It’s MLK Day and I’m thinking about his legacy. I’m thinking about the people in the civil rights movement and how the sheer force of their vision changed the trajectory of this country. I’m thinking about the courage and sacrifice of regular people who chose to engage. I’m thinking what I can do these days … which makes me think about:
- white privilege, our students, and what I can do to address systemic racism, economic injustice, and inequality
- how can I have more conversations that shift thinking so that my students understand these large social systems and desire to lead lives that change the systems?
- the way white privilege impacts the experience of our Black, Latina, Asian, Middle Eastern, and mixed race students?
- am I/are we more aware of and sensitive to the needs/experiences/feelings of white students than I am/we are aware of and sensitive to the needs/experiences/feelings of our non-white students?
- don’t want to believe they live in a world where much of they’ve been told about fairness is wrong?
- want to believe in the American dream – hard work pays off and good things happen to good people?
- want to believe they alone have “earned” their privilege?
- don’t think they have any privilege at all because they can’t see it (like a fish not seeing water)?
- don’t want to think of themselves as ignorant about how the world works?
- don’t want to think they have (knowingly or unkowingly) harmed or are harming people?
- are not readily aware of the discrimination and unconscious and structural biases black and brown people face every day?
What does white privilege even mean? To me, it means that a white person generally has a set of built in advantages that others do not. It isn’t “something I take and which I therefore have the option of not taking. It is something that society gives me, and unless I change the institutions which give it to me, they will continue to give it, and I will continue to have it, however noble and equalitarian my intentions.” (Harry Brod) White privilege is “having greater access to power and resources than people of color [in the same situation] do”. (Teaching Tolerance)
It’s my experience that the hardest part about having conversations about white privilege, racial and economic injustice in the classroom is getting to a point where students 1) feel safe and that their opinions matter 2) try to use language that honors their own experience/ideas but doesn’t degrade anyone else’s 3) are empathetic 4) are willing to learn something new and not just cling to their original perspective.
For our white students, I am thinking about how to help them not be offended when someone asks them to “check their privilege”. What is being asked is that the white person examine – stop and consider – how the advantages they’ve had in their life might be contributing to their position, opinions and actions. And maybe to consider how the lack of disadvantage in certain areas is keeping them from fully understanding the struggles of others. Acknowledging that systemic racism and economic injustice exist means challenging what we know about race, class, and wealth in this country – not easy – but if we don’t work to change the system, we might be contributing to the struggles of those who have suffered enough.
With my juniors in Symbols and Ethics we’re watching a movie called Paper City and will be using some of the lesson plans from the accompanying educational program. Paper City is a film inspired by MLK’s last book: Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community? As we analyze the systems, social norms, and historical events that created a drug infested violent situation in Holyoke MA, maybe some shifts will take place and we all can see more clearly the disadvantages facing youths in Holyoke (and other communities) because of racial and economic disparities.
With this issue and others that are so contentious, my objective is that my students will be more inclined to listen deeply to others’ experiences and be equipped with some social analysis strategies, such as the “critical reflection cycle”, the “pastoral circle”, the “conflict resolution method”, or design think. I’m also hoping my students can connect these issues to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (i.e. human dignity, preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, solidarity), which is basically how the Church applies the Gospels to current events and social issues.
Talking about privilege makes a classroom of students squirm – some want to talk about it but most don’t; they don’t want to cause a fight or hurt anyone’s feelings. It makes me nervous too, but I’m white and have benefited from the system so I don’t get to avoid the issue. I’ve been told from black colleagues and learned from reading that part of white privilege is the ability to remain silent about race issues or in the face of racist activity. If we understand systemic racism and economic injustice and do nothing about it, we’re in collusion with the system that set it up. What to do? What does being “antiracist” look like to you? What kinds of things are you doing in your classroom that challenge the status quo and change the system? Is there anything else we can do to explore ways that race, privilege, prejudice and structural inequality might be affecting our Black, Latina, Asian, Middle Eastern, and mixed race students?
Hi Martina, thank you for last week's assembly and for sharing your thoughts here. I appreciate any reminder to check my privilege.
I saw the movie Just Mercy over the weekend and while watching (and crying), I realized that I know nothing about racism. Another reminder of my privilege.
I had lunch recently with some friends of color who had recently attended the People of Color in Independent Schools conference. I enjoyed listening to them debriefing their experience and especially when they were sharing about a discussion on white privilege. The presenter had said that it isn't enough for well-meaning white people to be "allies" anymore, but that it was time for us to become "accomplices." The idea of being an accomplice in the continued fight for equality and civil rights has been rattling around in my thoughts since then. I only hope I am up to the task.
