About
Just months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of storytellers from the Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia chapters of Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) set out to document the work of a process called Deep Canvass. Launched in 2016 in several pilot areas of the U.S., Deep Canvass at SURJ is a long-term, research-based strategy in which we initiate meaningful conversations with other white folks at the doors about the harms of white supremacy and anti-black racism. Deep canvassing creates non-judgemental spaces to encourage reflection and to allow people to process their thoughts and experiences around racism. The documentary “Reckoning with Whiteness: Conversations” follows the unfolding of a Deep Canvass day in the words of both the trainers and canvassers.
Deep Canvass is grounded in the belief that what moves people into action is sharing stories and emotional connections that slowly change our perspectives. It gives white people an opportunity to connect with people they normally distance themselves from and identify their stake in being part of a multi-racial movement for racial justice.
Producer Connie Rinehart is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker with more than 30 years of documentary experience. She brings to life compelling, character-driven stories focusing on the human experience. Her films have aired on Discovery Channel and National Geographic Television. Propelled to take action to counter the rise of white supremacy and systemic racism, Connie joined the Deep Canvass community at SURJ DC in 2017.
Production Team: Tyler Benjamin, Thomas Day Harper, Maria J. Stephan
Check out this teaser! See the full documentary at https://youtu.be/QV18rULCci8
Learning Resources
Deep Canvass:
Deep canvassing for the Reform LA Jails campaign: “Doin’ the Work” Podcast episode featuring a White People 4 Black Lives LA organizer
Vox article about deep canvass, including research and examples
Deep canvassing about non-discrimination protections for transgender people: video of actual canvass conversation
Deep canvassing to influence electoral politics: Rolling Stone article and People's Action website
Deep canvassing to increase support for LGBTQ+ non-discrimination laws (New York Times, clicking will count as one free article)
Deep canvassing to increase support for more humane immigration policies, PDF
Deep Canvass Institute website
Reparations:
Resources from M4BL’s “Reparations June” 2021:
Reparations for housing and economic racism IG Live with Dr. Andre Perry.
Reparations Now! Toolkit to explore reparations locally.
Reparations resource page with all the incredible studies, papers, and projects that helped inform their month of awareness and action.
“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates [Atlantic, clicking will count as 1 of 3 free articles per month]
“Ta-Nehisi Coates Revisits the Case for Reparations” by the New Yorker
BIPOC-Led organizing in our area:
SURJ homes for white people working for justice and against racism:
Action Resources
Learn: check out the resources above
Share: Share the documentary and this page https://tinyurl.com/deepcanvass
Join! If you’re a white person, find a home for organizing for racial justice, whether a SURJ chapter or a local organization near you.
Email surjdc@gmail.com with questions