes articles and videos related to the topics. This input is continually updated to include varying perspectives on race/racism, on a conservative to progressive spectrum.
We seek diversity within the cohorts. Members vary in gender, organizational roles, political persuasions, and racial identity. The cohorts become a microcosm of a diverse organization, a safe, facilitated crucible in which to explore attitudes, biases and realities related to race and racism. Note: Cohorts may or may not include People of Color, depending on the registrations at any time.
In response to the concern that this not be simply an empty, fruitless learning exercise, a vigorous process has been added at the end, resulting in Personal Action Plans, presented to and vetted by each cohort.
Our cohort sessions are facilitated by skilled leaders who meet monthly to refine our facilitation skills and provide a sounding board and forum for discussing best practices.
There is no fee for participation in an Exploring Racism Group. The organizers, all volunteers, cover the minor costs.
We ask participants to make attendance a very high priority. Race/racism is a topic that almost automatically heightens sensitivity, tension and a sense of vulnerability. These Groups need to create an atmosphere of honesty, openness and safety, and to do that quickly and intentionally. That can only be done with consistent attendance. We have had participants connect for sessions while on business travel, during vacations, during illness, even chemo treatments!
We continue to evolve and learn what is most helpful by:
Referring to our Mission Statement
Listening to our Advisors and our participants through feedback vehicles
Vigorous discussions within our Steering Committee and Accountability Panel (see members below)
And reading the signs of the times.
Our Mission
Exploring Racism Groups provide an opportunity for organizational leaders in our community to grow in their knowledge about racism, understand their own biases and perspectives, and become an antiracist by taking action to promote racial justice, and to break down the structures of racism in their own spheres of influence.
Our Focus
ERG’s Focus on African-American/Caucasian Dynamics
The content and focus of Exploring Racism Groups is on a very specific societal issue: the history and the present state of the dynamics that occur between African-Americans (those whose roots trace back to enslavement) and Caucasians. This focus is justified by the toxic and traumatic original enslavement, and the vestiges of that period that are proven to be existent even today. The current cost of these dynamics is viewed by many as the most serious unresolved issue of our present culture, not only for African-Americans, but for all Americans. We study the unique history rooted in the initial injustice of slavery, further deepened over the years by the Civil War, Reconstruction and its deconstruction, the Jim Crow Era, lynchings, Black Code laws, and other targeted discrimination practices.
We examine the residual impact of those tragic eras in the present day – severe impacts for African-Americans, and also impacts on white people. We examine the ways in which we each personally participate in these dynamics. And we examine the varied approaches to resolving these dynamics, from both progressive and conservative viewpoints.
The racial dynamics we study have very direct parallels to the experiences of other marginalized people over the centuries. We hope that the learnings derived from this deeper dive into the particular relationship between African-Americans and Caucasians will be found applicable to the other divides that exist in our history and in our present, including, for example, Islamaphobia, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia and antisemitism. These forms of hatred, separation, exclusion, and “cancelling” have become more and more common in recent times. For example, White Nationalists (whose intention is to form an all-white society) use antisemitism to convince us that a Jewish-controlled cabal is promoting the empowerment of Black and Brown people.
Current Topic Sequence
If these sessions interest you, please reach out to us in order to sign up and participate.
Introductory Session
Participant and facilitator introductions
Personal introductions and reasons for joining this group
Basic norm and guidelines for the most benefit
A sampling of the recognizing differences and biases within the group topic
Bias, Prejudice, and Self-deception
Understanding our unconscious perceptions and beliefs
Identifying personal examples
How this relates to race and racism
Understanding Black Experiences of Life
2 Sessions
Hearing, reading, seeing stories
Hearing, reading, seeing facts
Recognizing misinformation and bias or stereotypes
Understanding White Experience of Life
2 Sessions
Education by osmosis
The history of race and racism
Myths and facts
White discomfort about racial matters
Who Has Privilege?
2 Sessions
Definitions and understanding
How privilege operates; how we deny it yet defend it.
Exploring personal examples – hearing, seeing, reading stories
Recognizing Forms of Racism
2 Sessions
Personal and interpersonal
Structural
Institutional and systemic
How to recognize racism at work, in your clubs, churches, etc.
Anti-racism Engagement
2 Sessions
Examples of action steps
Identifying action steps in your own spheres of influence
Presentation of Personal Action Plans; feedback, suggestions
Our Steering Committee
To learn the role of the Steering Committee click here
Gary Domenico
Co-Founder
Facilitator
Former Owner and CEO – General Code, LLC
Kit Miller
University of Rochester Office of Equity and Inclusion, Associate Director for Restorative Practices
Tom Mitchell
Co-Founder
Facilitator, Weekly Sharing Producer
Former CEO – Bergmann, Trustee Rochester Area Community Foundation, Member of the New State Board of Engineers, Geologists and Land Surveryors.
Jim Ramerman
Ramerman Leadership Group, Lead Consultant and Executive Coach
Pooja Sinha
Gorbel, Inc. Product Marketing Manager
Frank Staropoli
Co-Founder
Facilitator
Former Pres. Great Lakes Leadership Group, Inc. and Staropoli Consulting, Inc.
