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Post by busy on Aug 30, 2018 18:17:33 GMT
Another observation for myself, I don't feel this anxiety to "make a good impression" or let everyone know I'm not a racist in a professional setting, only in a social or casual setting. As a nurse or patient it rarely enters my mind that I would even need to do that. That's something I never thought about or realized. Thanks again sockmonkey for starting this discussion and thanks for the links That surprises me, honestly. The research about racially disparate treatment in medical environments would make me, if I were a medical provider, probably try to bend over backwards to not appear racially-motivated in any way (to the point that I can imagine situations where it could be a problem).
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Post by dulcemama on Aug 30, 2018 18:36:15 GMT
You know, I totally get that racial inferiority/superiority are social constructs. But the idea of race its self is the struggle. I understand that there is no physical/scientific difference in the races but it seems to me that there is some type of mental/identity thing regarding race that can be very powerful and personal for people. And race is clearly a powerful force in our culture so there is something real about it. I do better if I think of it as a socially constructed reality.
And, if it helps at all, I struggle with the idea that gender is a social construct as well.
A social construct is real, but only when people in a society agree that it is real. Currency is also a social construct. If one day people stopped believing it had value, it would just be pretty pretty paper. Another example is that people have strong racial or ethnic identities but then move to countries where they aren't recognized. For example, I have Nigerian friends who are deeply attached to their Igbo identity (the way your friends are attached to their identities). But in U.S. society most people don't know Igbo from Yoruba. No government forms make those distinctions and people in this society just regard them as "black". The societal agreement makes it real.Thank you!! This puts it in a way that I understand.
I've read Chapters 1-3 but neglected to take note so I will have to go back and re-read before I comment more.
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Post by Zee on Aug 30, 2018 20:01:11 GMT
Another observation for myself, I don't feel this anxiety to "make a good impression" or let everyone know I'm not a racist in a professional setting, only in a social or casual setting. As a nurse or patient it rarely enters my mind that I would even need to do that. That's something I never thought about or realized. Thanks again sockmonkey for starting this discussion and thanks for the links That surprises me, honestly. The research about racially disparate treatment in medical environments would make me, if I were a medical provider, probably try to bend over backwards to not appear racially-motivated in any way (to the point that I can imagine situations where it could be a problem). I could see that but it's never been an issue between me, patients, caregivers, or coworkers. I've never worked with anyone who I know treated patients any differently by color (not saying it didn't happen, but I never witnessed/experienced it). We had a great workplace culture in the hospital where I worked.
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 31, 2018 22:51:22 GMT
You know, I totally get that racial inferiority/superiority are social constructs. But the idea of race its self is the struggle. I understand that there is no physical/scientific difference in the races but it seems to me that there is some type of mental/identity thing regarding race that can be very powerful and personal for people. And race is clearly a powerful force in our culture so there is something real about it. I do better if I think of it as a socially constructed reality.
And, if it helps at all, I struggle with the idea that gender is a social construct as well.
A social construct is real, but only when people in a society agree that it is real. Currency is also a social construct. If one day people stopped believing it had value, it would just be pretty pretty paper. Another example is that people have strong racial or ethnic identities but then move to countries where they aren't recognized. For example, I have Nigerian friends who are deeply attached to their Igbo identity (the way your friends are attached to their identities). But in U.S. society most people don't know Igbo from Yoruba. No government forms make those distinctions and people in this society just regard them as "black". The societal agreement makes it real. Well explained. And, you brought up an interesting point about the fact that people of color in this country are lumped into large racial groups instead of cultural groups that more closely align to their identities. Most white people probably can't tell you the differences between Igbo or Yoruba peoples (if they've ever even heard of them in the first place, because very little non-Western and even less African history is taught in most schools). This goes for Asian-Pacific Islanders as well. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a white person refer to someone who looks Asian as "Chinese," as though that is an acceptable identifier for all people of Asian descent.
