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"Conversations
about Race"
Dr. Beverly Tatum
WEB
OUTLINE OF DR. TATUM'S BOOK:
http://smccd.net/accounts/wongk/tatum.htm
Racial Identity
Development & Definitions (Tatum 1997: 16-17)
ETHNIC
GROUP
Defined
on cultural criteria
RACIAL
GROUP
"socially
defined on the basis of physical criteria"
"People of
Color" in U.S.
Majority of world’s
population
Major racial-ethnic
groups in U.S.
-
African
Americans / Blacks
-
American Indians
/ Native Americans
-
Latinos /
Hispanics
-
Asian Americans
(East Asians, South Asians, Southeast Asians, Central Asians)
"Caucasian"
- included Hindus & Arabs in the past
NOT "Colored
People" !!
Pre-civil rights
"polite" term, along with "Negro"
Now considered
insulting !
Still part of NAACP’s
name for historical reasons
[NAACP Founded in 1909]
"Oh, is
there still racism?" – P.3
-
Stereotypical
images in the media
-
Housing
discrimination in your community?
-
Biased lending
practices of banks
-
Racial tracking in
public schools
-
Racially motivated
hate crimes
-
"Prejudice"
– (Tatum 1997: 5-6)
"Preconceived
judgment or opinion"
Usually based on
limited information
We all have
prejudices
-
Consequence of
living in racist society
-
Stereotypical
images in the media
-
Ethnic jokes of
friends & family members
Accomplishments of
people of color mostly unknown to general public in U.S.
Interrupt the
Cycle of Prejudice
None of us is
completely innocent of prejudices
Prejudice is an
integral part of our socialization
WE DIDN’T CAUSE IT
– IT’S NOT OUR FAULT !
BUT
….
-
We should take
responsibility for it…
-
Do we go along
with negative messages?
-
Or do we challenge
them?
-
We can acknowledge
& examine our own prejudices
-
…& not
repeat the process with our children
"Cultural
Racism" (Tatum 1997: 6)
Cultural images and
messages that affirm the assumed superiority of Whites and the assumed
inferiority of people of color
Internalized Racism
People of color
internalize stereotypes about his or her group & about other people of
color
Affects self-esteem,
particularly in children who constantly are confronted with negative stereotypes
about people who look like them
Systemic Racism
More than just
"prejudice"
Prejudice + Power =
Racism
A system of advantage
based on "race"
(Tatum 1997: 7-8)
SYSTEMIC RACISM
definition
A system involving
cultural messages
and institutional
policies and practices
as well as the
beliefs & actions of individuals
IN THE U.S. >
This system operates
to the advantage of Whites
and to the
disadvantage of people of color.
Why
"Systemic" & "Power" ?
A system
involving cultural messages, institutional policies & practices (NORMS,
LAWS & EVERYDAY ACTIONS)
Interacts with
prejudicial beliefs and actions of individuals
Social power
means access to social, cultural, economic resources and decision-making
Institutionalized
racist policies & practices advantages the dominant subpopulation
What does it mean
to be "racist" ?
(Tatum 1997: 10)
THE ANSWER: Depends on
your definition of "Racism"
CONFUSION:
The word "racist" is used to mean "prejudiced"
Under certain
conditions, anyone can practice individual/isolated discrimination BUT ….
RACISM as "SYSTEM
of advantage"
means that people of
color do not benefit from systemic racism & racial-ethnic
discrimination in the United States, but European-Americans do benefit/have
benefited, whether they wish to or not
In that sense, it doesn't
make sense to call a person of color "racist" - because they do not benefit from
systemic racism or institutionalized racial discrimination (Not historically,
and not today).....
Interrupt Cycle of
Racism
(Tatum
1997: 11-12)
Active Racist
activity
Standing Still ??
Anti-Racism
activity
How does (systemic) racism
work ??
Active racism
Do I
unintentionally support systemic racism ?
Passive Racism
-
Subtle
-
Covert
-
Unintentional
-
Collusion
-
Laugh at racial
jokes?
-
Don’t notice?
-
Don’t speak up?
Status Quo ?
Business as Usual ?
Racial
Identity Development: “White
Identity”
Tatum,
Chapter 6
Can I be ANTI –
Racist ?
"…dismantling
of racism is in the best interests of everyone."
-
Be an
"Ally" – p.108
-
Develop
"empathy"
-
Examine your
identity
-
Speak up
-
Protest – join a
group
-
Don’t give up !
Domination &
Subordination
(Tatum 1997: 23-8)
Dominant groups
-
Hold power &
authority in society
-
Assign roles
& labels to people of subordinate groups
-
Dominant
worldview saturates entire culture
"Anglo-Saxon Core" Chap 3
American
Ethnicity
Members of dominant group
see themselves as the "norm" and they....
