“…any comprehensive theory of white racial identity must explore the following three developmental tasks:
- Acknowledging the reality of white racism in its individual institutional, and cultural manifestations
- Abandoning racism and engaging in active resistance to its many forms.
- Developing a positive, non-racist, and authentic connection to white racial and cultural identity. (howard, 92)
This was a very hard chapter for me to digest. After reading it several times this has to be one of the only steps of abolishing a power dynamic in our country. The chapter discusses how “whites” are inherently racist and then goes on to discuss the stages of racism that “whites” may go through in life. I don’t think that I have ever gone through any of these stages, nor do I think I will. I can understand how there are exceptions to the rule. Many people have many biases and a select few are in another universe i.e. Klu Klux Klan and the Black Panthers or Muslim/Christian extremists. I don’t feel that the average 23 or 24 year old reading this book has any of these feelings of inherent or blatant racism towards anybody. I guess that part of this lack of understanding for me is I feel that I don’t associate myself as “white,” I associate myself as Italian-Irish. I can tell you each of my friends’ ethnicity as well and what is unique about each culture, even specifically to their family. Understanding somebody goes beyond color of the skin.
I do realize that we need to understand and change the institutional and cultural manifestations that are present, but I do think that our country is well on its way to doing so. This change sincerely only started with the civil rights movement with new societal scapegoats emerging in different times and places.
The only thing that any one person can do is to stand up to bias and racism and take action against immoral displays and ideas. Hopefully our actions as teachers become contagious with our students and our colleagues.
Great post, very thought provoking as to your ideas about your place in this stage development that Howard brings forth. I understand everything you are saying about the mid twenties person that is actually reading this book. It immediately makes me think that those that have the issue of racism and need to explore their own empathy wouldn't even be reading this book. The one's that are reading this are mainly teachers and higher level students, mainly NOt the root cause demographic of racist groups. Yes, I see Howard's points about teacher's ignorance to understanding their own racial identity. I agree with you that this needs to become a good contagious worldview through our own classrooms.
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