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 5:09:13 GMT
I started on the Kindle version and am into Ch 2. The first was a bit of a hard read. I found myself feeling defensive, as in, am I supposed to feel bad for being white? Apologetic? LOTS of room to think here. Chapter 2 is more in line with what I know. Not a lot of time to delve into detail today but I wanted to mark my place and let you know I'm reading along! I haven't had a chance to start reading yet. I think it's ok to feel defensive... means we have work to do.
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 5:22:58 GMT
Also re: the other two types, I have never done the "I don't see color" thing. I was always keenly aware of the differences between black and white. When I was little I very much wanted to be black. I watched every black TV show I could and strongly identified with black characters on other shows. But, I was still being given the version of blackness available to white people. I was raised by liberals who made it clear that racism was bad but I certainly wasn't steered toward celebrating blackness. I just felt comforted by black faces and voices. Is that because of racist stereotypes like Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima, the kindly caretakers who just loved the white people they were enslaved by? Food for thought. The third type... Yes, I have found myself wanting black people around me to not assume I'm a racist just because I'm white and we live in Trump country. That could sometimes, I suppose, make me appear overly friendly. That's a tough one. It ends up like "ok, act natural" which isn't what I want. My best friend is a black woman and we've been friends for years. She and I don't have this uneasiness between us, obviously, but her family was a little slow to accept me as part of the group. I definitely felt like I wanted everyone to know I AM NOT A RACIST! So it feels awkward. Again, very tough thing for us to know what is the right action because we're self-cobscious about race (well, if you care at all). This is only getting worse. In the 80s and 90s I was younger and had more black friends and didn't feel the tensions the way I do now--i was actually probably just blissfully unaware. I really, really appreciate the depth of your sharing. Thank you!
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 5:27:43 GMT
Thanks very much, SockMonkey, and to all who are participating! <3
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Post by leftturnonly on Sept 1, 2018 5:50:49 GMT
I’d like to circle back to this. What did you think of DiAngelo’s inclusion of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s quote (Chapter 1): “The idea of racial inferiority was created to justify unequal treatment; belief in racial inferiority is not what triggered unequal treatment. Nor was fear of difference. As Ta-Nehisi Coates states, “But race is the child of racism, not the father.” 6 He means that first we exploited people for their resources, not according to how they looked. Exploitation came first, and then the ideology of unequal races to justify this exploitation followed.” Specifically, “Race is the child of racism, not the father.” This quote in particular really struck me, as I had not considered this framing of race as a social construct in these words. What did you think? Did this help you understand or consider the idea of race as a social construct? This is pretty much the way I see it. I have no trouble grouping people by ethnicity based on location and shared physical similarities, but the concept of dividing people by race has always stumped me a bit. Different shaped heads? No. Different color eyes or skin or hair? No. Different DNA? No. Different potential? No. Oh, you mean people from a particular location? Not necessarily. How about people that we can exploit based on a particular characteristic or set of traits that they share that we might not? That, I can understand. ETA -- An example would be the language that people are allowed to use. Slaves were not allowed to speak as their masters without facing severe punishment. That difference in language then created a shared characteristic that was different from those who wanted someone to exploit. *** Disclaimer: I don't have the book. I didn't even know about it until now.
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Post by leftturnonly on Sept 1, 2018 6:46:50 GMT
Well explained. And, you brought up an interesting point about the fact that people of color in this country are lumped into large racial groups instead of cultural groups that more closely align to their identities. Most white people probably can't tell you the differences between Igbo or Yoruba peoples (if they've ever even heard of them in the first place, because very little non-Western and even less African history is taught in most schools). This goes for Asian-Pacific Islanders as well. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a white person refer to someone who looks Asian as "Chinese," as though that is an acceptable identifier for all people of Asian descent. I am currently reading When the Future Comes Too Soon, Book 2 of the Malayan Saga by Selina Siak Chin Yoke.Japan has just invaded the Malayan Peninsula during WWII. In a land of a very diverse population, the Japanese are outright rounding up and murdering anyone who is Chinese in some of the smaller villages. Some of these Chinese families had been there for 5 generations. Many intermarried with those of other cultures and throughout the population, there were quite a few languages and dialects in use everywhere. Different groups of people got along. As I read, I've been trying to figure out what classified someone as Chinese? From what I gather, it's heritage and the language and customs that they may have still kept as well as their shared physical traits. Certainly their own self-classifications came into importance. However, even those who had adapted British customs, speech and training were still considered Chinese. I can't see any physical traits. I can't tell the ethnicity of anyone without being specifically told. To me on the outside, they are all just people. But to the invading Japanese inside the book, race divides and justifies the most brutal behavior. None of these people were white as all the Europeans had evacuated by this point. Racism isn't a white thing. It's a power thing.
