Welcome, New Ancestor!
From the board room, to the staff meeting, to the kitchen table we face so many situations that ask us to be leaders for racial justice. As white people, we may be unsure of ourselves, feel it's too risky, feel stuck or worry that we don’t have credibility and will be seen as overstepping. Unfortunately, when we hesitate or pull back from the conversation, we can send a message that we don’t understand structural racism, or that racial justice is not a high priority for us.
Since the summer of 2020, we’ve been gathering small groups of white people to practice racial justice leadership in our work and personal lives.
This program is for you if you are looking for community, skills, and strategies to center racial justice more clearly and consistently in your life.
Over 6 sessions, we will work together to:
Identify your personal lens
Lead from a racial justice vision that is unique to you but grounded in essential truths
Advance equity in your sphere
Receive support and accountability to transform your community and professional work
Mediate conflicts and give feedback
Practice how to strengthen relationships across lines of race and power
Practice care rooted in justice
Change harmful systems and culture by prioritizing trust, balance, and joy
Join Us Online for our Winter/Spring 2025 Mixed Gender Cohorts!
Session meetings:
- Session 1: February 6, 1-3pm ET
- Session 2: February 20, 1-3pm ET
- Session 3: March 6, 1-3pm ET
- Session 4: March 20, 1-3pm ET
- Session 5: April 3, 1-3pm ET
- Session 6: April 17, 1-3pm ET
Creating inclusive spaces for all genders!
Previously, our cohorts were separated by gender identity, but we've since recognized the importance of creating spaces where all genders can participate together. Therefore, our groups now include all genders, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.
Use coupon code "ANCESTOR15" (without the quotes) to save 15% if you sign up by December 31!
Interested in learning more? Contact me for more information.
We will personally follow up with you. (No spamming.)
Or Schedule a 30-minute chat.
Schedule a ChatEvangeline Weiss, founder
For the last 25 years, I have designed leadership development programs for non-profits, universities and business. From Duke University to the National LGBTQ Task Force, to Etsy and Wake Forest Baptist Health, I have brought my DEI expertise and my passion for group dynamics, movement building and the role of power privilege and oppression to the question of organizational culture building. My consulting business focuses on helping teams live into their values, center racial and gender justice, and build cultures of joyful accountability. More about me on LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the program cost?
I have already read a lot about racism. How will this group be different?
Why is it important to have a group just for white people?
Who else will be in the group?
How much reading and prep work will I be expected to complete?
What will I be able to do after I complete this program?
In the Words of Past Participants
Kelsey — Strategy and Evaluation Officer
"I was in a group with women who had very different roles - from school administrator, to the head of an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, to a strategy office in a big philanthropy. Because Evangeline created a safe space, we were all able to bring in practical struggles and work through them together. I have done a lot of anti-racism work in my career and this was by far the most useful and practical experience I have had."
Joanna Goddard — Founder, Cup of Jo
"I've always tried to be a thoughtful and inclusive leader. But I felt like I was stumbling around in the dark, unsure how to approach certain things (like talking directly about race with our diverse team) and afraid to get something wrong. Evangeline and Juliet showed us beautiful, ethical ways to approach work, parenting, relationships and life overall. I am so much more confident as a manager after this course and fluidly putting the learnings into practice."
Dan Cramer
“The New Ancestors group helped open my eyes AND my heart. It also helped me develop concrete frameworks for confronting white and male supremacy culture that I now can use every day.”
Sean Taylor — Technology and Instructional Consultant
"Evangeline created a space where we as men could come to trust one another deeply. I could relax my defenses and share my real fears and grief and hope about my life and the world. I left with a group of men I love and continue meeting with more than a year later."
Julie Johnson McVeigh — Fresh Pond Capital
"New Ancestors provided something I didn’t know I was missing. It was an intimate circle of mirrors with brilliant, compassionate guides. I had been approaching racial justice cognitively. New Ancestors allowed my body to heal because I could uncover the racism it held from my parents, grandparents and earlier ancestors. I had cognitively long divorced from the racism and it was and still lives in my body."
Kate — Non-Profit Executive Search
"I was struggling to find a space where I could explore my identity, hang-ups, and growth edges as a white woman. In my professional life I was primarily working with people of color, who I could not burden with my journey. New Ancestors has given me a group of women who will support and challenge me. It’s a space to dig deep, work through specific issues, and be in community with other racially-conscious white women."
Kyle Megrath
"What made this gathering special for me was the opportunity to connect authentically and genuinely with other men in ways that supported and challenged us towards change. Beyond that, Evangeline was an amazing facilitator of the group and each one-on-one helped me grow and expand immensely. All of that added up to a deep and meaningful shift in how I show up as a white man working towards a more loving, nurturing, collaborative, and anti-racist way of being."
Beth Shipp —
Executive Director,
Mothers Out Front
"If you are questioning your place as a white woman in the work of racial justice, I would strongly encourage you to sign up. Being able to openly discuss where I'm struggling in my whiteness and how to align my values with my social justice work has been a game-changer for me and dare I say, for my staff, too. When I can spend time building my own skillset and approach to racial justice without the fear of 'getting it wrong' or 'messing it up'? That's when I know collective liberation is possible in my organization."