Women wanting to learn more about ethnicity and the privileges of being white can attend a workshop Saturday that focuses on these issues.

The workshop, titled “Women Understanding Whiteness and Unraveling Racism” is based on a book by Judy Helfand and Laurie Lippin, titled “Understanding Whiteness/Unraveling Racism: Tools for the Journey.” Helfand will be the keynote speaker at the conference, said Erin Hughes, junior in anthropology and coordinator of the event.

Hughes is bringing Helfand and the workshop to campus with help from the Women’s Enrichment Fund, which is financed through the ISU Foundation. The grant is designed to help create programs that enrich the experiences of women on the ISU campus.

“We want to provoke thought and conversation about race and ethnicity,” Hughes said.

Penny Rice, director for the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, said she saw Helfand speak at a conference in Miami and was inspired.

“Her presentation moved me,” Rice said.

Rice said she is excited for the workshop and feels it encourages women to think about their lost ethnicity, as well as the privileges that come with being white. She said she felt women sometimes better understand oppression issues, but that men are still welcome at the conference.

“They won’t be targeted,” Rice said.

She said she hopes to have students, staff, faculty and members of the community there.

“This is a way for beginning to change the community,” she said.

Hughes said the workshop consists of participants being broken up into groups of approximately five women, where they will have the opportunity to ask questions and have a dialogue concerning issues surrounding race and ethnicity.

“I’m really excited about it,” Hughes said. “I think it’s really important. I want for it to affect the right people. I think it’ll be eye-opening to white women, although its not an exclusive event.”

The Multicultural Task Force and the Student Union Board, as well as the women’s center, are sponsoring the workshop, Hughes said. Other organizations helping with promotion and volunteering are the YWCA of Ames, Time for Peace, the Student Health Advisory Committee, got ignorance? and the women’s studies program.

The workshop will be held in from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. Lunch will be provided for the first 200 participants.