RACIAL AFFINITY GROUPFIELD GUIDE
Produced byInteraction Institute for Social Change

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Designed for public distribution
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March 2021
Author, Kelly Bates
Contributor, Cynthia Silva Parker
Contributor, Miriam Messinger
Contributor & Editor, Maureen WhiteSara Oaklander, Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on the section name, specific question, or page number to go directly tosection.
INTRODUCTION

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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE3

WHY
Why are racial affinity groups important?

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WHAT

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What is the purpose of affinity groups?
What happens in affinity groups? What should we talk about?
How do we decide which topics to discuss?
WHO
Who should participate in our affinity groups, and should it be mandatory?
Who should attend which group?
Who should facilitate the groups?

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HOW
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How many people should be in our affinity group? And should it be a set size, or
allow for drop-ins?
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How should we structure the sessions?
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How do we launch the affinity groups?
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How do you create a sense of safety in a group?
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How do I manage myself as a facilitator?
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How can we support the affinity groups in between sessions?

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WHEN
When should we meet, how often, and for how long?
When should our separate affinity groups come together?

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WHERE
Where do we meet? And what else is needed for accessibility and comfort?
Where can I find excellent tools on racial equity to support my affinity group?

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Affinity Group Field Guide produced by the Interaction Institutefor Social Change (IISC). Affinity groups are an important part of the journey towards
understanding and promoting racial equity and racial justice. We are so glad thatyou have signed up to support people in having these important conversations.
This guide provides practical advice for leading and facilitating racial affinity groups
in your organization or community. It includes the nuts and bolts of organizing
affinity groups; potential topics to cover in your groups; the importance of managing
your own interior condition while participating in an affinity group; and links tovarious tools and resources.
Many questions are likely to arise as you design and lead your affinity groups. It’s
important to remember that there are no perfect answers to these questions; there
are always pros and cons to trying different things. We encourage you to avoid a
false sense of urgency and the pressure to make everything perfect, both of which
are characteristics of white dominant culture. Some things will work and somethings won't. You'll make mistakes and that’s okay, particularly because that means
you are learning along the way.
We encourage you to try out different affinity group content and techniques, andeventually you will have greater comfort and ease in the role. If possible, surroundyourself with a community of other facilitators so that you can learn, experiment,
and grow together. Please know that there are many others doing this work; you are
not alone!
Please note this is written for people living and working in the United States. Racism
is a global phenomenon, as Europeans displaced and oppressed non-white people
all around the world. However, racism in other countries may operate in uniqueways based on the historical context and the expression of modern-day racism inthat location. We encourage you to further adapt the ideas in this guide to reflect
your own local context.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEThis guide is structured to address the most common questions that arise when
designing and facilitating race-based affinity groups. It addresses the who, what,
when, where, why, and how of all things related to affinity groups. Read the wholeguide or skim to get the answers to your most burning questions.

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WHY
Why are racial affinity groups important?
Racial affinity groups1 provide a structure for powerful conversations that build
awareness, knowledge, and action for racial equity and justice. They are facilitated sothat white people and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) haveunique spaces to acknowledge or discover shared experiences, support one another,share victories, and identify shared aspirations and ways to advocate for change.
When they meet separately (which will be most of the time), BIPOC participants areaffirmed as other BIPOC people share their experiences of racial injustice,commiserate, and share victories. White affinity group space is important because it
creates the conditions for white people to recognize the profound impact of racismon their lives and the lives of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. White
people teach one another about racism and the privileges that uniquely accrue tothem because of our society’s history, policies, and preferences. It is a space of
support for white people to work through the emotions that arise from this
exploration, and to begin (or continue) to build an anti-racist culture withoutburdening BIPOC communities with the role of teacher.
It can feel awkward to be in a separate space, and it is important to note that affinity
space is NOT the same as segregation, which serves to uphold racism. Rather, it is anhonest and brave space tailored for discovery, healing, and action. Author Robin
D’Angelo reminds us that many white people live very segregated lives but only feel
uncomfortable with that when asked to gather to explore whiteness and racism.
Both white and BIPOC affinity groups should come together occasionally to shareinsights and steps for action and accountability. This can include relationshipbuilding time and reports of what they are learning and building or anything morethey want the other group to know. In many cases, it can be important for the
BIPOC group, if it wishes, to name needs or expectations of the white affinity group.
For further reading on the importance of affinity groups, see the following resources:❖ Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People❖ Racial Identity Caucuses❖ Race Caucusing in an Organizational Context: A POC’s Experience1

