:: lectures

Droppin Science on Whiteness: An Anthropological Paradigm for A Pedagogy of Whiteness Studies
by Enoch Page (9:45 - 10:30am)
In this lecture, I assist those who attend this conference to understand how I conceptualize and teach my graduate seminar, the Anthropology of Whiteness, and my freshmen course entitled, Anti-racism in the 21st Century. By learning how I construe whiteness, and develop courses around this subject, I do not suggest all whiteness courses must be like mine; rather, I aim to show that running my courses as I do helps me to produce unusually strong whiteness studies. By this I mean studies that illuminate how in the absence of overt racism white cultural practices manage the construction of white privileges. In their own way, others can learn to do the same.

I work my students hard when I expose them to whiteness information, both print and visual. The print information creates almost too much room for a wide range of 'alternate' interpretations. Students who intellectualize rather than internalize the theoretical observations to be gleaned often try to interpret the literature in ways that support their taken for granted assumptions, or in ways that avoid how they, themselves, are implicated in the whiteness issues embedded in the material I present. But the visual material I use often enables them to see, first hand, the operation of the claims I make about whiteness, claims that the whiteness studies literature occasionally supports or, more often, fails to support because its theory evades white privilege.

In my courses, I argue that a precise analysis of white cultural practices is possible and I share my personal belief that the largely interpretive tendency in whiteness studies creates interesting essays, but ultimately is harmful. Whiteness is not an interpretive function: it is a masking function that aims to secure white authority by which to ratify white privilege.

Although this claim seems incredible in social science, I support it with so much evidence that students soon, over the course of a semester, come to see that with some accuracy I am able to predict whiteness behavior in the class, local community and on the national scene. Anecdotal predictions are not sufficient proofs of my theory, but they show students it's explanatory power. For instance, in my last seminar I predicted that George Bush would call for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in order to detract attention from his bid for a global presidency. I discuss how I teach whiteness this way in this essay.

Trapped in a History We Do Not Understand: Whites as the 'Collateral Damage' of Racism and Privilege
by Tim Wise (1:30 - 3:00pm)
This talk will examine the ways in which whites are harmed by a system of institutional racism, even as that system provides immense privileges to them on the basis of skin color. Although people of color are the targets of racism, whites, ironically, become the 'collateral damage' of the system that bestows such privileges upon them.

Specifically, the talk will look at the ways in which racial privilege "traps" whites, mentally (in terms of encouraging racist mindsets and internalized beliefs in supremacy), culturally (in terms of requiring "whites" to relinquish their actual cultural/ethnic/national identities for the sake of 'becoming white'), economically (in terms of forcing allegiance to an economic system that disempowers most whites too), politically (in terms of encouraging whites to support public policy that is against the best interests of most persons, including most whites), and even spiritually.

This talk also examines the ways in which systemic privilege "sets up" whites for a fall, by encouraging dysfunctional notions of entitlement that lead to a host of destructive and pathological cultural tendencies among the dominant group.

Meeting the Late Train: Antiracist Activism
by Becky Thompson (7:00 - 8:15pm)
Becky Thompson's talk, "Meeting the Late Train: Antiracist Activism" chronicles the successes and limitations of white antiracism across several social movements in contemporary US history including: the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement, the Multiracial Feminist Movement, Central America Solidarity organizing, and work to abolish the punishment industry. Drawing on in-depth interviews with people who consider racial justice at the center of their life's work, the talk will explore what it takes for white people to be allies to people of color, why antiracism is both a promise and a way of life, why antiracists are themselves hesitant about the term "antiracist," and what antiracist culture looks and feels like. There will be time during the session for questions and conversations.

:: workshops | session 1 (10:45am - 12:30pm)

What is White Privilege?
Facilitators: Julia Koch and Isabelle Darling
What is white skin privilege? What does it look like, and how does it behave in our lives? What responsibility do each of us, as white people, have because of it? What can we do to be aware of it and work towards equity for all? The facilitators of the workshop aim to explore these questions with the participants, and help each person find an emotional and intellectual connection to these issues that will both empower and give direction for further action.

Invisible Inheritance: How US systems invest stolen resources in Whiteness
Facilitators: Eric Hamako, Michael Sean Funk, Herman E. Shelton
Facilitators will help participants think about how US White Supremacy has and continues to systemically take resources from Communities of Color and invest them in White people, White communities, and Whiteness. The workshop will attempt to distinguish between "White-skin privilege" and other overarching systems of White Supremacy, focusing on the latter. Participants will be encouraged to consider how these systems of resource theft privilege or oppress them, their families, and their communities. Facilitators also intend to help participants explore how they may be able to disrupt these systems.

