By Love Isn’t Enough columnist Josie Amoury
I am a white, female physician, mother of two white boys. Over the last year, I have been working with a black, male anti-racist scholar and educator I met through my children’s school. We have developed a discussion series for parents on how to talk to children about social justice issues such as racial identity and privilege. Recently, a parent facilitator at another local private school emailed my colleague to ask if he would come to their school to facilitate a discussion on racism for a group of mostly white parents. She sent links to two videos they planned to use to stimulate the discussion. He sent the email on to me to see what I thought and if I would be interested in co-facilitating the discussion.
The videos were from a show called “What Would You Do?” which is described by its creator, ABC news, as “a hidden camera, ethical dilemma series [which] puts ordinary people on the spot.” The two sample episodes were 1. A bakery in which the counter person refuses to serve and is verbally abusive of a woman in a head scarf, and 2. A park where a group of white teenage boys and then a group of black teenage boys damages and sprays graffiti on an old car. The counter person, the woman with head scarf and the teenagers creating the scenarios are all actors. The “ordinary people” put “on the spot” are the people who happen to be in the bakery or the park, and it is their reactions to the event which are recorded and judged.
In these two episodes most of the ordinary people are white, and they do not behave well. No one comes to the defense of the woman in the head scarf, even as she is maligned for her attire, her assumed religion and is called a terrorist. The number of people calling 911 to report the black youth is 10x those who call when the white teenagers trash the car. In fact, two people even call 911 to report that the family members of one of the black actors, who are sleeping in a car in a separate section of the park, “look like they are getting ready for a robbery.”
After viewing these episodes, we decided we would not use them to frame a discussion of racial identity and racism with white parents. While they do provide examples for those white viewers who are completely naïve about the ongoing presence of discrimination, they paralyze the conversation in a good white/ bad white dichotomy and promote the idea that individual anti-racist action is about “acting nice.”
The goal of the series is to get the viewer to think through what she would do in a similar situation, with hope that the viewer will act in a socially just manner. To do this, the series implicitly criticizes the bystanders who do nothing in the face of injustice or act out of a racist framework, inviting the viewer to criticize them as well. Because these are contrived scenarios with paid actors, they reinforce that idea that racist behavior among whites is an unusual occurrence that is only brought out in extreme situations such as observing illegal acts of vandalism or dramatic verbal harrassment. This agrees with the perceptions of most white Americans who believe that they are neither racist nor capable of racist behavior, and that racism is no longer a significant factor in the lives of people of color.
Does observing the unintended racist behaviors of ordinary people provoke insight for white viewers? Discussing racial issues is an anxiety provoking experience for a majority of white people. We know from the work of psychologist Claude Steele regarding stereotype threat that, “the prospect of an inter-racial conversation on a racially sensitive topic [makes] white participants mindful of the whites-as-racists stereotype,” and fearful of confirming that stereotype,[1] enough to affect their behavior and thinking. White parents viewing these scenarios in the context of a discussion on racism, faced with the ever-present possibility of confirming a racist stereotype themselves by “saying or doing the wrong thing,” are less likely to think, “Wow, I could be cowardly or racist just like that.” More likely, they will distance themselves psychologically from the white bystanders of the videos. These ordinary people on TV are now “bad whites” who display racist behavior or fail to stop injustice, and the white viewer can lean back, congratulate herself on her lack of prejudice, and avoid any further discussions during which her “good (non-racist) white” self image might be challenged. In this way, racism is reinforced as the individual actions or beliefs of a few prejudiced, possibly poorly educated, white people, and the viewer can be assured she is non-racist as long as she behaves well with people of color.
What is lost in this exercise is any perspective on the institutional aspect of white racism, a system of advantage based on race. Most white people would agree that institutional racism existed in the past in the form of slavery and Jim Crow, but few would be able to identify examples of overt institutional racism active today, such as gerrymandering, housing discrimination, the resegregation of public schools, and differential sentencing along racial lines. Even fewer would be able to identify examples of passive institutional racism, in which racism is the outcome if not the intention of the system at hand. Examples of this passive institutional racism include IQ testing, mono-cultural and mono-racial textbooks and interpretations of history, and a health care system which allows racial health disparities to persist.