In grassroots organizing and movement circles, affinity groups are more likely to be called racial
caucuses. The intention and structure are the same.

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WHAT
What is the purpose of affinity groups?
Before launching an affinity group, it is useful to clarify the purpose(s) of your group.
Affinity groups may focus in one or more of these five categories:
1.

Connectivity: A critical part of any affinity group is developing relationships
and learning more about each other. Affinity spaces can be a space fordeveloping trust and mutual support. Understanding each other's values andbackgrounds and journeys can help form bonds of trust that allow for deeper,
more honest conversation. BIPOC group members often need opportunities
to discover shared experiences and “reality check” situations that might seemto only be happening to them as individuals. White affinity group members
need to collectively explore their anti-racism journeys and support one
another along the way. This work can increase the likelihood of creating
positive change.

2. Learning: In order to address racism, it’s important to understand its systemic
nature, to develop a shared analysis of the history of racism, and to build
shared language related to racism and racial justice. While affinity groups are
not the same as a workshop, they can be spaces to read about an idea (e.g.,
white supremacy culture) and discuss how it manifests in everyday life.
Learning can also happen through stories, sharing anti-racism journeys, andexamples of work by one of the participants. Learning through concepts orstories can help participants to make sense of the current inequities andinjustices that need to be repaired.
3. Skill Building: Participants can learn and try on skills for being more effective
anti-racist leaders. The first skills implicit in affinity group work are deep
listening and developing the muscle to engage in these types of
conversations. Another important skill is developing a racial equity “lens”
through which to view any major decision, practice, or policy.
4. Strategic Action: Participants may use affinity group space to form acollective understanding of the levers of change they can engage forindividual and institutional change. Organizational change is generally thework of multi-racial change teams with membership from across different
functions in the organization. Whether or not there is a formal racial equity
change process, affinity groups often bring issues forward into ongoing
decision-making and problem-solving spaces within organizations.

55. Healing: When relationships are strong and trusting, affinity groups can be a
space for processing emotional trauma from racism, and a space for engaging
in practices that facilitate individual and collective well-being and restoration.
When choosing the purpose(s) of your affinity group, consider the following: Who isin the room? How well do they know or trust each other? Why might they want tobe there? What's in it for them to participate? How might the affinity groups fit into
the organization’s larger racial equity strategy? Regardless of which area(s) of focus
you choose, it’s vital that connection and relationship-building are a fundamental
part of every gathering, in order to promote authentic conversation and facilitatechange.

What happens in affinity groups? What should we talk about?
Think about the purpose and the “why” of your group to determine your focus andagenda for each session. Make the purpose known ahead of time so that members
know what they are signing up for.
Here are some examples of content for the varying purposes.
Affinity groups focused on connectivity will often engage in activities to facilitate
personal sharing and trust building. This might be a structured exercise or asking aquestion or a “prompt” that everyone answers in order to promote relationshipbuilding. It could be a question that asks participants to share their various identities,
values, or perspectives. Or it could be sharing music, art, a video, a quote, or a poem,
and giving time for each person to reflect on how it relates to their experience andunderstanding of racism. In white affinity space, connectivity is an important part ofshifting white dominant culture, which often emphasizes results over relationships.
It’s important to have some element of connectivity built into each affinity groupsession.
Affinity groups engaged in learning may review terms and definitions about racism
and reflect together on their meaning and share examples of them in action. They
may read an article, blog, or book, or watch a video on various aspects of the historyof racism in different communities (for example, Asian, Middle Eastern and North
African, Black, Indigenous, Latin, or mixed-race communities). It is important,particularly in white affinity space, to discuss not just the new information but how it
feels to learn this history and to sit with discomfort--a critical skill to build. The group
may want to focus its learning on its sector, locality, or an issue area.

