history

Widerstand Consulting began in 2000 by Dr. Tobin Miller Shearer to work with organizations across the country that were struggling with a divisive moment in our history.  The organization drew upon three decades of experience to provide training and consulting to a broad range of non-profit and for-profit organizations, including those focused on social services.   Since its founding, Widerstand has helped  a broad range of organizations dismantle deep-seated, internal structural barriers, and create a healthier environment for all.

Widerstand's staff consist of people from disparate cultures and ethnic groups, including those from the Global Majority. Many of our consultants have worked in this field as consultants, trainers, and reviewers/auditors for more than thirty years, led hundreds of relevant training sessions, and worked with a wide range of non-profit and for-profit organizations.

The word “widerstand” - German for “resistance” - was chosen to honor our founder’s family history and to evoke the idea of a wider stand against racism, captured so beautifully in the logo developed by Liz Song Mandell. We also honor the anti-racist white caucus members who used the same name for our group in the late 1990s.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as designated by the IRS.