An element of white privilege is the ability to see white people as normal and all others as different-from-normal. White people express this privilege in many ways, such as: 1)Using the experience of a white person as true for everyone 2) Reinserting oneself into the conversation if we feel it has drifted to focus on a person of color or an issue of other’s race.
3) The ability to define the parameters of “appropriate” conversation and communication, keeping white culture, manners, and language central. All of these things are inherently oppressive
Asking why people of color always focus on the negative. Comments may be given inflated worth based on an individual’s white privilege. Enormous damage can be done . Connect to the Discharge theory.
It’s important that you discern for yourself while not disempowering them for having a different point of view. Consider the dynamics from a complex perspective. This will allow for a richer understanding and a collaboration across race. Don’t feel held hostage to diversity issues for fear of being bad, wrong or criticized.
Let’s take a look at some contemporary examples around implications of whiteness and white privilege. And I’ll ask you to self-examine the lens in which you view interactions with..
We all are familiar with the incident with Dr. Henry Louis Gates being arrested for ‘disorderly conduct’ after the Cambridge arrived from a report of a potential break-in. Take a moment, ask yourself “What if Dr. Gates was white?” Write down ur response
In 1997 Morgan Freeman originally offered to pay for an integrated prom at this high school in Mississippi. He received pushback from the local school board and parents. It wasn’t until 2008 until they accepted his offer and even did parent’s still stressed that there be a White prom, and they had one. How do you reconcile an educational system perpetuating racist attitudes toward difference and enforcing this system on a whole town of people. For the most part against many of the students own volition.
We must be prepared to do the work, and everyone won’t like you for it. But…. Shift in responsibility: It is a burden to carry these issues, what feels like alone. Diversity work is the work of everyone rather than a person of color’s problem or their sole area of expertise
My group and I were particularly inspired by the research Dr.Mosby did with black students in Community Colleges. In his research he spoke of this duality of role that these men were experiencing. I have a poem that I will share with you all today, which speaks exactly to this point. I’d like to preface it by saying that the piece uses the N word. It is done in a very deliberate way to illustrate a very important point. I hope it won’t be a distraction for anyone.
We have given you a lot of information tonight. And I’d like for everyone to take a moment, be still and quiet and sit with your thoughts for a moment. Thinking about all of what we have discussed thus far. I ask you now, what is your social responsibility to understand whiteness and white privilege? (LIGHTS WILL BE OFF DURING THIS TIME)