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Affinity groups engaged in skill-building can determine what skills might be better
learned and practiced in affinity space. The group can ask: what do we need to learn
or practice in order to help create change as members of this community?
Affinity groups in organizations preparing to engage in strategic action canconsider how their group can better contribute to the overall change process. It is
important for affinity groups to consider what changes they can work on or lead on
their own, and which should be led either by other affinity groups or a cross-racial
team. For BIPOC affinity groups, this requires balancing the need for theirperspectives and needs to be centered in organizational change without overburdening them with emotional or other forms of labor. For white affinity groups, itmeans balancing the need to take appropriate levels of responsibility for their own
learning and action, while moving in partnership with their BIPOC colleagues.
Affinity groups engaged in healing facilitate exercises to help people process the
personal emotional trauma and hurts of racism and white supremacy. This might bedone through storytelling or by engaging in physical, spiritual, and artistic practices
that facilitate well-being, restoration, and an experience of feeling liberated from
oppression. For these spaces in particular, it is important to have a facilitator who isexperienced with healing modalities and is able to support participants throughpainful discussions without doing further harm.
For resources on specific topics, please see below.

How do we decide which topics to discuss?
There is a broad range of topics to explore in racial affinity groups. The priority topics
will vary from group to group depending on the purpose of the group, who isparticipating, the knowledge and experience they bring, and the context in which
the group is meeting.
Below is a link to a tool to help you design the structure of your sessions. It includes
a discussion about racial identity development which is a good initial topic to
explore or include as part of your sessions:❖ Session meeting structure toolSome potential topics for discussion might include the following:
General● Definitions or Brief videos about multiple concepts● Historical context of racism (consider your unique geography and locality)

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●
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Understanding Race
4 Levels of racism
Racial identity development
Internalized racism
White privilege
White supremacy culture
Managing Unconscious Bias
Infiltration: How values of oppressive systems arise in organizations (and what
to do about it)
The Difference Between Being “Not Racist” and “Antiracist”
Ways to advance racial equity and justice in your organization

BIPOC Affinity Groups● Microaggressions● Imposter syndrome● Adopting White supremacy notions● Light-skinned privilege/Colorism● Healing from racism
White Affinity Groups● White fragility● Dysfunctional rescuing, see page 7● Healing from White supremacy● The role of White allies● Application and commitments moving forward

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WHO
Who should participate in our affinity groups, and should it bemandatory?
We recommend that affinity groups always be voluntary; however, they are a“stretch space” for learning and sharing. If some participants don’t want to be there,
it can impede others’ learning and create a negative culture in the group. At thesame time, participation can be strongly encouraged by leaders in the organization
or by peers who have experienced the value of affinity groups firsthand (though it’s
important that people do not experience this encouragement as pressure to attend).
If your affinity groups are happening within an organization, make sure you are clear
whether the affinity group is for staff members only, or if they will include otherstakeholders such as board members or other community or network partners.
Always consider power dynamics as you consider group membership. For example,
will you include managers, direct supervisors, senior leaders, or human resources
staff in your affinity groups? If you do, it’s essential for managers and senior staff tobe mindful of listening as much as, or even more than, they talk, and to letparticipants know when they are speaking from personal experience versus fromtheir organizational role. If you suspect that including human resources and seniorstaff in the affinity groups would hinder participation or conversation, or beotherwise problematic, then consider creating separate affinity groups for theminstead. You can test out different models - the key is to be transparent about yourdecisions regarding the affinity group structure.