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Post by sabrinae on Sept 1, 2018 12:52:06 GMT
But your ignoring the fact that white people have been the dominant group in this country and have used the power of that dominance to subjugate people of color. Yes it’s about power and exploitation, but you can’t ignore the role that the color of skin has played in that power and exploitation
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 14:05:43 GMT
Well explained. And, you brought up an interesting point about the fact that people of color in this country are lumped into large racial groups instead of cultural groups that more closely align to their identities. Most white people probably can't tell you the differences between Igbo or Yoruba peoples (if they've ever even heard of them in the first place, because very little non-Western and even less African history is taught in most schools). This goes for Asian-Pacific Islanders as well. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a white person refer to someone who looks Asian as "Chinese," as though that is an acceptable identifier for all people of Asian descent. I am currently reading When the Future Comes Too Soon, Book 2 of the Malayan Saga by Selina Siak Chin Yoke.Japan has just invaded the Malayan Peninsula during WWII. In a land of a very diverse population, the Japanese are outright rounding up and murdering anyone who is Chinese in some of the smaller villages. Some of these Chinese families had been there for 5 generations. Many intermarried with those of other cultures and throughout the population, there were quite a few languages and dialects in use everywhere. Different groups of people got along. As I read, I've been trying to figure out what classified someone as Chinese? From what I gather, it's heritage and the language and customs that they may have still kept as well as their shared physical traits. Certainly their own self-classifications came into importance. However, even those who had adapted British customs, speech and training were still considered Chinese. I can't see any physical traits. I can't tell the ethnicity of anyone without being specifically told. To me on the outside, they are all just people. But to the invading Japanese inside the book, race divides and justifies the most brutal behavior. None of these people were white as all the Europeans had evacuated by this point. Racism isn't a white thing. It's a power thing. So, there's a bit to unpack here. Racism is, especially in the United States, absolutely a white thing. As DiAngelo says in Chapter 2: Racism and White Supremacy, "When I say that only whites can be racist, I mean that in the United States, only whites have the collective social and institutional power and privilege over people of color. People of color do not have this power and privilege over white people." The white supremacist nature of our country cannot be denied. Yes, racism is absolutely about power, but whiteness is the tool for exercising that power politically, socially, and economically. There is evidence of that in hundreds (actually thousands) of years of history, both of the United States and of the world (when we consider colonization and subjugation of peoples in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East).
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 14:10:53 GMT
To those thanking me for starting this discussion, I appreciate that, but... I also ask you to reflect on the fact that members here like Olan have challenged us to do this work in the past. How have we reacted, both as a board, or as individuals? It's important for me to say that I am not the owner of this work, I didn't start it, and I need to acknowledge that. I am also drawing heavily from the work of many people of color I follow on Twitter, including Val Brown, Franchesca Ramsey, Brittany Packnett, José Luis Vilson, and many more. (I'm a little leery to share my twitter handle here, because some people on here are nuts. If you would like to DM me, if I don't think you're coo coo bananas, we can follow each other?)
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Olan
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Post by Olan on Sept 1, 2018 14:43:51 GMT
To those thanking me for starting this discussion, I appreciate that, but... I also ask you to reflect on the fact that members here like Olan have challenged us to do this work in the past. How have we reacted, both as a board, or as individuals? It's important for me to say that I am not the owner of this work, I didn't start it, and I need to acknowledge that. I am also drawing heavily from the work of many people of color I follow on Twitter, including Val Brown, Franchesca Ramsey, Brittany Packnett, José Luis Vilson, and many more. (I'm a little leery to share my twitter handle here, because some people on here are nuts. If you would like to DM me, if I don't think you're coo coo bananas, we can follow each other?) Thank you! I'm not on Twitter but my favorite Instagram feed is @for.harriet it isn't an "uber woke" feed but very informative and light. Also could you DM me your book recommendations!? I've shared them with a gym friend and she just recently asked if I had any more titles. TIA
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janeliz
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I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
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Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
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Post by janeliz on Sept 1, 2018 15:03:09 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion.
