Courageous
Action:
Assume everyone is a potential ally.
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Public Events & Learning Labs
For more information, call 503-281-5585, email info@wmfdp.com or visit wmfdp.com
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If Race Doesn't Matter, Why Is It So Hard to Talk About?
by Jo Ann Morris |
The name of our company is White Men as Full Diversity Partners. Hidden in full view in our name is the word "white." It is used to signify race, but for the whites I've met, worked with or lived with, race is not a concept they automatically apply to themselves or consciously live as a dynamic different from those of other races.
For the majority of citizens of the United States, race is not a subject that warrants a great deal of reflection. In Diversity in Action, Lisa Bigman likens it to living in a house with electricity. "I always expected the power to be on, because I lived there. Occasionally, there were power failures, but they were always fixed quickly enough and certainly had nothing to do with me."
For others, however, race is an issue that does not go away. Many people reside in a state of "passive acceptance" or "active resistance" toward racism and their racial identity. For them race is central to the expression of personal and social identity. How people deal with the impact of race in their daily lives is like dealing with unexpected power failures of short or longer duration. If a person is placed in the "trusted" category by airport security, it's likely they experience the privilege of having their lights on more often than not so that power failures "are not about them" (or their race). Reoccurring power failures can make race more central to the way whole groups of individuals are seen by the society and culture in which they exist. Read more - download the full article.
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Uncovering the Nuance of Privilege
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The next time you travel, take on the role of cultural anthropologist and observe how different people are treated based on their "group" membership. Remember, systemic privileges are the unspoken, unacknowledged benefits that come to a person through no virtue of their own, but are made to look normal and available to any person who wants them.
When you're standing in line at airport security, observe the nuance of privilege, whether it is white male privilege or other privilege such as class, age, ethnicity or gender.
- How would you describe the people standing in line? Use obvious differences such as: men, women, older people, adults with children, white or people of color. Also notice differences in dress, speech and expression.
- Notice your reactions when you see people being treated differently as they interact with T.S.A. officers and airport security. How do you perceive a person's dress, accent, physical appearance and personal hygiene habits impacting the type of service they receive? The differences may be subtle - or not.
- Imagine the effect on the people involved if they receive this sort of service or treatment - good, bad or indifferent - day after day. What expectations, attitudes and mindsets might they develop about how they move through life?
The T.S.A. is currently looking at several proposals to improve security (Read The New York Times February 7 article). One idea would separate people into "trusted," "regular" and "risky" categories.
- What risk category would you expect to fit in?
- As you look around, what assumptions do you make about who might be considered "risky," "trusted," or "regular"?
- How might the assumptions you or others make, consciously or unconsciously, affect the lives of those you have observed?
Adapted from Diversity Partnership Tips for White Men, A Skills-Building Field Guide, by Bill Proudman, Michael Welp and Jo Ann Morris. For more activities that can be used at work to increase cultural competence, order a copy.
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We're grateful for our clients' courageous actions and persistence in doing the work that creates diversity partnerships and makes inclusive organizations a reality. Let us know your story. Tell us about the courageous leadership occurring right now in your organization.
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