Who should attend which group?
We recommend that BIPOC affinity groups serve as spaces for only BIPOC
participants, and white affinity groups for only white participants for the reasonspreviously outlined. Every person should have the opportunity to name their racial
background(s) in order to determine in which group they prefer to participate.
If your affinity groups are large, you may find it helpful to break the groups down
further into smaller subgroups. For example, during BIPOC affinity group meetings,
participants may want to have breakouts occasionally by subgroup identities (suchas Black, South Asian, Indigenous, mixed heritage, Middle Eastern, North African,
Light-Skinned BIPOC, etc.). BIPOC affinity spaces should still work on anti-Blackness
and the impacts of colorism and lighter-skinned privilege as a topic. In white spaces,9it can be powerful to break down by white cultural, ethnic, or religious identities(such as Irish, Jewish, Southern, etc.), assuring that a focus on identities that are
marginalized does not replace a focus on whiteness and transforming white culture.
These subgroup discussions can provoke rich learning about topics such as historicalassimilation, immigration, unique and varied histories of racism, and language
oppression. These subgroups can meet in parallel, or simply happen within the
BIPOC or white affinity spaces.
In the case of a participant who is of mixed BIPOC and white heritage, we would
suggest always having the mixed heritage person choose where they want to go. It
is likely that they have been misidentified throughout much of their life, and in thiscontext it’s not about what others perceive their identity to be, but rather how they
see themselves. They may need individual support and coaching to make theirdecision. It may be useful to ask questions such as: “How do you personally identify?
What in your life experience can help you to make a choice?” Let the participant
know they will be welcomed in either group, at any time. Offering a mixed-raceaffinity group can help mixed-race participants of any background avoid having to
make an either/or choice between their identities.

Who should facilitate the groups?
Every affinity group needs a strong facilitator - someone who has strong backgroundand knowledge in racial equity and justice, excellent facilitation and meeting
management skills, comfort working in racialized situations, and the ability tohandle complex dynamics between people and within groups. The facilitator’s role isto develop the agendas; to ensure that everyone is able to speak and participate; tocreate the conditions for collaborative learning and exploration; to keep people
focused on the topic at hand; and to work with the group to meet the needs of allparticipants.
These facilitators can be staff, volunteers, or consultants with the requisite
background and expertise. The racial identity of the facilitator should match that ofthe participants, or the majority of the participants, in the affinity group.
If more than one facilitator is available for the group, aim to make the facilitationteam diverse by race (for BIPOC groups that include many different racial groups)
and gender, and by other key dimensions of identity, if possible.
For larger groups, at least two facilitators are recommended. A good rule of thumb isto have one facilitator for every twelve participants. You can have the same10

facilitators for every session or rotate the role in order to develop the group’s skills
and to share the responsibility more equally.
It is critical to train and support facilitators. Be sure to offer them resources such as
this guide, and also build in training, coaching support, and time for facilitators to
update each other on lessons learned. Being a facilitator takes time and energy, andyou may wish to pay a stipend or bonus to those who take on this additional
responsibility. For this reason, it can be important to have a lead coordinator of theaffinity groups who can assist the facilitators to meet and plan together, reflect on
their progress, and learn new strategies for facilitating groups effectively.

For further information about facilitation, please see the following resources:❖ IISC Training Support for Facilitators: Fundamentals of Facilitation for Racial
Justice Work❖ Facilitative Leadership for Social Change

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HOW
How many people should be in our affinity group? And should
it be a set size, or allow for drop-ins?
There’s no one right size, but generally affinity groups can be as small as five people
and as large as fifty people. Smaller groups allow for greater relationship building
and intimacy, which allows for deeper learning and exploration. If the participants
are newer to each other, a smaller group is generally best. Remember that the moreparticipants you have, the more important it is to increase the number of facilitators
available to support the discussions. Particularly for larger groups, make sure you
have time for smaller breakout conversations of 2-5 people.
Some affinity group sessions are “drop-in” style and are designed in such a way thatpeople can join a session at any time. This arrangement can easily accommodate
newly hired staff or others who join after a group is first convened. That said,
attention needs to be paid to supporting new participants to get oriented and toform trusting relationships within the group.
Another option is a “cohort” style in which a closed group of members agree to meetover a specified period of time. This approach can help participants to develop
deeper relationships and deeper learning; it also allows for a learning arc where
each session builds off of the previous one. The downside of this model is that newparticipants have to wait for a new cohort to begin.

