EquitAble Beyond Shame and Blame with Jay Coen Gilbert
8 snips
May 4, 2026 Jay Coen Gilbert, social entrepreneur and B Corp co-founder now leading White Men for Racial Justice, discusses engaging white men in racial and economic justice. He reflects on personal turning points and the shift from business to justice. Conversation covers building vulnerability and community, changing cultural mental models, storytelling over stats, and practical approaches to noticing and interrupting bias.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Small Elite Holds Most Power While Many White Men Suffer
- Wealth and power concentrate in a very small group of mostly white men while the vast majority of white men also suffer under the same system.
- Jay Coen Gilbert frames this as a dual truth that requires bringing white men across classes into conversations on racial and economic justice.
Culture Drives Policy Durability
- Cultural mental models determine which policies persist and which rights erode over time.
- Jay argues policy gains (like civil rights laws) are fragile unless underlying attitudes and worldviews change.
Build Vulnerable Spaces For White Men To Heal
- Create spaces where white men can be vulnerable, tell the truth about pain, and name where that pain originates.
- Jay recommends shifting focus from shame/blame to building care among men so they can direct energy at those consolidating harm from above.