Over the years I have often heard talk about how racism has impacted white people. Usually that discussion comes in the context of an assumption that, if whites can see that racism has negative effects on them as a group, that realization will motivate action to eliminate racism.
I do not share that assumption; racism is a far more powerful and recalcitrant force than this assumption acknowledges, clinging stubbornly wherever it is lodged. Read on…
... written in November, 1991 - filed under
Identifying Racism.
Often I have heard discussions about the legacy of the period in the history of our nation when African people were enslaved. In those discussions I find few white people who evidence much of a concept of the ways in which the grandchildren and great grandchildren of those who were enslaved may still bear the scars of that terrible institution. Read on…
... written in December, 1991 - filed under
On Responsibility.
Frequently over the years I have been in conversation with other white men who share a commitment to bringing about change in the status quo which supports racism. One of the issues of concern is how best to motivate white men to want to work for change. That discussion elicits a sharing of our own motivations. Read on…
... written in January, 1992 - filed under
Open Letters to White Males.
I am an educated man.
I went twelve years to school and graduated from high school.
I am an educated man.
I went to college for two years, before going to World War II. Read on…
... written in January, 1992 - filed under
Historical Perspectives.
Over the years there have been attempts to get athletic teams to change names which are often offensive to Native Americans. That movement has gained new momentum in the last year, responsive to the advent of the tomahawk chop, the appearance of fans in fake Indian headdress, painted faces and behavior which mimics stereotypes of native people. Read on…
... written in May, 1992 - filed under
Prescriptions for Change.
In the last three or four years there has been a rapid growth in stated concerns for issues of “diversity” in many areas of society. Partly in response to demographic projections for the early twenty-first century there is an almost hectic move to “diversify” Boards and staffs of innumerable organizations. Read on…
... written in June, 1992 - filed under
Racism and Language.
1992 approached with announcements from official bodies of plans to celebrate the Quincentennial of the date when Columbus set foot on an island in the Caribbean. It was clear that the year would be crowded with expensive, lavishly-orchestrated events. In true entrepreneurial spirit, corporate entities and ad agencies began using themes of “discovery” to sell their products.
Then came the counter-campaigns. Read on…
... written in July, 1992 - filed under
Historical Perspectives.
Derrick Bell has once again moved my thoughts and my heart in a new direction which is both frightening and exciting. To appreciate the impact his latest book has had on me, it is important to review an experience centered in a question I have been asked numerous times.
The question I have heard so often is, “When do you think we will overcome racism in this country?” Read on…
... written in October, 1992 - filed under
Identifying Racism.
A frustrated student, a question suffused with anguish: “What are you trying to do to me, anyway?” - My head and heart were engaged one more time with a young white male struggling with his growing awareness of racism. Read on…
... written in April, 1993 - filed under
Prescriptions for Change.
Recently in a class I teach at Boston College, I observed a young African American woman speak firmly and eloquently about her anger in the face of racism; in that context she challenged white students to be angry also. One of the women asked, “What should I do, as a white?” The answer was quick: Read on…
... written in April, 1993 - filed under
Historical Perspectives.