Fighting Racism in Everyday Life
Facilitator: Peter Meyer
For many people, fighting racism is a cerebral political task and not an everyday personal life choice. It's one they fight with occasional helpful contributions to anti-racist groups, or to organizations which represent people of color. Perhaps, once or twice a year they attend black tie, multi-cultural fundraisers. However, if we are to truly rid our country of racism we must personally live our every day lives in such a way as to break down, on a one-to one or family to family level, the individual cultural walls that separate us. This workshop will explore from the life experiences of one white male, the different ways that we can do that.

The History of Economic White Privilege in the US
Facilitator: Fred Moseley
This workshop will examine the economic history of the US and the particular ways in which whites have benefited economically at the expense of non-whites. Specific episodes to be examined include: the genocide of Native Americans, the slavery of Africans, the failure of reconstruction, ongoing discrimination, and current immigration.

Well Intentioned White People Behaving Badly: Internalized Racial Superiority and Anti-racist Organizing
Facilitator: UROC
This workshop will use role plays and discussion to explore internalized racial superiority among whites and how this limits the effectiveness of anti-racist organizing. Participants should come prepared to share and reflect on their own experiences. We will introduce participants to the principles of Undoing Racism (tm) as developed by the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, including issues of accountability and following the leadership of people of color.

White Privilege = Health Privilege
Facilitators: Paul Marcus and Carol Rinehart, Community Change
People are living longer these days! But some groups get to live longer and healthier lives that others in our society. There has been only a 3% reduction in the gap between African Americans and Whites since 1970. At that rate, it will be 2071 before a Black and a White baby born on the same day could expect equivalent life expectancy. After viewing the documentary film "The Angry Heart" as it follows the experience of Bostonian Keith Hargraves, an African American man with heart disease, participants will have an opportunity to count the costs of health disparities, even to the (apparently) privileged. We will map the systemic strands that interweave to create a binding network of neglect and mistreatment of people of color, and identify actions that conscious Whites can take to help generate a fairer system.

Whiteness, Rape and Racism - a historical perspective
Facilitator: La Wanza Lett-Brewington
An interactive discussion on why and how white culture impacts the perception of rape and creates a veil of silence that is supported by both national and global institutions. Participants will leave with a herstorical analysis of the global interconnection between rape and racism. A cycle of socialization will be utilized in the analysis of how, when, and why to develop concrete, culturally competent guidelines for supporting and understanding violence against women.

Allies in Action: The Stories and Strategies of White Allies
Facilitator: Phyllis Labanowski
This experiential workshop provides an opportunity for participants to share what they know, while learning more about our white allies, both historically and in our local community. Again and again those of us committed to racial justice and the dismantling of racism ask, what can I/we do? Our sustained participation is critical. Our clarity and courage are essential. This workshop explores what others have done and the impact of their actions - which can serve as road maps for our own lives.

Droppin Science on Whiteness: The Workshop
Facilitator: Enoch Page
In this interactive multimedia workshop, I take participants through an analysis of several forms of whiteness data. I use this data to demonstrate my pedagogical objectives and theoretical insights into whiteness. Those who participate may not agree with my analysis, but they will get concrete information about how to work with films, images and text in ways that help themselves and their constituents, students or clients to arrive at a far more concrete analyses of whiteness.

Participants will receive a copy of my recently published abstract for a November 2004 session on whiteness ethnography at the American Anthropological Association. Although my students are still new to whiteness and are still learning how to present their work in public, I am quite proud of the great strides they have made. They are all quite brilliant and I hope you will meet some of them in this workshop. Of course, not all of my brilliant students are in this abstract--smile.

Masculinity and Whiteness: An Examination of White Male
Facilitators: Catherine Orland and Tom Schiff
Privilege Our goals for this workshop are to: 1) challenge people's thinking; 2) provide models to deconstruct white and male privilege; 3) engage in critical dialogue; 4) offer participants cognitive and strategic tools for action. Utilizing experiential, interactive, and didactic components, we expect to have some lively discussion. No matter where you are in your journey/process, this workshop will have something to offer you. All are welcome.

:: workshops | session 2 (3:15pm - 5:00pm)

Race/Class/White Privilege and the War on Drugs: How Did We Get Into This Mess and What Can Be Done?
Facilitator: Clifford Wallace Thornton, Jr.
This workshop will address how the War on Drugs has devastated our communities, and how people of color have been the hardest hit. We will discuss strategies for obtaining reparations for the social and economic damages the war on drugs has inflicted on our communities. We will address the following questions: Should there be reparations? Should the drug policy reform movement use this word "reparations"? How can we obtain these monies? Should we raise taxes? Do we have too? What do you think?