For many white Americans, acknowledging the presence and influence of institutional racism in our present day means re-examining and finding wanting many trusted beliefs. These include equality and justice for all, meritocracy and the belief that discrimination is on the decline. It also leads to an introduction to white privilege, the unearned benefits of being perceived as white. This process is extremely distressing and can produce powerful emotions of denial, guilt and hostility in many whites. In fact, the distress of this realization causes many whites to retreat further into their white privilege and blame people of color for the effects of racism. However, if the participant can persevere, a crucial transformation shifts the terms of the conversation. No longer is racism the behavior of a few marginal whites, but a pervasive system in which all Americans have been raised and acculturated. Like smog in the air, we have breathed it in, it is lodged inside us, and we are breathing it out on each other. So there are no longer categories of “good non-racist” whites and “bad racist” whites- just whites who are more or less aware of their racism and of the need to actively resist it.
Beverly Daniel Tatum describes it best in her book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”
I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt. The person engaged in active racist behavior has identified with white supremacy and is moving with it. Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around, unwilling to go to the same destination as the white supremacists. But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt -unless they are actively anti-racist- they will find themselves carried along with the others.[2]
When a white participant in a diversity discussion is willing and able to acknowledge the racism she has internalized by the very process of being acculturated in the Unites States, there is no longer a need to project the dreaded racist behavior on other “bad whites.” She can begin to be aware of and take responsibility for her unintended racist behavior such as micro aggressions, colorblindness, coded racial language, ignorance of the history of people of color and avoidance of difficult race related issues. Identifying these passive forms of individual racism too early in the discussion often leads to defensiveness. However, when an understanding of institutional racism and the ubiquitous nature of white racism is present, the identification of individual passive racism can inspire a white participant to a journey towards becoming anti-racist.
While this hidden camera series is intended to improve race relations in America, and I assume is produced with good intentions in addition to the desire to make money, I contend that it promotes a false good white/bad white dichotomy which paralyses the development of anti-racism in white Americans. At best it reinforces the ineffective status quo, and at worst it acts as a red herring to hide the overwhelming influence of institutional racism.
[1] Claude M. Steele, Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us. WW Norton & Co. 2010, p203.
[2] Beverly Daniel Tatum, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Basic Books, 1997, pp. 11-12
This article was very enlightening and thought provoking. I enjoyed reading it because it not only made points for the reader to consider and ponder, but it offered solutions! I would like to receive future articles and other info via email. Thank you for your efforts in eradicating this “disease” known as racism.
Yes! In so many ways, you hit the nail on the head! Thnak you!
I’m white but I’m kinda in a place right now where I feel like, no, actually, White people do need to see and confront that they _individually_ are racist (or at the very least if we want to sugar-coat it that they individually exhibit racist behaviours and thinking.) Not that I think institutional racism is unimportant or that it shouldn’t be discussed with White people. Far from it. But I really think that ultimately White people need to confront their own individual racism, exactly so as to stop them from distancing themselves from the “Bad Whites.” Yeah, maybe publicly they would check their statements to protect their image and their self-image, but I think it is also important that they have opportunities to confront their own individual racism. Maybe these videos aren’t the best way to create that opportunity, I dunno.
it seems to me that whenever there’s too much discussion of the smog of institutional racism, I’ve noticed a lot of navel-gazing and responsibility deflection by White people. How active are most people, for example, in individually acting against literal smog, climate change …. People start to figure that they have no individual power so it’s up to the “institutions” – government, industry, …. – to fix things. Far from breaking down the dichotomy, I think focussing too much on institution racism enables White people to continue thinking of themselves as “Good Whites.” They may gain some insight into the racial privilege they have in common with the “Bad Whites” but the WIWL don’t gain insight into the bad behaviour/thinking that they also DO have in common with the “Bad Whites.”
I guess you need both. And maybe the institutional stuff does need to come first so as to broaden White people’s definition of racism so that they can later include themselves in that definition (and it is amazing how many WP will fight tooth and nail that a narrow definition of racism, i.e., not prejudice plus power, is necessary to maintain meaning for “lay people.”) But I’m still sure that lots of so-called White anti-racists never really point the finger away from the institutions and back at themselves.
