The 12 Steps to Cure Yourself of Whiteness

There is an organization called Recovery from White Conditioning that will lead you out of the affliction of being white. Its method is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous that help people fight addiction. In the very first sentence that describes the program, it says it had “guidance from BIPOC consultants,” so you know it’s the real thing. (In case you’re not up to date, BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color.) But be warned: You’ll never be cured; recovering from being white is “a lifelong journey.” And whites better be prepared to upend everything in their lives as they “fashion revolutionary selves, revolutionary lives, revolutionary relationships.”

Here is a set of slides the group uses in its mission of mercy. Don’t be daunted by bad grammar. Black guru Ken Hardy explains, “We must see and be different… so we can do different.” Study these slides, “propel yourself forward on your recovery journey,” and steep yourself in the “centering wisdom from BIPOC voices.”

So you thought only bad people could be white supremacists?

Silly you.

Every white is a supremacist, and that’s why we have to heed the “wisdom of BIPOC voices” and “fashion revolutionary selves.”

Here’s a sample of BIPOC wisdom.

If you ever think overcoming whiteness is just too hard, this slide will set you right.

But be careful: As you strip away every vestige of white supremacy, you may find you no longer understand that 2 + 2 = 4.