Making Whiteness Visible

These are great videos to watch regarding White Privelage.
Check them out! It's one series with 5 parts. An absolute must-see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAljja0vi2M Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOVJ6QwFmDI part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-E4aqOs1_0 part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsylE79Hm30 part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEjWybFhac part 5

GMA race discussion

Hey folks! Just wanted to sign on for a quick discussion and to add my contact info.

I saw an interesting clip on Good Morning America today. Robin and Diane had talked to a group of youngsters 10 years ago and went back to their hometowns recently to talk to youngsters again about race. I'm not sure where they were 10 years ago. There was a remarkable difference in the attitudes of the kids regarding race and their attitudes in general. It was lovely to see. Of course, not a scientific or even unbiased discussion in the least but I think it did show that some attitudinal change has occurred in 10 years. (its on their website today, 4/2/09) The down side is, I think that it would give most the idea that there is nothing to work on, that since kids are not sounding racist, then we've solved the problem. Maybe so, but I don't think so. I do think that things are better but that institutional bias is there and we must continue to work on that less obvious stuff. Its the same in every area of institutional bias. Let s not stop now!!!

so that's my little soapbox for the morning. Now my email is ladyhawksoars@gmail.com.

my pledge on Saturday was to watch for my white privilege and look at the race mix around me. I had to get xrays at UTMC on Monday. I noticed that there was a good mix of people in the patient category. I spent a bunch of time there a couple of years ago with an accident victim and did see a great diversity of patients. That's a plus. There are a great many on staff that are diverse too. I know that there have been issues around homophobia on the campus and there are inequities in what is offered to gay employees and their partners. It would be interesting to really see the numbers of the employees and their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Maybe we can learn something from this site....

more later!
peace out!

Pondering White Pride

I am sure many folks have seen this email forward before, and I think it deserves a response. Often, as white folks who disagree with him, it is easier to dismiss it and say, "it's not worth getting into" but perhaps a thoughtful response is in order. So I have copied it here for reference and my response follows various points in bold blue italics:


This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is. Ist point: We need to be clear on what a "racist" is. A racist is someone who exercises power or privelage over others of a different race. Due to the social constructs racism has built (versus the non-existant biological differences between us) we as white people have benefitted from racism, i.e. have certain privelages. In that sense, another race cannot be "racist" without reversing the entire American social construct. However, I think the real meaning of this statement is talking about discrimination. Anyone, white or a person of color, can commit acts of discrimination against the other.

as a result of Proud to be White - Michael Richards makes his point...Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point. This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points...Someone finally said it... How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc. And then here are just Americans. Great point. Exactly. To be American equals white. Ironically, he is admitting here that white is the norm by which everyone else is measured.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker, ' 'Honkey,' 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK.But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a racist. Hmm...well, it's important to recognize the meaning behind those names and words. Many of those words against people of color have historic context that represent or promote hedious acts of violence and domination done against an entire race of people. However, I think it is also a matter of individual response as well, on both sides. I, as a white person, do not take offense at the white names, nor would i use the others.


You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you... Uhh...yeah whites have, with the historical stats to prove it. Like the majority of world wars, world wide colonization, atom bombs, etc...

So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live? Well, let's go back to my 1st point. We live is a white racist society. That means, by default, whites have the INSTITUTIONAL power. So through a historical series of housing laws and policies (GI Bill as an example), with the cooperation of businesses (red lining), a downward spiral was created. The haves lived in a safe little suburbs and the have-nots live in "ghettos", communities without adequate resources and thus prone to violence. Because of the inherent racism present in those laws and policies, the communities were cut along racial lines giving the illusion that if your black ( or anything not white) and live in the ghetto you are a potential criminal.


You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET... If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists.. If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists. If we had White History Month, we'd be racists.If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR, lives we'd be racists.We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships. You know we'd be racists. Reality check here. First of all, we did do a lot of only white things, we called it Jim Crow laws. And today, we still do, but not explicitly. We don't need all those White only things because everything already exists to serve us. Again, ironically, his very point, proves mine.


There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college..In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, an d you're not afraid to announce it.But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist! When we do this, don't we usually clothe ourselves in robes and have burning crosses in the yard and ropes in our hands? But i'll come back to the white pride point. As for the earlier comments about marches...why would we need a race march when we already have (collectively speaking as a whole race) rights? And the number of colleges that will turn you away because you're white is...???


You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. And we drop atomic bombs on them, steal their land, rape and murder their women and children, call them savages, use their exaggerated face for our sports enjoyment, etc etc etc. Again, historic context and reality check here...

But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.I am proud...No, I'm pretty sure the complaints come when a white police officer kills a black man for doing something (or being perceived to be doing something) that he otherwise would simplyhave arrested a white man for. It's about the over reaction (injustice).


But you call me a racist.Why is it that only whites can be racists? See point 1.