Also: If people are interested, there is an old post about the videos mentioned on Stuff White People Do: here for the car one. I agree the contrivedness of the hidden camera is excuse-inviting but the unscripted results with the sleeping friends/family is really telling. I know that I’ve seen the bakery one, too, but I can’t find it. Maybe I watched it at the ABC site? It did have a clip though where one young White woman did stand up to the employees. But then it went all WWT in the subsequent interview, so maybe that’s no good, too.
Josie, you raise some really good points, and I don’t necessarily disagree with your decision not to use the videos.
But can you please speak to this point: what about white people who refuse to believe there’s any racism in the US any longer? There are well-intentioned people who have bought the line that we are living in a post-racial America. I think these videos can shock some white people into seeing that there is, in fact, still racism in the US. These videos make it impossible to ignore.
Also, I do wonder if it’s a mistake to assume white people in the group would identify with the white people in the scenarios. Indeed, it might help make them allies of people of color, who are often the only people who truly “see” what’s going on.
Wow, I really like this analysis. Thank you.
That really puts in some concrete terms what goes on. I have unfriended so many people this year because i just couldn’t stand their obstinate, ignorant remarks that were the proverbial man/woman standing still on the racism conveyor belt. I’m a white male who used to think similar to some of these folks (about institutionalized racism e.i. that it didn’t exist anymore, etc.) before so why do those people (white conservative) so get under my skin. Why do I find it so frustrating to communicate effectively with such people? That is the question I would like answered. I would like to move forward how I deal with my white status quo relationships because some of them are un-avoidable i.e. family, co-workers and may not ever change.
Thank you for your article.
While I am unsure if any individual can “prove” to anyone else they are not racist, I can say that actions do speak louder than words. I can also state that people surrounding themselves with others of like kind is a common evolutionary practice. Unfortunately, this is such a common occurrence that many live in fear of the unknown, as many of their lives are controlled with fear of the unknown and generalizations that have racist undertones.
I have always considered myself to be white. My wife is white, our kids are white, and we live in an extremely white part of the country. I have also lived in areas that were more culturally and racially diverse. I have always chosen not to let fear control my conversations or actions when speaking to someone who is of a different race or color.
It might be a small thing, but my wife and I shuttle our son 5 days a week to an area where he is the only white participant on his sports team. It’s not because we want hi exposed, it’s simply they have the best and most caring coaches and instruction. However, having our son have meaningful friendships with other races and not recognize anyone as different has been excellent for him and us. In addition to this, he told us he wished his skin could be darker. It brought a sincere chuckle, but showed us what it may feel like for people of other races in an almost all white community.
That was our process up until 4 weeks ago when a relative put together a side of our family tree that had not been explored, and I found out I am a direct descendant of a black slave.
My great-great-grandfather to be exact.
He fled the south and ended up in Canada, and had a child with a white woman. This led to my grandfather, who mostly looked white, but was discriminated against by his town, and entire family. This included him and his brother being forced to live in a barn, being told they were just lucky to have a place to sleep at all.
While this news was not EARTH shattering, it has caused me to question my understanding of race, and if I was racist without ever admitting it.
The reason I believe I may have is I am far more intolerant of racism and bigotry now that I have found out that I am distantly black. It really upsets me more, which is unfortunate, as it speaks to my previous inherent beliefs.
What an excellent article. I’m a white parent of two white boys as well, just as an fyi. I’m working to be anti-racist, but can see how even being raised in a very liberal household, the fact the my school was mostly middle-class to wealthy caucasions and asians has influenced my behaviour. I’m sending my kids to a Spanish immersion school, and see plenty of the passive, institutional aspect. We have a GATE (gifted and talented) test, which I was told was recially and socio-economically unbiased, but, w/o actually seeing the test unfortunately, I can see from the results there has got to be bias. The school tries, hard, and in fact, also hand selects kids for this program (which most of the schools don’t even have as it’s volunteer run w/no $$), but you can still see we have far to go. I am sometimes clueless when it comes to being and teaching my kids to be active anti-racists (if that is the correct term
, and really commend the work you do.
