QUOTES
In Conclusion (final paragraph)
Interrupting racism takes courage and intentionality; the interruption is
by definition not passive or complacent.
So in answer to the question “Where do we go from here?,” I offer that
we must never consider ourselves finished with our learning. Even if challenging all the racism and
superiority we have internalized was quick and easy to do, our racism would be
reinforced all over again just by virtue of living in the culture. I have been engaged in this work in a range
of forms for many years, and I continue to receive feedback on my stubborn
patterns and unexamined assumptions. It
is a messy, lifelong process, but one that is necessary to align my professed
values with my real actions. It is also
deeply compelling and transformative.
p.153-4, White Fragility: Why It’s
So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo
Recognize Bias and Privilege
Acknowledge your
privilege.
Before
having conversations about race, explore the history of race-based privilege in
this country and put your privilege in context. Privilege, loosely defined, is
any unmerited or unearned advantage. In that sense, we all have experienced
privilege. Part of the privilege associated with whiteness is the luxury of not
having to consider one’s own race -- let alone the disadvantages faced by
many people of color. Bay had this to say about his own white privilege, “It’s
mine, and it doesn’t say anything about my value as a person. White people are
not better people because we have unearned privilege -- we are also not worse
people. We just have it and there is no way out of it. The more we can
face the reality and take the value judgment out of [white privilege], the more
we can work together to eliminate it.” Respected scholar and Director of
the Haas Center for a Fair and Inclusive Society john
a. powell hits the nail on the head when he says, “The slick thing about
whiteness is that you can reap the benefits of a racist society without
personally being racist.”
Privilege
can be present in any circumstance. It is important to name
privilege wherever it exists. I am a mixed-race African-American male who
was adopted at birth into a white family. (Shout-out to all my
transracial adoptees!) To a certain extent, I indirectly benefited and
still benefit from my family’s white privilege. That’s part of my story. Being
white and benefiting from white privilege does not disqualify you from having a
voice in the fight for racial equity. Privilege should not be a constant source
of guilt. Rather, it should fuel action against the inequality that it breeds
and sustains.
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