.....Many of us are
BOTH dominant & subordinate
Dominant: Myth of
Meritocracy
-
That advancement
is based on MERIT
-
"Anyone can
make in the U.S. it if he or she tries !"
-
Denies history of
discrimination
See Ch 3, AE re
Anglo-Saxon Core
-
Meritocracy
-
Individualism
Being in
Subordinate Group
Targeted groups are
labeled as "defective," "inferior," innately incapable of
performing preferred roles
-
Individuals may
"internalize" these labels
-
-
So, may take
on or "copy" dominant styles
-
Or, may
resist learning anything from dominant
-
Must be well-informed
about dominants
-
Subordinate group
has to focus on survival
How to
acknowledge each other?
No "hierarchy of
oppressions"
Recognize oppressions can be based on gender, race,
ethnicity, economic class, sexuality, age, physical abilities, and other
factors
All these categories overlap in real people.....
Empathy:
"place yourself in the other’s shoes"
Make meaning of targeted groups’ experience
Acknowledge complicity in oppression of others
Move toward
"full humanity"
Examining
"White Privilege"
What are advantages
of being "White" ?
-
Consider
yourself an "individual"
-
Not worry about
people seeing only your color
-
Not being
"blamed" for your position in life
-
Seldom hear that
"You people ….."
-
Not being target
of discrimination:
-
-
In stores, schools, banks, employment offices
-
When you look for work, housing
-
When you walk or drive down the street
Racism: Problem for
Whites too?
-
Discomfort about
topic of "race"
-
Feelings of guilt
or denial
-
Psychic pain
-
What to teach the
children?
Racism weakens the
multicultural potential of our nation; diversity has been our major strength
!!
STAGES
IN WHITE IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT,
Chapter Six
1 - CONTACT
“I’m
just normal.” -
unexamined
White/Caucasian identity
·
unaware of socialization into
ideas and feelings about race
·
internalized / absorbed many
stereotypes about people of color
·
perceive oneself as
“color-blind,” prejudice-free and “normal”
·
define “Racism” as prejudiced
behaviors of individuals
·
unaware of “Systemic Racism”
and “Institutional Discrimination”
·
little knowledge about the ethnic
backgrounds in family history
2 - DISINTEGRATION
·
When social significance of
“race” is made visible
·
Growing awareness of racism in
U.S. society
·
Begin to notice the effects of
racism on whites and people of color
·
Awareness of systemic racism may
cause discomfort
·
Person may deny the validity of
information regarding racism
·
May begin to “interrupt” the
cycle of racism
·
Challenge racial jokes
·
Question attitudes of other
whites
·
May feel pressure to
“collude” – to accept status quo of racism
3 - REINTEGRATION
·
Feelings of guilt or denial may
transform into fear and anger
·
Angry feelings about racism may
be re-directed toward people of color
·
May reject the responsibility of
working toward social change
·
Feeling of powerlessness – not
“privileged” or “advantaged”
·
Preference for feeling
“innocent” and returning to “color-blindness”
·
Frustrated by awareness of group
membership in “whiteness”
·
Yearns to be seen as an
“individual” and not a member of white population
·
Targeted people (Jewish,
homosexual) deny privileged status of whiteness
4 - PSEUDO-INDEPENDENT
·
Intellectual understanding of
systemic racism as “system of advantage”
·
But doesn’t know what to do
about racism
·
Self-consciousness, “white
liberal guilt”
·
May seek association with people
of color
·
“Whiteness” experienced as a
source of shame
5 - IMMERSION/EMERSION
·
Recognizing a need to find a more
positive self-definition
·
Trying to move beyond roles of
“victim” and “victimizer”
·
Learning about white anti-racists
may be helpful
·
Resisting “marginalized”
status of being anti-racist in our society
·
Learning to be an Ally
·
“Allies need allies” – need
for other anti-racist whites in one’s life
·
participating in white
consciousness-raising groups helpful
6 - AUTONOMY
·
Incorporates newly defined view
of Whiteness – knowledge of one’s ethnicity
·
Racial identity development never
ends – a lifelong process
·
Open to new information and new
ways of thinking about race & culture
·
Enjoys increased effectiveness in
multiracial settings
·
Appreciation and respect for the
identity struggles of people of color
·
Engage in ongoing dialogue
·
Feeling “liberated” and open
to new possibilities for creating human, multicultural connections
People of color have actively resisted racism since 1600s...
Whites too have done a lot of ANTI-RACISM work throughout U.S. History!!
Anti-Racist
Goal–B. Tatum (206)
"We all
have a sphere of influence. Each of us needs to find our own sources of
courage so that we will begin to speak…. I have seen that meaningful
dialogue can lead to effective action. Change is possible."
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