Alexis Vogt, PhD
Endowed Chair & Professor of Optics
Monroe Community College
Our Advisory Panel
To learn the role of the Advisory Panel click here.
Grequan Carter
Advisor
Partners in Restorative Initiatives, Lead Project Coordinator
Alex Castro
Advisor
Pathstone, President & CEO
Dr. Gina Cuyler
Advisor
Internal Medicine physician, author, educator and avid patient and community advocate.
University of Rochester, VP of Community Partnerships
Testimonials
I joined the Exploring Racism Group in January 2020. What a year to join! Between the pandemic and the social unrest, it was an eye-opening year. The Group helped open my eyes to the biases that I have and how to address those biases in constructive ways. It helped me be less hesitant to talk about race-related issues and realize that being "blind" to race is actually supporting racism. The Group has also helped me see that there aren't easy answers, but that a group of people who openly connect and share can do a lot to improve all of our lives for the better. I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in learning more about themselves and their biases.
Fred Beer
President, ITX Corp
The experience with my exploring racism group has enabled me to better understand racism (individual, structural, institutional), privilege, trauma, health impacts, redlining and so much more. Life experience by itself did not inform my understanding. Getting together with a trusted group to learn/share my role in how we got here and my role in how we move forward with the worked required to dismantle racism has been very rich. I encourage you to invest in this work.
Bill Carpenter
CEO, Regional Transit Service
"As the only African American in my group, I did not know what to expect. I, however, really appreciated the environment, which was inviting, candid and sincere. I am glad that I learned things about American history that helped me resolve some meaningful questions I had. I also appreciated the opportunity to build relationships with people who want to participate in positive change."
Francis Clement
Francis Clement, Fee Based Fiduciary, Clement Wealth Management
Participating in the Exploring Racism Group as part of the first cohort profoundly changed my life, making it fuller, richer, and more rewarding. The experience not only brought me immense joy but also led to lifelong friendships and the development of a thriving new business. This program is a true commitment to personal development, and if you fully immerce yourself, you will grow and find a deeper sense of self.
Chris Cooley
CEO, Cooley Comics LLC
The Exploring Racism Group program was transformational for me. As a result of doing the program, I became passionately committed to doing my part to ending racism. You might think “what can one person do?” The answer is: If each person in any kind of management or leadership position in this country does their small part, racism will end. Ending racism is a top priority for leaders who have a heart. And the ERG program is the best way to make that happen, because it is time efficient (a few hours a month) and leaves you with an action plan that you can execute to do your part.
Fred Dewey
Turnaround and Growth Business Leader
Exploring racism has enabled me to examine my own bias. In realizing my long-held positions regarding race were not valid and in fact, harmful to myself and others, it has enabled me to become more adept at not accepting the status quo. It has helped me be more curious, less judgmental and more able to question what I am hearing/seeing in a way that has been very helpful in day to day problem solving and relationship development.
I never considered that my thoughts were racist. Learning what racism truly is helped me understand the need to put myself in the shoes of others and experience life from a different and sometimes uncomfortable perspective.
Gary Domenico
Former Owner & CEO, General Code, LLC
If you're interested in a supportive, but assertive, experience to help you learn more about how individual, institutional, structural and unconscious racism impacts society, your organization and your personal life, this experience with ERG can be very rewarding. The facilitators are experienced in assisting the development and growth of each individual's anti-racist perspectives and skills.
Dan Drmacich
Coordinator: Rochester Coalition for Public Education; Retired Principal of School Without Walls
Exploring Racism has provided me the opportunity to learn about how racism permeates many parts of our society. My cohort consists of people that have opened their minds, hearts and souls to understand this issue from a personal point of view. Truly understanding the problem of racism is half the solution and more importantly fighting racism is everyone’s fight
Pietro (Pete) Giovenco, PE
President, Palmer Real Estate Development & Sr. VP of Operations, G&C Foods
ERG helped me discover how I play a role in contributing to and perpetuating racism in my community. I have looked in the mirror and seen hypocrisy. A proud American, I believe in the ideals of liberty, justice, and equality; yet, as a white man, I have unconsciously extracted unfair advantages from a system that was designed to exploit and disadvantage a group of people based on skin tone.
Henceforth, I am committed to do the work to heal the wounds and support positive change. I adopted an action plan and shared it with my ERG cohort. I report to them monthly, asking them to hold me accountable. I seek to make my small "ding" in the universe
Richard Glaser
First Vice President/Senior Financial Advisor Merrill
A professional mentor of mine had just finished the previous year’s ERG and called me to suggest I join the next cohort. He explained the monthly commitment for a full year which at first seemed like a lot, but he assured me it would be well worth my time to invest in this program. The biggest feature that allows for real open dialogue to flourish, is a common trust that nothing would get shared outside of our core group. Doing deep and thoughtful work in this setting is very empowering and after the first month, our group became very comfortable sharing ideas and beliefs - that they may not have done in any other part of their life. The structure of each month’s class is well thought out and gently moves you along a path of understanding through supplied articles, book excerpts, videos, and other race-related media which bring real-life references to the topics at hand. Trust me, the year goes quickly, and when you are done, you realize how much more you need to learn.