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 18:04:09 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion. Yes!!!
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 18:16:02 GMT
To those thanking me for starting this discussion, I appreciate that, but... I also ask you to reflect on the fact that members here like Olan have challenged us to do this work in the past. How have we reacted, both as a board, or as individuals? It's important for me to say that I am not the owner of this work, I didn't start it, and I need to acknowledge that. I am also drawing heavily from the work of many people of color I follow on Twitter, including Val Brown, Franchesca Ramsey, Brittany Packnett, José Luis Vilson, and many more. (I'm a little leery to share my twitter handle here, because some people on here are nuts. If you would like to DM me, if I don't think you're coo coo bananas, we can follow each other?) I don't tweet but if I did I would totally love to follow you SockMonkey! I am a Unitarian Universalist and our keynote speaker at the huge annual general assembly this past summer was Brittany Packnett. She did a fantastic job of challenging us to look deeply at ourselves. Most of us were unable to travel to be there in person, but our congregation watched her keynote address in lieu of a sermon a few weeks ago, and had a discussion afterwards. While listening, I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with her, with all of the hard facts she stated, the tough challenges she posed to us. Some in our liberal, social justice minded congregation were made to feel uncomfortable by her words. Which we later discussed was a good thing! It's the first step to "waking up" to the harsh realities of racism in our country. I had been reading black voices and trying to educate myself for 3-4 issues at that point, so I was not offended in the slightest. Here is her address if you'd like to listen. Powerful stuff. www.uua.org/ga/off-site/2018/wareOther previous folks delivering the keynote (Ware Lecture) Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. in1968 and Bryan Stevenson in 2017. Complete list:https://www.uua.org/ga/program/highlights/ware-lecture I follow Shaun King on FB and donate $27 each month to his campaign to elect progressive fair prosecutors throughout USA: www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-activist-elect-progressive-prosecutors_us_5a85b64ee4b0058d55670e4f
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Post by pb on Sept 1, 2018 18:26:57 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion. Thank you for articulating this so well. Racism is a system which benefits whites and subjugates blacks. As a white person I benefit from the system and I have to continually recognize, as such, I am a participant. My feelings that I am not a racist are not a factor in this equation. As a white person, I participate in and benefit from a racist system. Thank you for this discussion. I have taken a long break from the board and signed back in to participate. And a much belated thank you to Olan whose words and emotional labor I deeply appreciate.
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 18:32:58 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion. Thank you for articulating this so well. Racism is a system which benefits whites and subjugates blacks. As a white person I benefit from the system and I have to continually recognize, as such, I am a participant. My feelings that I am not a racist are not a factor in this equation. As a white person, I participate in and benefit from a racist system. Thank you for this discussion. I have taken a long break from the board and signed back in to participate. And a much belated thank you to Olan whose words and emotional labor I deeply appreciate. YES to all of the above!! You, too, are very articulate pb!!
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 22:10:33 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion. Oooh, yes. So much. And this book (along with Ijeoma Oluo's) has given me the tools to understand that my family and I have benefitted from this system for generations. That chapter on White Supremacy... A thing. So many of us want to consider racism as individual acts, and white supremacy as organizations like the Klan, when white supremacy is a system of power that has been in place since before the United States became a country. And for our overseas readers, white supremacy is a system that has benefitted colonizers for thousands of years. The stats in Chapter 2: - Ten richest Americans: 100% white - Congress: 90% white - Governors: 96% white - Top military advisers: 100% white - US House Freedom Caucus: 99% white - Current US Cabinet: 91% white - People who decide which TV shows we see: 93% white - People who decide which books we read: 90% white - People who decide which news is covered: 85% white - People who decide which music is produced: 95% white - People who directed the one hundred top grossing films of all time, world-wide: 95% white - Teachers: 82% white - Full time college profs: 85% white - Owners of men's professional football teams: 97% white (from " The Faces of American Power, Nearly as White as the Oscar Nominees," New York Times, February 26, 2016) That's white supremacy in action. Don't apologize for jumping in! Welcome, and thank you for discussing. I notice that only a few voices are popping up on this thread. Don't be afraid to ask questions, friends, if you're lurking/reading. Yes, we might expose our ignorance, our biases, but if we don't start doing that, how can we do better? Let's get uncomfortable.