Great article. And seriously, I’m sick of any “anti-racism” discussion that focuses on individuals’ personal prejudice. But Karen L. makes a very good point: there are plenty of people who need that challenge as well. I think of it this way: that racism is a many-headed beasts that must be resisted in a number of ways and on a number of different levels. White folks often think there must be some kind of “fix” or right way to eliminate racism, but I say don’t wait around until you have it all figured out before you start fighting it. Just jump on in. You’ll make mistakes, but as long as you’re walking against the conveyor belt, you’re going the right way.
@GDG: While I have qualms about your use of “distantly black” (unless we are one-dropping everyone, race is more of a social experience than distant lineage, although I agree that one/two generations back would make you black – although the opposite would not do the same for me, a black person today) a good read on this issue is Kindred by Octavia Butler.
Unfortunately we live in a time when we must look after our own safety, if witnessing a group of unruly people comitting a crime, authoritys must be notifyed..But the lady, weather she was black, white, wearing a scarf or not, in the Bakery, I must admit I would say something and would lay a complaint with authorities, but would that be because I am of colour??? interesting….
What I’m having a trouble in understanding is the anger and childish behavior displayed by many white mothers who are adopting children of color when something that’s “racist” is pointed out to them. Have any of you ever visited an Ethiopian Adoption Board? WHOA—-the level of childish behavior acted out along with the white priviledge demonstrated by the majority of mothers on those boards leaves me questioning if homestudies are truly vetted and adoption agency transracial classes are really being taken with successful outcomes! Many of these women are setting their children up for emotional and psychological headtrips that will magnifest itself as unstable adults. I mean there approach to dealing with racism is equal to those organizations who meet and greet in hoods and robes.
@GDG- interesting! my great grandma was an African American from Chicago and was adopted as a baby by an Irish couple up in Canada. She married a white man and genetics being what they are means that some of us take after the Irish part, and some of my family have some of the African American features of my great-grandma- Ina…My dad’s love and respect for his grandma meant that he made a greater effort to be an anti-racist parent. This being said, I think that my red hair and fair skin means that I still must acknowledge my white privilege. The way society sees me is different from the way society saw my great-grandma and the way that they see my daughter, today.
@bka Paisley to the Village, as a transracial adoptive mother, I do understand what you are saying about adoption agencies not fully preparing adoptive parents with transracial adoption issues. An on-line course and a couple of suggested books to read is not enough to recognize the racial issues that our children will face in this country which is why I find sites like this to be so helpful in expanding my knowledge to be more sensitive as an anti-racist parent. However, I would like to respectfully ask you to clarify what you are referring to by childish behavior when mothers are told something is racist? Are you referring to some adoptive mothers being in denial about racism? That is something that I have noticed- on several adoption sites transracial adoptive mothers have bragged about being “color blind” and about raising their children as “white” and had no concerns about choosing to not honor their children’s cultures and heritages. And I agree, that is VERY disturbing!
@ bka Paisley to the village — I’m a white adoptive mom of a black daughter and I can speak to the lacking nature of homestudies and transracial parenting classes. Problem number one – with the multiethnic placement act of 1994 made it harder for agencies to consider race when arranging foster or adoption placements. Then, a 1996 amendment made it even more difficult – essentially making it unwise (from a legal perspective) to bring up race in conversations with prospective white foster/adoptive parents wishing to be placed with a black child. Problem number two – Homestudies are brief as it is and barely scratch the surface of a family, let alone get at whether a family is prepared to parent a child of another race. Problem number three – even with ‘reputable’ adoption agencies the amount of classes required before adopting pale in comparison to the amount of time it takes to become even somewhat educated on the subjects of transracial parenting, racism, adoption, and so forth.
I consider myself barely meeting the minimum of what white adoptive parent must do/learn in order to raise a black child. I have lots to think about, much that I am unaware of and a good distance to travel on my own journey. I read blogs about race, racism, adoption & parenting; I read books by black adoptees and books on race, young children, and adoption; I listen to black commentators; we live in one of the most diverse zip codes; and I try to relearn US history in a more accurate way. But again, I have years of obliviousness to overcome.