White People Challenging Racism: Moving From Talk to Action
Facilitator: Jennifer Yanco and Steven Saranga
This workshop welcomes everyone, but focuses on white folks who are committed to racial justice and doing something about it. Those of us who are white may think that we’re not racist, but racism is deeply ingrained in our culture. We need to re-educate ourselves to make explicit the systems that privilege us at the expense of people of color, and then develop ways to stand against such systems. The workshop centers on action. We'll discuss and practice strategies for challenging racism in ourselves, in our communities, and in the institutions around us.

Cultivating Friendships Across Race: Sharing What We've Learned
Facilitator: Holly Hanson
We will create a conversation in which we learn from each other what we know about what it takes to create enduring friendships across race: We'll look at the potential challenges and address how we can successfully meet them.

Questioning Whiteness: Strategies for Teaching and Learning
Facilitators: Sandra Lawrence and Susan Pliner
Emerging from our own questioning as white educators about pedagogies of whiteness, we designed a course specifically for first year students, Whiteness and the Construction of Identity. The primary course goal was for students to explore the meanings of whiteness on an individual level, as well as in institutional, cultural and historical contexts. In this session we will provide an overview of the course, our own reflections of the challenges and successes of teaching, and students responses to and about their learning.

We will also examine the role of using authentic questions as keys to understanding the intricacies of race, racism, and whiteness in our lived experience. Participants will then have an opportunity to engage with selected activities used in the course. As a group we will reflect on both the content and the process of using this pedagogical approach within a broad range of learning environments. At the conclusion of the session we will have an opportunity to share resources for teaching and learning about whiteness (i.e. readings, activities, film titles, etc.). If you have resources to share please bring multiple copies.

Cultural Competency: Who’s Kidding Whom
Facilitator: Dwayne Brewington, Kamala Kiem, and La Wanza Lett-Brewington
Cultural competence embraces the principles of equal access and non-discriminatory practices within organizations. Does your organization embrace these principles? Or, do it just appear to be culturally competent while still maintaining the status quo? Not sure? This workshop may provide you with an answer.

Tips for Trainers
Facilitator: Andrea Ayvazian
Are you leading anti-racism workshops or discussion groups? Would you like to talk with others about what works/what doesn't? Would you like to hear from a veteran anti-racism educator who has lived through some very difficult moments in workshops and classrooms and can offer some advice so you avoid common pitfalls? White people and people of color are welcome at this "Tips for Trainers" workshop during which we will talk about the basic points we try to convey in any workshop, how to structure an anti-racism workshop, and what to never/always say!

Accountability
Facilitator: Catherine Orland and Rebecca Emerson
What it accountability? What does it mean for white folks to be accountable to other white folks? To people of color? To organizations or institutions? Can people of color be accountable to white folks? Also, what does it mean to take leadership from people of color? What prevents you personally, (or white people, or institutions) from taking leadership from people of color?

Together we will explore these questions, identifying the manifestations of what we have been taught to believe about white people and people of color. We will explore the inherent problems that result from uncooperative behavior and actions and will spend some time thinking about solutions. We believe it is important to understand the problem on a deep level before proposing "quick fix" solutions.

This workshop will also talk about the challenges associated with stating "white ally" groups and will provide energy, encouragement and examples to those wishing to lead or co-lead groups of their own in their respective communities, colleges, churches, etc. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions...

This workshop will also be helpful for people who are interested in exploring the concept of accountability in greater depth.

A Hands-on Approach to Addressing White Privilege in the Classroom
Facilitators: Beverley Bell, Bekka Lee, Kristen Ripley, and the Politics of Literacy students
Addressing White Privilege at a young age and within the classroom setting is an essential step in social justice. In this workshop we will teach an art activity that can be used to engage students in the race and White Privilege issues. We will discuss strategies for creating and encouraging dialog with students of all ages. This workshop is perfect for teachers, parents, or future educators!

Rapping Up Privilege, Moving On Justice: A Hiphop Freestyle on Racial Justice
Facilitator: Jeb Middlebrook, aka Privilege of EBTBcrew.com
What happens when we shut up and just move? This workshop explores that idea in three stages of movement and image theater: 1) Images of white privilege, 2) Images of racial justice, and 3) Moving from white privilege to racial justice. The goal is to practice, in real-time, community strategies for social change. "Rapping Up Privilege, Moving on Justice" honors a long tradition of anti-racist resistance and multiracial solidarity for a better world. Inspiration is drawn from a foundational element of Hiphop culture (freestyling), as well as the revolutionary work of theater practitioners Augusto Boal (Theater of the Oppressed); and USC grad student, Nicole Hodges (Freestyle Theater). Come ready to practice revolution!

Topic TBA
Facilitator: Aimée Sands