There is nothing improper about this e-mail.Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on. I sadly don't think many will. That's why we have lost most of OUR RIGHTS in this country. We won't stand up for ourselves!BE PROUD TO BE WHITE!It's not a crime yet . But getting real close! It's ok to be proud to be white. But again, how to we demonstrate that? And why is it that those that do proclaim it, do so with the threat or action of violence against people of color? Are we proud to be white? Or is it that we don't understand "other" so we desperately try to keep the "other" down in order to feel good about who we are?

From a conservative website: What do you think?

In this week's Kerwick's corner, Jack Kerwick examines what race relations will be like in a world beyond the 2008 presidential election.

From the column:

If Obama suffers a loss, his supporters generally, and his black supporters in particular, will insist, unabashedly, indignantly, incessantly, that it was because of “racism.” A Democratic-friendly media that has spent decades nurturing and shaping our culture’s “politically correct” orthodoxy, as well as, more recently, Obama’s pubic facade, will all too happily facilitate this insidious fiction. Distrust and unease between blacks and whites will deepen. If, on the other hand, Obama prevails, then inter-racial tensions -- over the long run, in any event -- will worsen to an extent perhaps even greater than that to which they will worsen in the wake of his defeat.

Ready or not...Change is on the way

On this election day, i have a lot to reflect about. The historic nature of this election has proven to be both exciting and heartbreaking. i have seen the some of the best and the worst of these here United States of America and its citizens. i have seen people put race behind them and on the front line. i have heard people say that race does not matter. i have heard people say they will not vote for a black president. i have seen the police talk about ramping up efforts to protect white america from the backlash of blacks if obama doesnt win. what i have not seen, is the police talk about what they will do to protect blacks if obama wins. funny...

as far as i know, there have been no reported incidents of blacks intimidating whites to vote for obama (although the young lady who faked her own ordeal would have us to beleive otherwise). there have been no people of color standing inside or outside mccain rallies screaming words like, "traitor", "terrorist", "cracker", "kill him", "he's a fundamentalist christian". ive never heard obama say that palin or mccain have a different america in mind than the rest of us. the examples go on and on. my point is this: the end of the road is near. the time for america's first black president is upon us. america will be faced with images that they have never seen before. so many cerimonial events for he and his family to attend. the image of a black family in the white house will be new for all of us. im looking forward to seeing how white america as a collective will respond.

Understanding White Privelage from a white woman's perspective

Before we can understand White Privelage, we have to first understand what we mean by privelage. By privelage, in the context of racial justice, we mean the automatic benefits we receive based on the color of our skin. (Consequently, "racism" would be its opposite, both on a personal and institutional level). Therefore one causes the other. Privelage also inherently means that you don't have to think about it. And really, truth be told, do white people have to talk about racism or white privelage? No, only if we want to. That, in and of itself, is a privelage.

Let's also talk about what white privelage is NOT. I financially struggle. I am in the lower middle class. Did I have a privealged upbringing? In the economic sense, no, not at all. Did I benefit from white privelage? Yes. When we are talking racial justice and racism, we are going to talk about race. We are NOT going to get into discussions of classism. Do they intertwine? In some ways, of course. In the sense of there are a disproportionate number of people of color experiencing poverty and financial strain. That's how they intertwine.

All of us have mixed bags of privelage. One could not experience white privelage (because s/he is a person of color) but still experience the privelage of being male (ask Delma!). One could experience white privelage but not economic privelage (like me). If one can acknowledge the privelage a straight person has (this one should be really obvious) than why as a society can we not acknowlege white privelage?
And frankly, why not acknowledge it? Why is it that so many white people are resistant to this concept? I think for many, there is a sense of guilt or responsibility that comes along acknowledgment so some resist this.

However, it is not necessary to feel personally responsible for white privelage. The very fact that it is a privelage means that you didn't do anything in the first place to get it. That doesn't excuse us, though, from taking collective responsibility now that we know we have it.

So think about white privelage as...

do you ever walk into a restaurant and say "wow look at all the white people here!" (doesn't count if you have been to a racial justice training and are now aware of that fact!)

did you ever consider why Santa Claus isn't black?

Why we celebrate a holiday (Thanksgiving) with folklore that didn't even happen let alone in a happy "thankful" way? How come Native Americans don't celebrate thanksgiving if it was such a good thing that happened between everyone?

Did you ever walk down a toy aisle and look at the race of the majority (note i said the majority, not the token few)of the toy dolls?

How about why almost every Jesus statue has "American", western features (he's white, light brown hair, blue or brown eyes) even though we ALL KNOW AND AGREE FOR A FACT that Jesus lived in the Middle East and would not have looked like this.

My guess is that most white people, without study of racial justice, has not ever considered any of these questions and would answer no or start right now trying to find a way to say, "but..." There is no buts. White privelage means that the standard by which everyone and everything in our culture is measured is based on a white standard. That's considered the norm. Stop contesting that fact.

We cannot grow as a society, as humanity, until we recognize not only the wrongs that have happened but how we benefitted from those wrongs.