I am of mixed-race (Mexican-American and Irish-American) and I’ve noticed the following about white people, especially affluent white people: They really really do not like to get involved in other white people’s behavior.
When I was in 7th grade I stuck up for a girl getting bullied. The white kids were appalled that I’d get involved, not at the bullying. The white kids ostracized me for it.
So it doesn’t surprise me that if a woman in a headscarf gets treated poorly, white people cringe and ignore it, or maybe even participate. They don’t to interfere. Like they don’t want to interfere even if white kids are spray-painting cars. The white kids might have a good story about why they are doing that. Hey — maybe they even own the car!
So is it racism? Is it a culture of giving other whites the benefit of the doubt? Don’t other races give their own members the benefit of the doubt as well? What do we do about that?
I like that you recognized that these videos probably wouldn’t be effective in getting people in touch with their own racism. What did you use as teaching materials instead?
With all due respect, the hidden camera show is not about “improving race relations.” The show is just reality TV drama with a variety of set-ups and conclusions, some about race and many not.
While I agree that “believe that they are neither racist nor capable of racist behavior, and that racism is no longer a significant factor in the lives of people of color,” I have to disagree with your assessment of the show. As a “hidden camera” type of show, the way it works is not just about “inviting the viewers to criticize the bystanders who do nothing”, the show also works as a panopticon. That is, because the cameras are hidden and because the viewer knows this, the show forces them to wonder if there are hidden cameras around when they go out in public. The title of the show “What would you do?” forces the viewer to think about what they would do, which is often to visualize themselves standing up to injustice. That visualization of reacting appropriately helps prepare them for doing the right thing when the situation presents its self. That preparation – visualizing being an anti-racist – is a positive step in the right direction.
And while I agree with you that most racism is “passive institutional racism” and white privilege, there are still plenty of instances of overt racism like what was shown in the videos. The mere fact that they can make a hidden camera show like that proves that point.
Rachel, thank you for shedding light on the Placement Act and its amendment. It’s sad to hear this because soon enough, the lack of training will catch up with children in Transracial homes in the form of mental illness if parents aren’t required to take classes and seek out People of Color as their extended support system [See Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing, The Isis Papers @ http://www.africawithin.com/welsing or listen to blogtalkradio-Monda Williams:Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing, MD, psychiatrist, author-psychology-Thursday, May 5, 2011 interview.
Mel, yes, without exposing any one particular board name and.or dates (to protect the ???), I’m defining “childish” as the in displaying of immature conduct, activities and manners applied to grown-up situations when exposed to a layer of offense/racism or faced with a truthful reality of racism others than one’s own experience such as but not limited to: Denying the reality and pain of others by dismissing the matter with magical thinking (the seven-year old brain/story approach); avoiding responsibility and accountability by crying “victim”; rebelling against the reality of offensive/racism with the failure or refusal to acknowledge any wrong doing; displaying entitlemtn by controlling and defining “supportive” topics for discussion as to maintain cozy and warm fuzzy feelings while awaiting a referral and/or court passing; forming cliques that secretly rally together off board before making open attacks–displaying white privilege in solidarity; making comments but disparage values and methods for dealing with racism; displaying resistance with vitriol words and rebukes when offense/racism has been pointed out; passing offending behavior or remarks off as regional comforts and entitlements such as, “I’m from the south”; discounting the offensive behavior /racism and disconnecting from the experience; totally avoiding the subject when pointed out; assaulting and insulting the pain of the offense/racism by requesting to change the issue to focus on a material object such as flip-flops (yeah, the cheap rubber sandals); reducing the offensive matter to a “move on” settlement or resolution; and lastly, rejecting the subject matter by posting “rolling my eyes at your post” (not the emoticon but the words) as the final comment before whining and then leaving the board for a few days. Need I add more? If you’ve hung around any of these boards you will witness the racial topics mostly always turns into flame wars and attacks against the person of color or the transracial parent(s) desiring a better world for their child(ren) — usually with the moderator closing the topic off from any further discussion. Sigh!