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 22:11:26 GMT
To those thanking me for starting this discussion, I appreciate that, but... I also ask you to reflect on the fact that members here like Olan have challenged us to do this work in the past. How have we reacted, both as a board, or as individuals? It's important for me to say that I am not the owner of this work, I didn't start it, and I need to acknowledge that. I am also drawing heavily from the work of many people of color I follow on Twitter, including Val Brown, Franchesca Ramsey, Brittany Packnett, José Luis Vilson, and many more. (I'm a little leery to share my twitter handle here, because some people on here are nuts. If you would like to DM me, if I don't think you're coo coo bananas, we can follow each other?) Thank you! I'm not on Twitter but my favorite Instagram feed is @for.harriet it isn't an "uber woke" feed but very informative and light. Also could you DM me your book recommendations!? I've shared them with a gym friend and she just recently asked if I had any more titles. TIA Thank you for the rec! I will check her out. I'll send you a message with what I've read and what's on my list to read!
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Post by flanz on Sept 1, 2018 23:09:43 GMT
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 23:13:08 GMT
No, no. please share outside resources. Yes, generational wealth is a THING. And so is the pay gap!
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Post by SockMonkey on Sept 1, 2018 23:20:03 GMT
A related twitter thread on white women's role in white supremacy (and not just conservative white women):
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Post by dulcemama on Sept 2, 2018 15:13:20 GMT
O.K. I'm going to have to ask you all to bear with me a little here because I'm initially going to come off sounding like I think I'm some kind of saint regarding race but I want to give you all some background of where I'm coming from before digging in deeper.
I grew up in a pretty much all white rural area in Wisconsin and we were fairly insulated from issues of race. I don't remember my parents sending any message about race, positive or negative other than to treat everyone around them with respect. My parents were pretty careful about what we saw on t.v. so I didn't see many of the negative stereotypes in the media. In fact, the first messages about race I remember receiving were from Sesame Street and Mister Rogers. The first negative messages I remember receiving came when we were shown an anti-drug movie in middle school and all the overdose victims were black. Although I later learned that there were plenty of racist people in my town, it was not something that was blatant in the circles my family moved in when I was young. I understand that there is a racial hierarchy in society but it is not something that I personally feel.
So, moving from there.
Colorblind Racism: I don't pretend not to notice race but I struggle with how to engage with race. I still live in an area that is largely white so do not have a lot of experience of the cultural and social differences between races other than what is available through the media. If I am not specifically thinking about it, I assume that my experience is universal, evidenced by the fact that I don't think of myself as a white person, just a person.
- Aversive Racism: I don't avoid conversations about race like we are having now but I do avoid calling out racism when I see or hear it. I hate confrontation but this is specifically about the uncomfortableness of racial conversations. I work with adults with disabilities and have no problem calling out someone who is disrespectful to one of the people I work with. But race is so charged that I fear for my safety if I were to call out racism. And as a white person, I am able to retreat to my own little bubble and not have to worry about it. - Cultural Racism: When I come into contact with POC, I worry that I will say or do something "wrong" and will therefore be seen as racist. But this sort of assumes that POC will be unreasonable in dealing with white people. And why shouldn't they be. It's not like whites have been all that reasonable with them. So then there is that white defensiveness - "I never did anything to you" therefore I'm not responsible. But I am at least somewhat responsible because of the privileged place in society.
And as to privilege, it's something that I know I have but am not always aware of the ways it manifests its self.
