Monthly Archives: January 2008

Part Two of Dallas South interview with Barbara Trepagnier, author of Silent Racism

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Here's is the second and concluding part of my interview with Barbara Trepagnier on her book Silent Racism. 

Dallas South:  How do White Americans like the ones you studied feel about the concept of institutional racism?

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Barbara Trepagnier: Most white people do not understand how racism works, which means they don’t understand institutional racism. The predominant white definition of racism is that it is deliberate and hateful. But institutional racism is often neither deliberate nor hateful.

People in all sectors of society make decisions based on the information they carry in their heads. For most white people, that information is distorted by stereotypical images and paternalistic assumptions. It is not surprising that many white decisions have negative consequences for blacks and other people of color.  

DS: There are a number of "liberal" or "progressive" white blogs that will not tolerate any accusation that their views regarding Barack Obama and the Presidential campaign are shaped by race.  Why is it so hard for liberal/progressives to imagine that their ideas and beliefs can still be affected by race? 

BT: I haven’t seen the blogs you are talking about, but I will say this: being accused (your word!) of racism is about the worst thing you can say about a white person today, especially someone who is racially progressive. Part of the problem is that the categories “racist” and “not racist” imply that people who do antiracist work are by definition “not racist.”

My work transforms the oppositional categories into a continuum that indicates that some people are “more racist” and others are “less racist” but no one is literally “not racist.” I believe that if the progressive blogger adopted this point of view, they would be much more open to seeing their own silent racism.

Think about it: If people define racism as hateful, they are likely to deny the accusation because they would never be hateful. I think the definition of racism today is very problematic and that the oppositional categories are part of the problem.

“Today, many white people sincerely believe that racism is hateful and rare. African Americans know that isn’t true because of their life experiences.”

DS:  Do younger white Americans (Gen X, Gen Y, and younger) understand the history of racism and how prevalent it was in American society?

BT: Shawn, I don’t think any white people, young or old, know very much about racism in this country—maybe white history teachers do! In school, students are taught about ending slavery, not about slavery. Students are taught about the civil rights movement, not about segregation. Our historical legacy is filled with racism, and it did not magically disappear because legal segregation ended with the civil rights movement.

DS:  What do you hope people will understand as a result of having read Silent Racism?

BT: I hope that well-meaning white people will begin to define racism differently. Today, many white people sincerely believe that racism is hateful and rare. African Americans know that isn’t true because of their life experiences. But whites who don’t have close friends who experience racism don’t see it unless it is blatant.

If well-meaning white people reject the oppositional categories and accept the racism continuum, a sea change will follow in the way people generally think about racism. Racism that is now hidden by the categories will be exposed. Well-meaning white people will stop feeling threatened by being perceived as somewhat racism.  

It is important that well-meaning white people see that we are all are part of the racial status quo, regardless of racial/ethnic category, and that whites benefit from it and hold it in place. Well-meaning white people have an opportunity to reject the traditional model of racism—that some people are racist and some are not—and acknowledge our part in how racism operates. Just as some well-meaning white people during slavery worked in the Underground Railroad and some worked with blacks to end legal segregation, we need to courageously stand up against the silent racism of our day.

DS:  Thanks Barbara!

BT: Thank you Shawn. I appreciate your thoughtful questions, and hope you will encourage people to check out the silent racism website at www.SilentRacism.com. There is a lot of information on the site, as well as a place to sign up for the silent racism email list.

Dallas South interviews Barbara Trepagnier author of ‘Silent Racism’ (Part 1 of 2)

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trepagnier062707.jpgI ride around listening to NPR on KERA throughout the day, but it's rare that I catch Think hosted by Krys Boyd.  Last week I happened to land on 90.1 and heard the beginning of a conversation Ms. Boyd's was having with Barbara Trepagnier.

Their discussion centered on Ms. Trepagnier's book Silent Racism: How Well-Meaning White People Perpetuate the Racial Divide.

The interview was both provocative and informative.  I thought the readers of Dallas South would enjoy Barbara's thoughts about racism and how even the most "well meaning" folks can fall victim.  She teaches sociology at Texas State University-San Marcos.

Download Barbara's interview on Think here .

Find out more about the book Silent Racism here .

Dallas South:  Why did you write Silent Racism?

Barbara Trepagnier: Shawn, thank you for inviting me to do this interview. I was in graduate school when I realized (because an acquaintance told me) that I had said something that was perceived as racist. At first, I was mortified, and then I realized that even though I hadn’t intended to, what I said was racist. I decided that for my dissertation I would study people like me: people who care about racism but at times say or do things that are somewhat racist.

DS:  In the subtitle of your book you use the term "well meaning white people."  Tell me what is meant by that term and how it played into your study.