I actually agree with Elaine. I love “What Would You Do?” because it does force you to think about what you would do in these situations. I’ve been thinking about this for a few days, and while I agree about the “good whites/bad whites” distinction, one way to start breaking it down is for people to realize their own hidden biases. It’s not going to bring the end to racism, but I do think it opens people’s eyes. The next time a white person sees a white person doing something illegal after they watched that show, they might just go – whoa – if this person was black, would I be calling the police? What’s stopping me from doing the same now?
Dear bka, thank you for clarifying….I definitely hear you! I found this site after trying to connect on various adoption sites to discuss the racism that is so obvious if one just opens their eyes and puts aside their white privilege and does not need to see everything as warm and fuzzy in transracial adoption. I even suggested this site on several other places and my posts were removed! I was not being rude in the posts- simply, suggesting that this site might be helpful to transracial adoptive parents in understanding what their children face in this world. I must say that it is very disturbing to see other transracial adoptive parents think that love is enough- my baby is only a year old and has already been called the “n” word and people assuming that I was in a transracial relationship called me a whore. (I actually am in a transracial marriage just not the type they assumed). When I tried to politely express concerns about this the reactions were exactly as you described- it was ignored, removed or a reply said they wanted to focus on the good aspects of adoption. EVERYTHING about my daughter being in our family is good for us- she is our world- but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore the reactions of the outside world or dismiss what she is facing both now and later in her life. I agree, it is time for there to be more education and less blinders in transracial adoption for the sakes of these precious little souls.
I feel this piece is unfair and actually very racist towards whites. Whites come in many shades including many you’d think were “non-white” and whites also wear headscarfs and experience religious bias as Muslims and cultural bias as light skinned Romani as many Bosnian and Romanians will tell you. Many Jews and Italians are ostracised growing up for not “looking white enough” by both whites AND non whites. To say ” whites would say that…” and “when whites start…” is no better than turning around and saying “when blacks finally …” Diversity includes all people including white people who once again come in as many shades as non whites do. Please let the stereotyping of all races stop and let’s all start seeing gradations in race and thought. And please, please LIE think twice before publishing out dated articles such as this. It frankly leaves no place for Multi-racial whites, Jews, Southern Europeans, Romani, mixed race people who white identify, white Hispanics and others who , even if they check the white box and identify as white will NEVER have white privilege.
Nativelands,
In her post, Josie is addressing white privilege, which does exist for ALL white people in American society. It is not racist to point that out. That does not mean that particular white people do not lack privilege in other areas. One can have race privilege, while being marginalized via ethnicity or religion or socioeconomic status. This is how kyriarchy works. (See: http://myecdysis.blogspot.com/2008/04/accepting-kyriarchy-not-apologies.html)
Nativelands,
Just to be clear, please don’t confuse Romani (Gypsies, present in all European countries) with Romanians. Also, Romanians are indeed of different shades, and White does not mean just blonde with blue eyes; it also means black hair, brown eyes and olive skin.
Hi Tami, thanks so much for your response and links. I understand where you may have formed your belief system but I feel in 2011 that statement is simply too sweeping and too much of an out dated stereotype. Especially now that we have so many mixed people and many darker Europeans wanting to define themselves away from the one drop white supremacy laws. I’m a bit confused by your logic. Why can blacks come in many shades but not whites? Why can Hispanics check Hispanic AND white on forms? All white people simply do not have white privilege. If they are not fine featured and straight haired and veer towards being “ethnic” looking then they hit a racial grey area that sadly many in anti-racism simply will not acknowledge. If those dealing with racism can’t look towards anti-racialism where can they look? My cousin who is half Sephardic Jew and half Sicilian growing up being called “Jew fro n word” , “white N word” , “sand n word” and “lampshade and ashtray.” Being beaten up for his appearance as a child by both whites and POC. Where is the “privilege” in that I ask with all honesty and politeness? And while prevailing stereotypes in our society create a sub conscious line of “…well Jews still are at a much higher economic status than many people of color.” He was and still is not in that realm. His family was low income and he grew up 100% secular away from an insular Jewish community that might have bolstered him. The way his looks are perceived have held him back in white society and made him paranoid and anxious despite the fact he’s “white” on forms. He holds deep internalized self hatred due to racism not white privilege. Are you implying his pain , especially what he experienced as a child is not as far reaching or important as what a child of color would experience?