How should we structure the sessions?
It’s important to have time at the start of each affinity group session for people toarrive and settle in, to build relationships and trust, to agree to group norms, and toreview the agenda.
We highly recommend using maps and starting with one or more land
acknowledgments to honor the first Native people that resided in the location where
the group is occurring and/or the locations of each participant. You can ask
participants to research and share some history or at least name the Native people
who first resided in their location.
For each session, you will want to select a core topic and prepare discussion
questions. Articles, quotes, art, videos, or presentations can be useful tools to
stimulate discussion.

12You will also want a strong closing section in order to capture any next steps, hear
final reflections from each person, and end with a unifying moment such as a poemor an uplifting call to action.

How do we launch the affinity groups?
We recommend that you have a small team of people along with the affinity groupfacilitators to plan out the timeline, flow, content, outreach plan, and logistics for theaffinity groups. As discussed earlier, it’s important to take time at the outset to talkabout the purpose and focus of the group. Make sure to be flexible and leave room
for adjustments as the participant’s needs change over time.
We also recommend kicking off both the white and BIPOC groups at the same timeso that they are happening in parallel and can potentially inform one another. You
may also want to launch with a special kick-off with all of the participants from eachaffinity group coming together in order to share their hopes and fears as they start
the journey. While white folks new to this work might initially need a lot of support,
be sure not to over-resource the white affinity group at the expense of the BIPOC
group.
Try to schedule the sessions well in advance, and on a regular basis. If it’s notpossible to hold the sessions during work time, consider holding them over lunch oron personal time. Try not to schedule sessions right before or after tough or stressful
meetings and aim to leave a little time afterward for individuals that participated toprocess the discussion on their own.

How do you create a sense of safety in a group?
The truth is that there is no way to create comfort in every group experience.
Exploring racial identity, racial dynamics, and white privilege will make people feel
uncomfortable. The goal is to get people to stretch beyond their comfort zones while
also creating the conditions for participants to feel the safety that comes with being
heard and supported.
These are some things you can do to make it easier for people to speak up and feel
connected to the group:➔ Let people know where you are headed. Always share the purpose anddesired outcomes at the start of your session. Give people a roadmap so they
have confidence in the process.

13➔ Strive to build relationships. Weave in storytelling exercises or prompts
throughout the sessions, which can create the conditions for people toconnect on a personal level. Even something as small as doing a “vibe check”
at the start of the session for people to share how they are (really) doing can
be a way to build connections. It can be very powerful to divide people into
pairs or trios to share a story, a learning experience, or something about theirlives.
➔ Create affinity group norms. Build agreements with the group on “ways of
being” that will foster an environment of belonging and inclusion. Have thegroup generate a list of values and behaviors that would help them to build
trust and connection or offer a starting list (see below) and check to see if
there are additional items participants want to offer. Once a list is created, it’s
important to check for understanding as well as to ask everyone participating
to confirm their agreement to abide by the list of norms.
Encourage people to take risks and be vulnerable. It can be hard for people toshare personal things, especially in work settings; but it can also foster deep
awareness and change in both the individual and the group. Encourage
participants to make space for everyone, especially folks from marginalized
communities, to speak. The group facilitators can model healthy anti-racist
norms like slowing down and being open to making mistakes. Thesebehaviors can help participants to bring their full selves to the table. Sample
group norms include:
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆

Show up as yourself. Avoid conformance and abandon perfection
Speak for yourself using “I” statements
Take risks
Try on vulnerability
Be curious
Be willing to be wrong or to disagree
Take space/make space
Expect a lack of closure➔ Challenge unhelpful or toxic behaviors. If you see people interrupt others,
dominate the conversation, or act out in negative ways, share what you’re
observing and intervene if needed. A simple, “I am noticing x is happening,
and it’s not helping us to follow through on our group norms” can be aneffective technique. Be sure to name behaviors and impacts that are clear toyou, without assuming intentions or desires. Taking a break for people togather their thoughts and emotions or pulling someone aside on a break tode-escalate issues, can also be helpful.

