In the last couple of posts, I have been exploring definitions of race and white privilege. Some of you replied with tips for teaching about privilege, thanks! As a follow-up, this blog posting looks at white racial identity, and some interesting ideas about how whites move through different stages of consciousness about race and racism. I find them very helpful in plotting out where learners (myself included) are at and how to move forward with an educational plan.
One of the important voices in anti-racism research is American Ruth Frankenberg. In 1993, she identified 5 phases of white racial consciousness. As you read through the list, think about what your perspective is (your race, your experiences) and where you might be on this scale at this time. Remember, no one is ever "there", we are all changing constantly, learning from our experiences and from one another.
1) Essentialist racism - whites are superior based on biological differences
2) Colour blindness - ignoring race and avoiding any dialogue about differences
3) Power evasion - recognizing racial differences but not acknowledging there are power differences between whites and other races
4) Racial cognizance: rethinking race and power - recognizing white privilege and undertsanding institutional racism
5) Racial cognizance: transforming silence into language and action - being conscious of our own racism and acting to change things
I think about my life and how I have moved through these stages of awareness, sometimes moving forward, sometimes back, sometimes quite blind in one area but aware in another. I found a journal entry recently in a diary from my 20's and smiled as I listened to my younger self grappling with questions provoked by my friendship with a Jamaican Canadian. Why did she challenge me as a "white" - weren't we just equals? Why did she get so upset when she heard whites reproducing "black" music? Couldn't they play what they wanted? I was still in stage 2 or 3, blind to how her life was different from mine, not able to see that I had an invisible privilege, even though it was very visible to her. I didn't feel very privileged, being a rural gal struggling in a big city, feeling like an outsider myself. Over time, that changed as I learned how much more easily I moved through a world made by and for white people, even if some parts of my life were quite marginal (like being a single mother).
I have created a short info sheet on the stages of white racial identity formation that you are welcome to use or adapt in the classroom, and as always, it is an open acces Word document so that you can edit it as needed. I have cited my sources there (including Frankenberg) and the content comes from a new library resource. Just click on the gold Diversity logo above and you'll find it in the wiki.