I personally feel when whites who are in the “shades of grey” when it comes to race experiences and looks, approach the anti-racism table they need to not be given a one size fits all form. When this starts to happen more and more darker and mixed whites will feel LESS of a pull towards white supremacy and more safety in places like LIE where they can be themselves and join with their non white, mixed, red, brown, black yellow brothers and sisters.
Hi Angie, that was my exact point!
Hello again Tami, The link did not work for me though I was able to find the gist of information you offered. I feel with all due respect that this statement should be closely reviewed in juxtaposition to the point I raised:
” One can have race privilege, while being marginalized via ethnicity or religion or socioeconomic status. ”
Yes this is true but not for all. Being white is looking really white. If you don’t look clearly white and white identify in this white supremacist world a box of birth certificates from Norway won’t help you get that privilege. I’m not referring to say a tanned French woman who occasionally is asked “are you Latino?” That is not racism or life altering. I feel this is about thinking outside the boxes of what is white and what it may mean to some and not stereotyping ALL those who come to table with concerns, whites included.
Nativelands,
Try this. If it doesn’t work, try cutting and pasting the URL. I can’t figure out how to create a link in comments.
http://www.myecdysis.blogspot.com/2008/04/accepting-kyriarchy-not-apologies.html
White people certainly do come in a variety of shades, but does having dark hair and tan skin relive one of these privileges: http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf (Hope this link works.)
Here is another interesting post that touches on how ethnicity impacts racial privilege: https://www.professorwhatif.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/what-if-youre-not-quite-white/
Hi Tami, Thanks but I felt I was clear that I was referring to white people of all or mostly European decent who look non-white TO other whites not just “olive skin.” I’m also very aware of all the knowledge via links given the fact I’m from a multi-racial family (Black included) , have multi-racial children with a few members who embrace multi-racial whiteness as well as those who embrace , fully, being either white or a POC or being mixed. In 2011 we are not a unique extended family.
To take what you write as a given that NO white person is able (or by birth entitled) to be without “privilege” in juxtaposition to a POC can itself be seen as a form of racism-a particularly simplistic form, for it is based on the insidious assumption that fellow-feeling hinges on the color of one’s skin and that an individual’s character and LIFE EXPERIENCE can be accurately prejudged on the basis of his or her membership in a particular group. It can’t Tami. Pure and simple that is a class A race fail that negates the individual. We are here as parents to thwart that, correct?
There is no question in societies eyes that having non white looks (even if you are white, check white and white identify) relives you very swiftly of white privilege. The question answers itself. My points still stands. If there IS no allowance for whites who come in different shades, and whites who are mixed but NOT denying their whiteness (and thus not deferring to antiquated white supremacist laws) then shouldnt anti-racists make it clear their unique experiences as parents and individuals are not viable? Or that they at least check THEIR pain and experiences at the door and either defer to the one drop rule or stay quiet? That is at least being honest.
Our children have been failed in the past by the old ways of looking at race, POC (and yes, even whites) and hopefully this will change. Thanks for your time.
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Reading these comments has been thought-provoking. I would like to take a moment to discuss some of the ideas and questions raised and thank everyone for taking time to read the essay and respond.
Karen L and Rita write about the focus on institutional racism in white liberal circles which takes away from the acceptance of responsibility for personal racism. I whole-heartedly agree that there are many ways to avoid this work, while still giving the appearance of engagement in anti-racism. I am reminded of a book by damali ayo, How to Rent a Negro, which is a sharp satire about the tendency of white folks to embrace “diversity” but to engage simultaneously in micro-aggressions and “othering” of people of color.
Daisy asks about how to engage with white people who refuse to believe there is racism in the United States any longer, and Jacob Mic writes about the frustrations of engagement with conservative white colleagues on these issues. I am challenged as well as to the best way to engage those who have a lot of upfront resistance about racism and privilege. The parents I am discussing in this essay are those who have already shown interest in attending a session on racial identity and privilege, so they are a different audience, although resistance of some degree often emerges during or after the sessions. I noted that the TV episodes “do provide examples for those white viewers who are completely naïve about the ongoing presence of discrimination,” so perhaps they could be a place to start for those folks. However I would still be concerned about the limitations inherent in the way the episodes frame the discussion. I do believe that adult learners need to come freely to the lessons learned and need some degree of control over their learning process. I have met with resistance in the parent group at my children’s school and have found that inclusion and time have worked well, along with respect and compassion for where people find themselves. It also helps me to remember that, as my mentor/colleague in this work says, “some pancakes may never flip over.”
