'Civil Whites Act': White-Guilt Sunday Brunch Begins in Philadelphia

Organized neighborhood Sunday brunch events centered on messages of white guilt are beginning in Philadelphia. Social media and neighborhood postings have appeared in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, inviting white neighbors to come to monthly brunch to hear about white racism at Philadelphia’s London Grill.

The London Grill advertises itself as a “place to kick-back outside of the grind of center city. To guzzle Willie Sutton Ale and sip fine wine.”

The neighborhood postings state:

Hi neighbors! I’m pumped to tell you that my friend Kale Good and I are starting an anti-racist discussion group called Civil Whites Act. This is a group geared toward white people who want to learn more about racism–from the pieces of systemic racism that we were never taught, to the microaggressions we might be blind to in our daily lives. Together we will learn, discuss, and act.

The white-guilt brunch will take place the third Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. The advertisement says the Sunday brunch will involve the creation of “activism action plans” and will explore “our own experiences with race,” while discussing:

White Fragility 
Housing Discrimination
School Segregation
Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice System (including but not limited to Stop & Frisk and the War on Drugs)
Mass Incarceration
Micro-aggressions

Only whites are expected to attend the brunch, but if you are black, special accommodations are possible:

This group is for white people, as the burden of explaining racism should not fall on the shoulders of those who already carry the greatest weight. If you have questions or concerns about this, or if you’re a person of color who would like to attend, let me know and we can accommodate you. No one will be turned away.

The first white-guilt brunch is this coming Sunday, January 15. But beware, participants might have some trouble getting in. The advertisement states:

If the front door is locked when you arrive, enter through the black side-door. (or double-doors if black door is locked).  Cost is $60 for 6 months.

During Jim Crow, black customers often had to buy food from restaurants from a side-door dedicated to blacks, the historic version of a “black side-door.”

Philadelphia residents Tamar Fox and Kale Good are organizing the white-guilt socials.

Tamar Fox (from squarespace.com)

Fox’s own bio posted online states:

Tamar Fox is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She has gone hiking in Madagascar, found an abandoned synagogue in Suriname, and once got in a twitter fight with a British porn star about Holocaust films. Learn more about what Tamar is working on now at her Current Projects page. … Tamar is also an elected official. In 2014 she was elected as a city committeeperson in the 30th ward of Philadelphia, and she was later elected secretary of the 30th ward Democratic party. Tamar enjoys the finer things in life: photographing her dog, cooking elaborate meals, urban cycling, reading voraciously, and practicing yoga.

Fox is also publicizing the white-guilt brunch at Nextdoor.com, a private neighborhood bulletin board.

Fox blogs frequently about a variety or religious issues, including Judaism. She has written, for example:

There are many wonderful things to be said about Israel. The quality of the hummus at any random falafel joint in the country alone is enough to give me faith in a God who cares about Israel. . . . Its government makes some good choices (universal health care) and some terrible choices (treatment of Women of the Wall, for instance).