Quiz: How White Aware Are You?

MY RESULT: CONTACT In the first stage of awareness of White identity, individuals adhere to the "colorblind" motto. They see racial differences, but do not find it necessary. In fact, they may feel that racism is continued by the discussion and acknowledgment of race as an issue. In this stage, there is no conscious demonstration of racism. However, this seemingly non-racist position often covers unconscious racist beliefs. If the individual is confronted with real-world experiences or knowledge that uncovers the privileges of White skin, they may move into the next stage, disintegration.

MY RESULT: DISINTEGRATION In this stage, individuals have new experiences that confront their prior conceptions of the world. Because this new information or experiences feel challenging, the individuals are often plagued by feelings of guilt and shame. These emotions of guilt and shame can be transformed when the person decides to channel these emotions positively. However, when those emotions continue to dominate, the person may regress into the reintegration stage.

MY RESULT: REINTEGRATION This stage is marked by a "blame-the-victim" attitude that's more intense than anything experienced in the contact stage. Individuals may feel that, although Whites do have some privileges, they probably deserve them and are, in some ways, superior to minority groups. If the person can combat these feelings of shame, guilt, defensiveness, or superiority, they may be able to move on to the next stage of a positive white identity. However, many well-meaning white people get stuck in this negative identity when the pain of racial injustice feels confusing or overwhelming.

MY RESULT: PSEUDO-INDEPENDENCE This is the first stage of positive White racial identification. Although an individual in this stage does not feel that Whites deserve privilege, they look to people of color, not themselves, to confront and uncover racism. They approve of these efforts and feel comforted because these efforts validate this person's desire to be non-racist. Although this is a positive White racial identity, the person does not have a sense of how they can be both White and non-racist at the same time.

MY RESULT: IMMERSION/EMERSION In this stage, the person makes a genuine attempt to connect to his/her own White identity and to be antiracist. This stage is usually accompanied by a deep concern with understanding and relating to other Whites who are or have been dealing with issues of racism.

MY RESULT: AUTONOMY The last stage is reached when an individual has a clear understanding of and positive connection to their White racial identity while also actively pursuing social justice. Helms's stages of White racial identity are about finding a positive racial identity as White while becoming an active anti-racist. These individuals have found that balance, even as they stay open and recognize there is always more to learn.