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Post by dulcemama on Sept 2, 2018 15:27:02 GMT
A related twitter thread on white women's role in white supremacy (and not just conservative white women): I find this really interesting. I think that white women have a fairly precarious place in the social hierarchy, depending on the issue. Overall, I think their place is below white men but above black men, but this is somewhat dependent on white women being seen as being the jurisdiction of white men. As capable, individuals with agency, I think they fall below black men in many circles. Many years ago, before Obama, I had commented to DH that I thought we would see a black man as president before we would see a woman, and sure enough, that's what happened.
All that to say, perhaps this is white women's way of cementing and in some ways elevating their position in the social hierarchy.
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moodyblue
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Post by moodyblue on Sept 2, 2018 16:46:35 GMT
Apologies for jumping in without touching on any prior questions or discussions in this thread. I’m moving slowly through the chapters, as I keep stopping to highlight passages and then I stop and go look something up, etc. The author makes a point early on in the book that I think many people miss when they discuss racism in America. And that’s the basic understanding of racism as a complex, interconnected system. I’ve found, here on this board and in my real life, that many people see racism only as individual acts and microaggressions. “I don’t see color/use the N-word/I have a black friend so therefore racism is not a problem to me.” Then the self-protection that the author often references kicks in and it’s almost impossible to continue the discussion. Oooh, yes. So much. And this book (along with Ijeoma Oluo's) has given me the tools to understand that my family and I have benefitted from this system for generations. That chapter on White Supremacy... A thing. So many of us want to consider racism as individual acts, and white supremacy as organizations like the Klan, when white supremacy is a system of power that has been in place since before the United States became a country. And for our overseas readers, white supremacy is a system that has benefitted colonizers for thousands of years. The stats in Chapter 2: - Ten richest Americans: 100% white - Congress: 90% white - Governors: 96% white - Top military advisers: 100% white - US House Freedom Caucus: 99% white - Current US Cabinet: 91% white - People who decide which TV shows we see: 93% white - People who decide which books we read: 90% white - People who decide which news is covered: 85% white - People who decide which music is produced: 95% white - People who directed the one hundred top grossing films of all time, world-wide: 95% white - Teachers: 82% white - Full time college profs: 85% white - Owners of men's professional football teams: 97% white (from " The Faces of American Power, Nearly as White as the Oscar Nominees," New York Times, February 26, 2016) That's white supremacy in action. Don't apologize for jumping in! Welcome, and thank you for discussing. I notice that only a few voices are popping up on this thread. Don't be afraid to ask questions, friends, if you're lurking/reading. Yes, we might expose our ignorance, our biases, but if we don't start doing that, how can we do better? Let's get uncomfortable. Thanks for sharing those stats - it's one thing to see one or two of them but seeing this whole list has much more impact. I'm guessing there could be even more eye-opening statistics that aren't listed here.
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Post by Zee on Sept 5, 2018 21:59:45 GMT
I don't want to step on any toes and start the Week 2 thread. I've actually read ahead to Ch. 9, so I'm way ahead of where I thought I would be what with school and new job and all that. I'm not going to post a long post here but as you move forward in your reading, do so thinking about the Colin K thread right here on 2peas and the whole Nike thing. I feel sure the author would have a lot to say about the backlash Nike is facing as well as the support they are receiving.
I can't think of a current better example of "white fragility" as the author defines it than the transformation of Colin into an anti-American flag hater rather than a peaceful protester of violence against black lives. Our reading is VERY timely right now.
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,368
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Sept 6, 2018 1:48:30 GMT
I don't want to step on any toes and start the Week 2 thread. I've actually read ahead to Ch. 9, so I'm way ahead of where I thought I would be what with school and new job and all that. I'm not going to post a long post here but as you move forward in your reading, do so thinking about the Colin K thread right here on 2peas and the whole Nike thing. I feel sure the author would have a lot to say about the backlash Nike is facing as well as the support they are receiving. I can't think of a current better example of "white fragility" as the author defines it than the transformation of Colin into an anti-American flag hater rather than a peaceful protester of violence against black lives. Our reading is VERY timely right now. I’m still working on Chapter 3.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 24, 2019 11:33:07 GMT
Bump
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