About This Course
This course is for white people who are looking to deepen their commitment to a positive antiracist life and for people of color, as psychologist Dr. Janet Helms would say, working to “understand the white persons” in their lives. This course will give you more tools to help us achieve a healthy multiracial democracy where indeed free people can read freely.
Based on the book Being White Today: A Roadmap for a Positive Antiracist Life, this course applies the White racial identity framework developed by Dr. Janet Helms to take a strong stance against racism. It will help you understand antiracist messaging and how to use it strategically to create a larger community of White antiracists.
Christine Saxman, a racial equity consultant and co-author of Being White Today, is the instructor for this course, which was created in winter 2025.

How This On-Demand Course Works
This Infopeople on Demand course is asynchronous, meaning that learners can take it any time. While the instructor is not available for discussion or feedback, this course is designed so that learners have unlimited access to materials and can participate at their own pace.
The course fee is $175. To pay by credit card, click on the "Enroll Now" button above. For information about group pricing, please contact us.
Check out our additional on-demand courses here!
Questions? Please contact [email protected].
Course Curriculum
- Unit 1 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Mapping the Road Ahead (5:22)
- WATCH: Presentation - Introduction to the White Identity Framework and Statuses (6:26)
- WATCH: "Racial Justice Freeway"--Unite4Equality (2:45)
- READ: "On-ramps and Lanes on the Racial Justice Freeway" by Shelly Tochluk (11 min read)
- LISTEN: Teaching While White (Podcast Episode #16)--"Racial Identity for White People," with Dr. Janet Helms (31:26)
- EXPLORE: Optional Resources for Unit 1
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Unit 2 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Disintegration--The Moral Dilemmas (5:26)
- WATCH: “Color Blind or Color Brave?"--Mellody Hobson, TEDTalks (14:15)
- WATCH: "Race and Children" -- Ibram X. Kendi (0:47)
- READ: “We Will Not Be Silent: Amplifying Marginalized Voices in LIS Education and Research” by Amelia Gibson and Sandra Hughes-Hassell
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Unit 3 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Disintegration--Defending Whiteness (2:19)
- WATCH: Presentation - Disintegration--Toward Antiracism (3:15)
- WATCH: “Bad White People”--Travis Jones, TEDxCharlotte (16:45)
- WATCH: "What White People Can Do To Move Race Conversations Forward"--Caprice Hollins, TEDxSeattle (15:36)
- WATCH: “Listening to Shame”--Brene Brown, TEDTalks (20:39)
- WATCH: “How Can I Have A Positive Racial Identity? I’m White!”--Ali Michael, TEDxCheltenham (16:28)
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Unit 4 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Reintegration--Emerging Antiracism (3:30)
- WATCH: Presentation - Reintegration--Retreating into Whiteness (2:07)
- LISTEN: Why is this Happening? (Podcast Episode #49)--"Dying of Whiteness" with Dr. Jonathan Metzl (56:35)
- LISTEN: Safe Space Radio (Podcast Episode, April 12, 2019)--"Talking to White Kids About Race and Racism" (59:00)
- WATCH: "Truth, Love, and Racial Literacy"--Yolanda Sealy-Ruiz, TEDxPenn (15:03)
- READ: “Christian Nationalism, Christian Globalism, and White People” by David A. Hollinger, Princeton University Press
- EXPLORE: Optional Resources for Unit 4
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Unit 5 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Pseudo-Independence--False Confidence (2:01)
- WATCH: Presentation - Immersion/Emersion--Transformation (1:49)
- WATCH: “Let’s Replace Cancel Culture with Accountability”--Sonya Renee Taylor (17:55)
- WATCH: "Why Are Most Librarians White Women?"--Stacks & Facts (11:28)
- LISTEN: The Final Straw (Podcast Episode)--"Cancellation, Abolition, and Healing," with adrienne maree brown (1:10:59)
- WATCH: Unequal Opportunity Race (4:09)
- READ: “Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies we Tell Ourselves" by Fobazi Ettarh
- EXPLORE: Optional Resources for Unit 5
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Unit 6 Overview
- WATCH: Presentation - Autonomy--Positive Antiracist White Identity (1:23)
- WATCH: "The Expanding Definition of Whiteness"--Nell Irvin Painter (6:12)
- EXPLORE: Optional Resources for Unit 6
- Application Activity #1
- Application Activity #2
- Course Feedback
- Congratulations on completing this course!
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for Library People
Infopeople is part of the Califa Group, a nonprofit consortium of libraries committed to unleashing the impact of libraries. Infopeople provides library workers quality continuing education opportunities that are tailored to library needs and developed by experienced library professionals. Training formats include 2-6 week online courses that include both synchronous and asynchronous components; on demand, self-paced courses; and free one-hour webinars.