This qualitative study explored the practices and consciousness of eight white identified participants, born 1970 or later, who are actively engaged in racial justice action. Although the field of critical whiteness studies has expanded markedly over the past couple of decades, little has been written specifically about white racial justice activists (and activism). This may be serving as a disconnect for white people who are trying to find their way in racial justice movement work.
Participants were involved in one or more of the following: community organizing, education, religious work and cultural arts. Research data was primarily generated/collected through qualitative interviews, and secondarily through an examination of participant artifacts and through participant observation. The findings revealed how participants engage (and how they came to be involved) in racial justice movement work. Additional findings detailed participants’ early awareness around race and racism, as well as common tendencies of white people engaged significantly in racial justice action.
","abstract_html":"<p>This qualitative study explored the practices and consciousness of eight white identified participants, born 1970 or later, who are actively engaged in racial justice action. Although the field of critical whiteness studies has expanded markedly over the past couple of decades, little has been written specifically about white racial justice activists (and activism). This may be serving as a disconnect for white people who are trying to find their way in racial justice movement work.</p> <p>Participants were involved in one or more of the following: community organizing, education, religious work and cultural arts. Research data was primarily generated/collected through qualitative interviews, and secondarily through an examination of participant artifacts and through participant observation. The findings revealed how participants engage (and how they came to be involved) in racial justice movement work. Additional findings detailed participants’ early awareness around race and racism, as well as common tendencies of white people engaged significantly in racial justice action.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Naiman, Garrett"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"International and Multicultural Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Emma Fuentes","Shabnam Koirala-Azad","Thomas Christopher"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:40Z","subjects":["Activism","Ally","Colorblind","Racial Justice","Racism","Whiteness","Educational Sociology","Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/314","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Emma Fuentes","Shabnam Koirala-Azad","Thomas Christopher"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Naiman, Garrett"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-09-22T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["International and Multicultural Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Activism","Ally","Colorblind","Racial Justice","Racism","Whiteness","Educational Sociology","Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/314"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative study explored the practices and consciousness of eight white identified participants, born 1970 or later, who are actively engaged in racial justice action. Although the field of critical whiteness studies has expanded markedly over the past couple of decades, little has been written specifically about white racial justice activists (and activism). This may be serving as a disconnect for white people who are trying to find their way in racial justice movement work.
Participants were involved in one or more of the following: community organizing, education, religious work and cultural arts. Research data was primarily generated/collected through qualitative interviews, and secondarily through an examination of participant artifacts and through participant observation. The findings revealed how participants engage (and how they came to be involved) in racial justice movement work. Additional findings detailed participants’ early awareness around race and racism, as well as common tendencies of white people engaged significantly in racial justice action.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Plugging Into Movement Work: White Racial Justice Action in the Era of Colorblind Racism"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Emma Fuentes","Shabnam Koirala-Azad","Thomas Christopher"],"dc:creator":["Naiman, Garrett"],"dc:date.available":["2016-09-22T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative study explored the practices and consciousness of eight white identified participants, born 1970 or later, who are actively engaged in racial justice action. Although the field of critical whiteness studies has expanded markedly over the past couple of decades, little has been written specifically about white racial justice activists (and activism). This may be serving as a disconnect for white people who are trying to find their way in racial justice movement work.
Participants were involved in one or more of the following: community organizing, education, religious work and cultural arts. Research data was primarily generated/collected through qualitative interviews, and secondarily through an examination of participant artifacts and through participant observation. The findings revealed how participants engage (and how they came to be involved) in racial justice movement work. Additional findings detailed participants’ early awareness around race and racism, as well as common tendencies of white people engaged significantly in racial justice action.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/314"],"dc:subject":["Activism","Ally","Colorblind","Racial Justice","Racism","Whiteness","Educational Sociology","Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education"],"dc:title":["Plugging Into Movement Work: White Racial Justice Action in the Era of Colorblind Racism"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["International and Multicultural Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:40Z"}