BT: Well-meaning white people care about racism, and would not do anything intentionally racist. However, they (we) often don't know very much about race matters, and occasionally we say something that is patronizing or downright insulting without even knowing it. One of the important points of the book is that intentions don’t matter, the effects of what we say and do matters.

Silent racism is my term for the stereotypes and negative assumptions that are held in the minds of white people who, like me, care about racism and want to contribute to lessening it. I believe that those negative thoughts at times slip out, and influence decisions we make.

DS:  What was the most surprising thing that you found in your research for this book?

BT: The amount of racism I found surprised me a lot. I invited women who care about racism to join the study—the flier said, “Women Against Racism.” I expected to find some racism in the participants, but I didn't expect to find so much. Virtually all of the women who came to the study were somewhat racist  and some of them expressed ideas that were much more racist than I expected.

silentbook.jpgTwo other patterns emerged that surprised me. For one, the importance of racial passivity was not expected. I have come to believe that white people who are passive in the face of other people’s racism are equally at fault. No one likes to interrupt racism, but our silence sends a strong message that we agree with the racist statement or joke that was expressed.

And finally, I found that race awareness is more important in lessening institutional racism than whether someone is racist (we are). And the best predictor of high race awareness is whether people have close friendships African Americans and whether they talk about racism with their black friends.

DS:  You studied white women for Silent Racism and many of them said they were afraid of black men.  What are they afraid of?

BT: The fear of black men was striking, and it comes from stereotypes in our culture, especially ones that link black men to crime and violence. It doesn't help that so many white people, including women, do not have close friends who are black—if they did, the stereotypes would not have so much influence. As it stands, people believe the stereotypes, and fear is the result.

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PAUL QUINN COLLEGE ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF EXTENSIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM

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pq.gifThis February, Paul Quinn College will launch a Continuing Education program in an effort to expand its offerings and increase community involvement. Youth programs will focus on academic enhancement, fun and leisure, while adult classes offer personal, cultural and professional enrichment.

Topics for the non-credit courses range from Computer Literacy and Grant Writing to an Entrepreneur Leadership Institute and a review of the Old Testament.  Classes are open to new and returning students, as well as the community at large.

Sessions are to be held once a week in the evenings, late afternoons or on weekends throughout the month of February.   Paul Quinn College is located at 3837 Simpson Road in Dallas.  For more information or a class schedule, please call Dr. Simmons at 214.302.3507 or Raymond Weeks at 214.302.3622 or check out the web site at www.pqc.edu 

About Paul Quinn College

Paul Quinn College is a four-year private, liberal arts institution.  Founded in Austin, Texas in 1872, by a small group of African Methodist Episcopal Church ministers; the College became the oldest historically black college west of the Mississippi River. Paul Quinn is fully accredited by The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and is one of the thirty-nine member institutions of The United Negro College Fund (UNCF). It was recently selected as the Tom Joyner Foundation School of the Month for April 2007. 

 

 

Gina McCauley interviews Rev. Jesse Jackson about 2008 Presidential race for Essence Magazine

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Our sister in blog Gina McCauley of What About Our Daughters has landed an exclusive interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson.  The interview comes on the heels of Barack Obama's decisive victory in the South Carolina Primary. 

Let me say that I am extremely proud of Gina and the work that she is doing.  It's great to seen a publication like Essence recognizing the talents of such a dedicated individual.  Here is just a portion of Gina's interview with Rev. Jackson:

Essence.com: We’ve gotten used to the whole red state vs. blue state narrative. When you hear that 87,000 more Democrats voted in the Democratic primary than Republicans voted in the Republican primary, do you think we could see a change in the whole concept of what “swing state” means?

J.J.: In ’84 we put on two million new voters. In ’86 we regained the Senate because of the new southern vote. We regained the Senate in North Carolina, in Georgia, in Louisiana, in Florida and in California in ’86. A surge in Black voters in the South is the key to the Senate and the White House.

Essence.com: They were inspired by it? Okay, that’s what I was going to ask you. To what do you attribute the record turnout?

J.J: We have the inspiration that Barack brings to the scene. Hillary, Bill—are well liked in many circles. Edwards is from South Carolina. You have an interesting combination of three people with appeal in that state. This is the first state beyond Iowa and New Hampshire where Blacks had a chance to express their vote in what has been a yearlong campaign. Blacks were courted by the media in ways that they seldom are, and those Blacks wound up being the critical difference in the election.

Essence.com: I’ve encountered many people who say we shouldn’t question Senator Obama about what he will do specifically for African-Americans, that we should just get him in the White House and then worry about specific issues. Should we be attempting to nail him down?

