Very Liberal Workplace

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Well I was responding to how you were saying that people were being defensive. I think people aren’t necessarily being defensive. They are saying they may or may not agree with the book. But even if they do they also wouldn’t put themselves into difficult or impossible positions, arguing with those who have made up their mind. It’s saying your not going to get drawn in to or used as a sacrificial pawn.
 
Defensiveness is a reaction. It comes across as a how-dare-you tone of moral outrage.

Thoughtful debate is a response. It comes across more thoughtfully, as in, "It’s interesting that you say that, because my thought is . . . "

In this thread, I’m seeing a lot more of the former, in which case it would be fair of the author to call it out.
 
I do hope that you read the book, OP. Even if you disagree with the premise; as someone in the education field I’m sure you can appreciate the notion that you don’t necessarily need to agree with everything you read. Rather, you read to expand your knowledge and your understanding of the way other people think. There’s truly no harm in reading it. If you finish reading it and come to the conclusion that this book isn’t appropriate for whomever you’re teaching, then there you go. But you should always go into books with an open mind, I believe. Your other posts seem to indicate that you are on the defense and very much not open.
 
It also ignores the fact that racism is not a “white” issue; it is a person issue. To act as though other races have no racism is to project an ideology which does not reflect reality.

Is the US - and Canada, and Europe - mostly “white”? Yes. Has there been a lack of equality between “Whites” and other races? absolutely no question. Has there been racial prejudice by other races against whites? To say “no” is to deny reality. How often have successful African Americans been called “Uncle Tom” because of their success? I have heard it all too often, particularly if they are “conservative”. And “whitey” is one of the milder names used to express a racist attitude.

Does family matter? Lyndon Johnson led the initiative to change welfare which resulted that an African American family had a male present in the household, they could not receive. And that was the start of the disintegration of a tremendous number of families, no father present. Given the number of laws he pursued and signed in, I would not call him a racist; but the law of unintended consequences certainly turned it (the family unit) into a quagmire.

The book is clearly an ideological manifesto based on opinions, not facts, and makes the issue of discussing racism more difficult as it attempts to create guilt where there is none. The attitude and concept of individuality is not a myth; and the mantra that success depends on “you being white” slanders each and every non-white individual who is successful. Middle class African American families and Hispanic families are successful, then, because they are “white” (or substitute "Uncle Toms)?

And the whole mantra ignores other “non-white” groups; reverse racism is a fact for Asian youth. Ah - but we don’t discuss them, right?

I am not suggesting that no whites are racist - I know far too well there are plenty. But I know far more whites who are not racist. The book is not designed to have an intelligent discussion of racism; it is designed to further the current progressive mantra which has become quite popular in certain circles. Noam Chomsky would be quite proud.
 
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Jen95 said:
If I’m a person of color, can I move into a ritzy suburb with good schools?
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Today, technically yes. Definitely not within LIVING memory. While white privilege is definitely less of a thing than it was in 1960, it would be foolish to think its been completely eradicated in only a handful of decades…
 
Tis_Bearself said:
White people who have had to struggle in life or who have experienced prejudice over their own ethnic background, religion, or economic class also don’t like being told they are somehow privileged just because they are white, especially when they see a lot of attention being paid to making places in schools and workforces for racial minorities but no one reaching out to help them.
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Exactly. You hit that one out of the ballpark, Bear. I’ll just add my “ditto!”
 
Hello Poster Otjm,

It is true that many left leaning intellectuals make the argument that only white people can be racist. It’s a tautological argument based on the claim that racism requires societal “power” by definition. You are likely to encounter some form of that in this book. However, it is not the central premise of the book, nor is it essential to accept this to benefit from many of the excellent points the book does make. This is also not a belief universally held among the author’s peers. Ibram Kendi argues against it in “How to be an Anti-racist.”

Personally I found WF to be helpful. I read alot of things that have parts I dont agree with. Dostoyevsky has some pretty anti-catholic rants…

Have you read the book in question?
 
RobertAdams said:
It is true that many left leaning intellectuals make the argument that only white people can be racist. It’s a tautological argument based on the claim that racism requires societal “power” by definition.
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Yes, that’s how I remember it being described in some of my college classes. The idea is that any race can be prejudiced, but only the dominant race can be racist because racism = prejudice + power.

I don’t know if everyone agrees on that definition of racism or not, but I think it’s important to recognize that this is how some people are defining the term, which is why the term doesn’t appear to be applied fairly to those who would define racism as a prejudice on the basis of race.

Honestly, this is an issue where I try to do more listening than talking. I know I don’t feel like I have any prejudice or behave in a racist way. And I sometimes feel like racial tensions escalate when people talk about them too much (as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy). But then, I’m not a minority race, so I can only imagine that it’s possible for me to have blind spots I don’t recognize. I mean, I know how easy it is for me to have blind spots in a whole lot of areas of life.
 
Shasta-Rose said:
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Tis_Bearself:
White people who have had to struggle in life or who have experienced prejudice over their own ethnic background, religion, or economic class also don’t like being told they are somehow privileged just because they are white, especially when they see a lot of attention being paid to making places in schools and workforces for racial minorities but no one reaching out to help them.
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Exactly. You hit that one out of the ballpark, Bear. I’ll just add my “ditto!”
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If I could add, I think we are seeing some African American young people, many of whom seem to be kids who go to fancy high socio-economic suburban schools, and have all the extras like private music lessons, sports camps etc. It seems wrong that colleges and programs are specially favoring these African American kids, who are already financially advantaged, when it’s the African American kids living in poverty who need the special outreach and programs.
Like those kids who get into all 8 of the Ivy League schools – those kids are typically minorities, or white and from an under-represented state.
 
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otjm said:
Lyndon Johnson led the initiative to change welfare which resulted that an African American family had a male present in the household, they could not receive. And that was the start of the disintegration of a tremendous number of families, no father present.
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Respectfully, I think you’re over-simplifying things here.
otjm said:
The book is clearly an ideological manifesto based on opinions, not facts, and makes the issue of discussing racism more difficult as it attempts to create guilt where there is none.
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otjm said:
The book is not designed to have an intelligent discussion of racism; it is designed to further the current progressive mantra which has become quite popular in certain circles.
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Did you read it?
 
I think you should trust that your boss is reasonable and express your own perspective on the prevalence and ramifications of white privilege. If he is not reasonable, then it is better to find out now and pursue a better job than live in fear writing things you disagree with. The fact that he wants help could mean he is open to entertaing an opposing/balanced perspective in the book.
 
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