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All of these suggestions can help you to “build the container” for meaningfulconversations. Typically, as time goes on, the group will become more skillful inhaving difficult and meaningful conversations.

How do I manage myself as a facilitator?
For affinity group facilitators, it’s important to “ground” and center yourself before
each affinity group meeting. Grounding is the act of putting aside other distractions,gathering your thoughts, and checking in with yourself to bring a spirit of presence,
intentionality, and care into the meeting. Find ways to gather your inner strength
and wisdom through breathing, meditation, music, a few moments of silence, orsome other form of stress relief.
It’s important to manage your triggers throughout the session. If you feel particularly
stuck or triggered by what someone says, try to breathe and decide if you need toaddress it in a healthy manner or let it go for the benefit of the group. Give yourself
permission to release control, because what you need and want may not be what
the group needs or wants.
To help you, remind participants it’s especially important to stay open-minded, listen
deeply, share their experiences and ideas, and “try on” perspectives that may be hardto hear. Ask them not to leave it to the facilitator to make things go well; they canoffer suggestions for the group to stay focused and to collaborate and model itthemselves.

How can we support the affinity groups in between sessions?
In between sessions, encourage people to connect, socialize, share resources, andjoin other networks. Consider using a social media platform, a Slack workspace, or
WhatsApp group for sharing resources and insights. You can encourage the BIPOC
and white affinity groups to communicate and cross-pollinate with each other as
well.

WHEN
When should we meet, how often, and for how long?
Your affinity group may wish to meet quarterly, every six weeks, or even monthly
depending on the focus of the group. Ideally, sessions should be approximately two

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to three hours in length. 90 minutes is the minimum time needed for an effective
session.
We recommend piloting the group for at least a year. Take a pause after six months
to gather insights on what’s working and what could be improved or enhanced. At
the end of year one, extend the timeframe if you wish, and refresh the goals of thesessions going forward.

When should our separate affinity groups come together?
BIPOC and white affinity groups can come together at various points for sharedlearning and action, or to simply communicate about what the groups are doing.
Aim to get each group firmly established before holding a joint session. In our
experience, when the constituencies have been mixed too early or too often, it hascreated confusion and decreased trust within and between the groups.
In terms of accountability, you may choose to have explicit commitments between
the affinity groups. or you might have the BIPOC group share a need or desire withthe white affinity group. In the case of the latter approach, it is the white group thatis accountable to the BIPOC group, as a way of enacting racial equity.

WHERE
Where do we meet? And what else is needed for accessibility
and comfort?
Physical space is important when it comes to fostering critical conversations. Make
sure your group has access to a space that is comfortable and meets the accessneeds of everyone in your group (which might include wheelchair accessibility,
closed captioning, interpretation, etc.) Place chairs in a circle so everyone can see
each other and feel like an equal part of the group. If the group is too large for acircle, set up tables with 5-6 people at each table. If you have the resources, offer
healthy and fun food from diverse cultures, and offer childcare if needed.
Affinity groups can also be done online through platforms such as Zoom. During
COVID-19, people showed great creativity in using online break-out rooms andsharing slides, videos, music, links, and google worksheets to make sessions
interactive.

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Resources for making your meetings interactive:❖ Bringing Facilitative Leadership for Social Change to Virtual Work, Interaction
Institute for Social Change

Where can I find excellent tools on racial equity to support myaffinity group?
We recommend the Racial Equity Tools website, which has a rich array of resources.
Dig in and encourage others to do the same. https://www.racialequitytools.org/

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