AVReading Newsletter January-- Make It a Beginning; Not an Ending

 

As we become more and more familiar with the way that white supremacy acts and flourishes within our community, we have been able to identify some of its defense mechanisms.  One of which is the mechanism of white fragility.  The concept was originally coined by Robin DiAngelo in the International Journal of Critical Pedagogy (2011) to mean the following: 

White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. (54)

Though the concept itself is not difficult to understand, the way it operates and how it plays out can be rather complex. Typically, white fragility comes out in a number of thoughts expressed by people when they feel confronted by racist choices they have made.  Sharkey Holie calls it being “offensitive”, or being overly sensitive about things they have done that could be perceived as racist.  Some people say things like, “This has more to deal with class than race,” or “I never intended to hurt someone with this racist thing I said,”  or “It’s not racist,” or “Don’t you think you are reading into this just a little too much?” or “If you are suggesting that I am racist, then I am ending this conversation right now.”  Some of these might seem dramatic, but according to DiAngelo, they happen all too frequently.   

Upon first encountering the concept of white fragility, teachers will likely respond in a number of ways.  The first is likely to be, “But I’m not racist.  I’m one of the good people.”  The idea of white fragility comes as a shock to some of us because there is a good chance that we entered education specifically to right the wrongs of the past, to make our world a better, more tolerant and accepting society where all people-- regardless of who they are, where they come from, what they believe-- can be treated with respect.  So it comes as a surprise to think that even despite good intentions, we are part of a system that perpetuates inequality.  

The second likely response is a little more nuanced.  Teachers from this group might believe that white fragility does in fact exist, but it is a problem that other people who are less informed about racism experience.  They can generally hold on to this idea until they are confronted by their own racial biases, at which point their concept of racism is suddenly disrupted and they have to either reconsider their own understanding of race or find ways to reconcile their perceptions, choices and behaviors as benign or harmless.  

Here are some tools to help address our fragility.

Accept the fact that you will sometimes say and do racist things.  Racism is something that is part of the way we are socialized.  From the moment we are born, it is subtly part of the way we are raised.  Understanding that, allows me to accept criticism a little more easily. As DiAngelo writes, “If I understand racism as a system into which I was socialized, I can receive feedback on my problematic racial patterns as a helpful way to support my learning and growth” (4).  This means that instead of being offended when I am called out, I should actually consider it an opportunity to be better.

Using the criticism as a starting point, not an ending point.  In her essay, “What if being called racist is the beginning, not the end of the conversation” (Moore, 2018), Elizabeth Denevi explains how sometimes her students of color would accuse her of being racist.  Too often, she explains, she would shut that down through a flat denial and then end the conversation.  However, she said a better approach would be to listen carefully, acknowledge the feelings, and think more deeply about why the students are feeling this way in the first place.  

Stand in discomfort and do not feel as though you must respond to everything.  In a June 2019 NYT article, David Brooks tells the story of a white community organizer who was working to create a community center in a predominantly black neighborhood.  In the process, he met with a considerable amount of anger and frustration from the members of the black community.  As Brooks explains, the white community organizer originally wanted to argue back, to tell them that he was one of the “good white people trying to do something right.”  But his black partner advised him to just listen.  He explained that while the white community organizer might feel powerless or voiceless in the midst of these brief discussions, the members of the black community have felt that way for their entire lives.  Just listen.  Doing so is the first step in building trust. 

 

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AVReading Newsletter January-- The Story of Words

            Because culture is so deeply embedded in language, it is often important that we spend a little time thinking very specifically about the words and phrases we choose to use, and under what circumstances.  While some might bristle at the thought of adapting our language to accommodate the latest trends and thinking, I see it differently.  For the change isn’t with our trends or thinking, but with a greater awareness of inequities that have always existed.  

Our goal isn’t to jump onto the next passing fad of buzz words or acceptable terminology, but rather to raise an awareness of language and how it can potentially perpetuate stereotypes or marginalize members of our community.  The idea is that we work harder to avoid the “but I didn’t know” category of mistakes.  And better yet, to help our students figure them out as well.  

Here is a case in point.  Not too long ago, some type of meme was circulating through social media that inspired some of our students to call one another “boy.”  Imitating the video, they would often say it as a jeer, which might seem relatively harmless.  However, the moniker of “boy” has a rather disturbing past.  It was a derogatory term used by the white community in interactions with Black men throughout the days of slavery and Jim Crow to establish their subordination within a given social exchange.  Many of our students have no idea of this history, and it is important that we help them to see how they need to be careful of the things they pull from pop culture and the things they see around them.  

There are many other examples, far too many to cover here, but I will offer a few that can be hurtful to people within our community.  If you do use some of these, but have never considered them to be hurtful, you might look them up and learn a little more about their origins and what they connote for some people.  

The G-Word.  You might hear someone say g-word (a derivative of the word gypsy) when they mean, “swindled” or “tricked”, but doing so ignores the ethnic culture of the Romany people and how they have often been targeted  and persecuted by the dominant culture throughout history.  

Cotton Pickin.  This phrase has been associated to a racial slur for African Americans who were referred to as “cotton pickers.”  

Monkey.  I had an incident not too long ago where a white student kept making references to a classmate (who was a student of color) as a monkey.  The white student claimed that he meant nothing by it, and once I explained a little of the racialized history behind the reference, he still did not want to acknowledge the impact of his choice.  

Again, we don’t need “language” police to tell us what words to use and not to use.  It’s more about becoming aware of what other people might be hearing when you use certain words and phrases. It can be a bit overwhelming.  I sometimes wonder, “Well, how can I possibly know or learn about every potential instance of words and phrases that might be hurtful.”  The answer is that I simply cannot know it all.  This does not mean that I should simply ignore the instances where it is brought to my attention, claiming that “people just need to be less sensitive.”  It means that I am ever vigilant, ever willing to own what I do not know and to change the word choice and promise to do better. 

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