We wrapped up our class this Friday which was very confusing because usually blocks end on Wednesdays. The end of the block was thankfully pretty relaxed compared to how some blocks end, our final assignment was to come up with a constitution for the whiteness studies club on campus and on Friday we discussed as a class what our purposes, objectives and other ideas were for our club. Not everything is set in stone but the club’s name is going to be Critical Whiteness At Colorado College (CWACC, so we can be known as the CWACC-ers (crackers!)). I find this name very clever and keep an eye out on campus for us next semester!
This class has been so important for our school and I really do hope it continues to be taught because I know all the people in our class have benefitted from it and many others will too. And I hope for anyone who has been reading these blogs of mine you too have been inspired to learn more about whiteness and privilege. If you are interested in some readings I have included the books we have read throughout this course at the bottom of the blog.
So to sign off I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts. White is a race and there are consequences of being white but with whiteness comes privilege and although that should not cause guilt and make one hate his or her whiteness it is something they should be aware of. Tim Wise says that in order for there to be an underprivileged there must be an overprivileged but this word is not in the dictionary. So turn this guilt or feeling of privilege into something productive, recognize your whiteness or the whiteness around you and raise awareness that this does exist and that it is important for us to all see. When we are silent and never confront racism we are saying either that it does not exist (which is not true) or that we do not care (which I hope that is not true). So speak up when you need to, pick your battles but do not go on being silent. Thanks for reading!
If you’re interested here are the texts we read in this class:
Whiteness an Introduction by Steve Garner
Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror edited by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
Between Barack and a Hard Place by Tim Wise
EDUCATE YOURSELF!