J.J: Every issue that came up, he addressed. The issue of affirmative action; he’s for affirmative action. The issue of jail or criminal disparities; he’s addressed that issue. The issue of should every vote count; he’s addressed that issue. I think in this setting, we really have to look at the common ground that includes our interests. For example, in South Carolina, 62 percent of the people who work don’t have health insurance. That affects everybody. The subprime crisis. It affects us disproportionately, but it affects everybody. The Iraq War affects everybody. In Iowa I was talking about family farmers. By the time we got to Chicago, I was talking about urban abandonment. I am about addressing the structural inequalities. The media has some responsibilities to ask the right questions.

Essence.com: It’s interesting that you say that, because I’m a younger voter. I’m a blogger and a lot of bloggers are saying that they are so turned off, and they are so irate about how the Clintons are treating Barack Obama that they absolutely will not vote for her if she wins the nomination.

J.J: That means that they’re going to vote for some anti–civil rights Republicans, who’s going to further stack the Supreme Court. And they’re going to vote for some anti–affirmative action Republicans. So you have to be mature in this process. You have to think this thing through. Politics also comes down to options. In this marathon race, you have to be walking through a storm and thinking at the same time. Barack has my vote. My point is that when it’s over, the two of them and the others who ran must close ranks because you cannot beat the right wing unless you do.

Essence.com: Do you think that in your lifetime you will see an African-American woman win eleven primaries or caucuses?

J.J: She has to run first. You can’t ask the question that way. You’ll never know what’s possible until you put the pedal to the metal. They have to run. They have to go for it. You can’t guess that. You have to work for it. There are qualified Black women who can do that, to answer that question. There are Black women who are qualified, but you have to take the risks, do the work and take the hits because politics is a contact sport.

Read Gina's outstanding interview in its entirety by clicking here. 

Henry Louis Gates launches “The Root”, online magazine with news discussion and geneology

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99-gates.jpgOn Monday, author/scholar Henry Louis Gates launched a new  website called The Root.  The site will be an online magazine, featuring thought-provoking commentary from a variety of black perspectives—including a blogroll that links to African-American themed sites.

Harvard Professor Henry "Skip" Gates is editor-in-chief of the site. Former New York Times reporter Lynette Clemetson and Terence Samuel of AOL Black Voices also lead the editorial team. You can expect to read articles from contributors including Malcolm Gladwell, Thelma Golden, William Julius Wilson, John McWhorter and Charlayne Hunter Gault.

In addition to news and views, the site will have a section on genealogy, allowing the black community to trace its ancestry and create family trees.  This feature differentiates The Root from most other black webmags that already exist.

To find out more, visit www.theroot.com 

 

Kirby Warnock questions services available in Southern Dallas

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Last week Kirby Warnock continued to make the case for improved services in Southern Dallas via a thoughtful Dallas Morning News.  Here are some highlights from Mr. Warnock's column:

  • What has become painfully obvious to me is that there are two Dallases, and I'm not talking about the racial divide. I'm speaking of basic city services: roads, parks and code enforcement. The city cannot do anything about the demographic makeup of my neighborhood, but it can do something about the roads and parks.
  • First, our roads. They are in worse shape than our northern neighbors'. Oak Cliff has more streets that require resurfacing, more that lack curbs and sidewalks, and more without street lights than north Dallas. These statistics come from the city of Dallas' Web site, under "unfunded needs." Why can't the city pave and repair our roads with as much vigor as it does the northern half?
  • Second, our parks. A visit to Kidd Springs Rec Center in Oak Cliff should be contrasted with a visit to the Churchill Rec Center in North Dallas. Don't our children deserve a decent, well-maintained rec center, too? A quick check of the Dallas Parks Web site shows that of the seven parks with Wi-Fi access, only one of them (Kidd Springs) is south of the Trinity River. The other six are all in North Dallas. There are three tennis centers in North Dallas, but only one in Oak Cliff.
  • Third, our public schools. Results from the DISD show that W.T. White and Hillcrest high schools (in North Dallas) had 34 and 46 students, respectively, pass the college-level AP exams. In Oak Cliff, Sunset, the high school nearest me, had 10. (Please don't tell me to consider private schools in my area, as I am a longtime public education advocate.)

  • Don't minority families in Dallas deserve a decent road, a decent park and the junked cars to be removed from the neighborhood eyesore?  After all, they – and I – have children and a yearning for a decent quality of life.

See Mr. Warnock's entire column by clicking here.


 

UPDATE:Caroline Kennedy to endorse Barack Obama in New York Times Op/Ed “A President Like My Father”

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CNN and MSNBC report Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg will endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic Presidential nomination.  The endorsement will appear via a New York Times Opinion piece on Sunday.

I finally found the Kennedy/Schlossberg endorsement.  Here are some of the highlights:
  • carolyn-kennedy.jpgOVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
  • Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.
  • Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.
  • I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

Read the entire Op/Ed piece by clicking here.