People's Institute The People's Institute was founded in 1980 by two African-American community organizers, Ron Chisolm and Jim Dunn. The People's Institute is best known for its Undoing Racism trainings that challenge participants to “analyze the structures of power and privilege that hinder social equity and [prepare] them to be effective organizers for justice.” The People's Institute has nine core organizing principles: • Undoing racism • Learning from history • Sharing culture • Maintaining accountability • Developing leadership • Networking – building a “net” that works • Undoing Internalized Racial Oppression (internalized racial inferiority and internalized racial superiority) • Anti-racist gatekeeping • Undoing manifestations of institutional racism, including militarism as applied racism One distinction between the People's Institute and many other groups is that they believe racism is the primary “ism” in our country and other “isms” are secondary. The definition of racism used by the People's Institute is “power + privilege.” With this definition, the People's Institute posits all white people as racist by definition. The problem of racism is defined with “whites, and the institutional power that they hold, as antagonists. PI also focuses its workshops towards people who are already working at progressive social change (e.g., educators in poor communities, peace activists, social service agencies and churches), since their project is the Undoing of Racism in these more subtle areas, rather than targeting overt hate groups like the KKK” (Brown, 2001, p. 57). Whites are taught in the Undoing Racism trainings that they need to develop authentic relationships with people of color to whom they are accountable (Brown, 2001). They are also taught that it is their role to work in their own white communities. European Dissent is a program of the People's Institute for white antiracists to “explore ways to practice The People's Institute principles in their personal, social, family and work lives.” References O'Brien, Eileen. (2001). Whites Confront Racism: Antiracists and Their Paths to Action. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
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