Elaine and Gradmommy wrote that they disagree and think the TV episodes help viewers recognize their hidden biases and allow them to visualize themselves standing up to injustice. I do not doubt this is true. I know that after watching the episode in the bakery I had an entire imaginary argument in my head with the counter-person. But I would argue that because of the good/bad framing in which the episodes are developed, after watching most people reassure themselves they are “good non-racists” and stop there. Perhaps they are ready to act the next time they are in a bakery and a woman with a head scarf is egregiously harassed, or some other dramatic moment, but what about their ability to recognize and their motivation to disrupt the daily pernicious racism in which they are surrounded- the micro-aggressions, covert racist discourse and media portrayals. My point in this essay is to propose that fear of fulfilling the “whites as racist” stereotype, and the commonsense perception of racists as poorly educated, marginal people are pervasive and create a rigid framework for the dominant discourse on race and racism in the United States. I would continue to argue that this framework has the effect of paralyzing the development of anti-racism for the white people who are inclined towards anti-racism, and that recognizing this framework and stepping out of it is perhaps a necessary first step in anti-racism pedagogy.
Nativelands had a strong negative reaction to the essay and felt it was unfair and racist towards whites who come in many shades, and that not all white people experience white privilege. I’m not sure how to respond to this except for a few points. One I would note that a racial identity category of white or black does not describe ethnicity, geographical or religious heritage. I agree with nativelands that the category of “white people” represents a large and diverse group of people of various religions, ethnicities and geographical origins, just as the category “black” can represent those from Eritrea, the United States, Brazil and Haiti, for example. Second, the definition of “whiteness” has been in flux since it was developed in the 18th century, with ethnic groups alternately included or rejected from the categorization because of changes in perception. An excellent text on this topic is Professor Nell Irvin Painter’s The History of White People, published last year. Thirdly I would argue that one basic definition of being “white” is experiencing white privilege. Being white in the United States means that one is a member of a “one up” group relative to “one down” groups with other racial identities. In general, members of “one up” groups have a hard time seeing themselves as members of a group; they prefer to see themselves as individuals and to attribute their wellbeing to their individual effort, rather than to membership in a “one up” group which receives benefits due to something like skin color. It is important for those who self-identify or are perceived as white to recognize their membership in this group affected by white skin privilege.
“When a white participant in a diversity discussion is willing and able to acknowledge the racism she has internalized by the very process of being acculturated in the Unites States, there is no longer a need to project the dreaded racist behavior on other “bad whites.”
To me this is key, and not just in the States, but everywhere. Before you can move away from any problem, you have to accept the problem exists. Just to say ‘I’m not racist’ doesn’t cut it; it just says, ‘I have no problem, ergo, there is no problem, right?’ You have to start from the basis that you are in fact racist – we all are because we all grew up surrounded by racist stereotypes – and move forwards from there, questioning your stereotypes every step of the way.
I read an interesting essay today which speaks to the concepts of whiteness and white culture as a separate entity from ethnicity, which adds further thought to the discussion brought to the fore by nativelands’ comments. Take a look if interested.
http://class.csueastbay.edu/ethnicstudies/jes2/Pollock-WhiteCulture.htm
Thanks for this thought provoking piece. Let’s continue discussing institutional oppression to heighten awareness and eradicate racism.
A few years ago I was shocked at the new assumption that mentioning race was in itself racism. It seems that discrimination has not abated, and that new walls are being built to further isolate the issue in US culture.
I heard an interview last year with a sociologist (M. Schwartz?) on NPR who discussed his research analyzing the verbal gymnastics white Americans go through to avoid describing someone who is not white. I’d love to find out more about his research, but Google attempts have failed, thus far.
Josie, this is an excellent article, illuminating much new food for thought in ways to approach talking about race with white people.
Tami– your comments, as usual, are awesome!