Martina,
Great blog post!
Students must learn about and understand the roots of white privilege to appreciate how deeply ingrained it is in our society. I begin with Jamestown, 1619, when the first Africans arrived. The thread can be taken right to the present day. The press about Megan Markle exemplifies the extremes of white privilege, and class privilege, that exist today.
Anti-racism begins with destroying the American myth of white American males being at the top because they deserve it or are preordained to be the leaders of the financial and political world. Circumstance and luck determined the balance of power, not innate factors. Once this is understood, it will be much easier to fight racism in the United States.
I would like to meet with others to talk about this. Discussion is a great way to bring thoughts and solutions into the open.
Hi Martina,
Thanks for this thoughtful post. I haven't ventured into discussions about white privilege too much with my students here yet, but my previous school did a lot of work with students and staff on this and learning to be anti-racist. I have found "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh to be a helpful text to begin reflection and discussion, and I have found it productive to discuss the difference between individual and systemic racism. Students often still think of racism as interpersonal acts, and don't understand the larger systems that grant them privilege. They aren't aware of how well-intentioned people trying to live their own American Dream can produce or reinforce systems that result in inequitable outcomes, discrimination, and oppression for people of color. Once they know these terms, I have given students examples of different current events to sort into the two categories to make sure they get it, and then we discuss the our role in either contributing to the problem or solution for the events. I look forward to talking with you more about how you are approaching this in your classroom.
Thanks for writing about this difficult topic Martina. Would it be a good idea to purchase the books you listed, as well as Leila's, to begin to create a library. This has been discussed as an area of focus for staff as part of our PD emphasis next year, and this and issues related to it will be prominent with the election next year.
Love this blog! Thank you for sharing. It would be great for teachers to get together and learn tips and tricks to having these discussions and their experiences with it so that we are all better educated and have a set of tools to help us. The conversation is definitely important to have with ourselves and our students.
We have been talking about race all week and phew it has been exhausting (but rewarding) – I read White Fragility – hecka good! I also recommend "How to Be an Anti Racist by Ibram X. Kendi I am finishing it up this week and wish I had started sooner.
This is wonderful Martina. The first step is admitting that it exists. In my role her at Carondelet, I have come to be aware of certain systemic processes that may not lead to an equal playing field. For me, I see the problem beginning at intake and sometimes in our efforts to encourage advancement – our students arrive with such inequalities in place. It's difficult to address overnight, but it's through conversations like this that we can all be made more aware of our own opinions and practices in our day to day lives.
Thanks to Caitlin Main's request last year we already have the following books on the Teacher Resource Shelf:
Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Danial Tatum
For White Folks who Teach in the Hood by Christopher Emdin
I heard about White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo at the CSJ workshop I went to last month and it will be in our Library by the end of the week. – I will also order How to Be an Anti Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
The piece by Peggy McIntosh is interesting and hard to locate (it was taken from a paper she was working on in 1989) I will keep looking.
Here are some suggestions from an article in the spring edition of Teaching Tolerance:
Here are a few recommendations for white educators from our interviewees.
1. Read, Read, Read
Learn more about racism and white supremacy. Reading (or watching or listening) can answer questions and give you the space to work out your own racial identity.
2. Listen
Be present with educators, students and families of color. Actively listen. What concerns do they have? Chances are they see issues inside the school that you don’t. Two interviewees suggested neighborhood walks.
3. Avoid Making Conversations About You
If a colleague of color comes to you with a concern, ask yourself, “Am I using my privilege to amplify the concerns of educators of color in my building, or am I drowning them out?”
4. Connect
Find or build a group of people for accountability. Focus on generating conversations with white colleagues, and make sure you are staying accountable to people of color. Charlie’s organization, BARWE, has free resources to get started.
5. Use Your Power and Take Action
Look for inequities: Are people being left out? Does your administrator treat people unfairly? If you notice something, speak up and take action. Lift some of the burden from your colleagues of color. If you’re an administrator, consider how you are directing school- and district-level professional development and policy.
Thanks Michelle!
Great thoughts from all.. Bryan Stevenson felt that the biggest hurdle to creating a just society is that we lacked "proximity"… you can only truly feel compassion through knowing someone fully… people are more than one issue or one thing they have done