And then let's take collective responsibility to do something about it.

Inland GOP mailing depicts Obama's face on food stamp...

I thought this might be worth discussing....Tasha




By MICHELLE DeARMONDThe Press-Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_buck16.3d67d4a.html
The latest newsletter by an Inland Republican women's group depicts Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama surrounded by a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken, prompting outrage in political circles.

The October newsletter by the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated says if Obama is elected his image will appear on food stamps -- instead of dollar bills like other presidents. The statement is followed by an illustration of "Obama Bucks" -- a phony $10 bill featuring Obama's face on a donkey's body, labeled "United States Food Stamps."


The GOP newsletter, which was sent to about 200 members and associates of the group by e-mail and regular mail last week, is drawing harsh criticism from members of the political group, elected leaders, party officials and others as racist.

The group's president, Diane Fedele, said she plans to send an apology letter to her members and to apologize at the club's meeting next week. She said she simply wanted to deride a comment Obama made over the summer about how as an African-American he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."


"It was strictly an attempt to point out the outrageousness of his statement. I really don't want to go into it any further," Fedele said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn't my attempt."

Fedele said she got the illustration in a number of chain e-mails and decided to reprint it for her members in the Trumpeter newsletter because she was offended that Obama would draw attention to his own race. She declined to say who sent her the e-mails with the illustration.

An Inland Republican women's group sent out a newsletter showing this fake $10 "food stamp" with Barack Obama's face on it. She said she doesn't think in racist terms, pointing out she once supported Republican Alan Keyes, an African-American who previously ran for president.
"I didn't see it the way that it's being taken. I never connected," she said. "It was just food to me. It didn't mean anything else."


She said she also wasn't trying to make a statement linking Obama and food stamps, although her introductory text to the illustration connects the two: "Obama talks about all those presidents that got their names on bills. If elected, what bill would he be on????? Food Stamps, what else!"

Club Member Cries

Sheila Raines, an African-American member of the club, was the first person to complain to Fedele about the newsletter. Raines, of San Bernardino, said she has worked hard to try to convince other minorities to join the Republican Party and now she feels betrayed.

"This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party," she said. "I'm really hurt. I cried for 45 minutes."


The Obama campaign declined to comment. It's the campaign's policy to not address such attacks, said Gabriel Sanchez, a California spokesman for the campaign.

The newsletter prompted a rebuke from another African-American member of the organization, which is well recognized in the community for its philanthropy and efforts to register and turn out voters in the Rancho Cucamonga and Upland areas.

Acquanetta Warren, a Fontana councilwoman and member of the women's group, said the item is rude and requires a public apology.

"When I opened that up and saw it, I said, 'Why did they do this? It doesn't even reflect our principles and values,' " said Warren, who served as a Republican delegate to the national convention in September and is a regional vice chairwoman for the California Republican Party. "I know a lot of the ladies in that club and they're fantastic. They're volunteers. They really care -- some of them go to my church."


Warren forwarded an electronic version of the newsletter to the California Republican Party headquarters, where officials also were outraged Wednesday and denounced the illustration.
Hector Barajas, the party's press secretary, said the party chairman likely will have a conversation with Fedele, and Barajas will attend the statewide California Federation of Republican Women conference this weekend in Los Angeles to handle any news media there to cover the controversy.

Obama in Turban


The newsletter is not the first such episode Barajas has had to respond to this week. The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday posted an image it said was captured from the Sacramento County GOP Web site that showed Obama in a turban next to Osama bin Laden.
It said: "The difference between Osama and Obama is just a little B.S." The site also encouraged members to "Waterboard Barack Obama," a reference to a torture technique. The Sacramento County party took down the material Tuesday after being criticized.

Mark Kirk, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County GOP chairman, said he expects Chairman Gary Ovitt to also have a talk with Fedele and to attend the group's local meeting next week to discuss the issue with members, although the county GOP has no formal oversight role over the club. Kirk said these kinds of depictions hurt the party's ongoing efforts to reach out to minorities.

"It's very damaging and we're going to take steps to correct this," Kirk said. "Unfortunately, I don't know what you do to correct ignorance like this, but we will do what we can."
Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands, and state Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, both criticized the illustration as inappropriate and irresponsible.

Dutton pointed out that his wife, a member of the club, is of Mexican heritage and has battled criticism that the Republican Party is not the party for minorities. The club's newsletter undercuts efforts to rise above racism, he said.

"Bias and racial comments and even suggestions are frankly what weakens us as a people. I think we as Americans need to rise above that," he said. Emmerson said he was extremely offended and sickened by the newsletter.


Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Cal State Sacramento, said it's imperative that people speak out about these kinds of depictions no matter how small the organization. She praised Raines for doing so.

"It's a statement about what is civil discourse and can you get away with doing something under an organizational banner," she said. "You have to cut it out at the root and the root is often small organizations that are local and they then become larger."


Reach Michelle DeArmond at 951-368-9441