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The author's work is deficient, and actually IS racist

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The author's work is deficient, and actually IS racist

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Being supportive and inclusive of others is something we all should take to heart.  Believing that, it's also patently offensive to judge and make false associations between what Okun terms "whiteness."  For example, who gets to determine what "characteristics of white supremacy culture show up in organizations?"  I would have preferred the Okun had not started from a deficit mindset.  This is an example of an academic with no real life experience.  Try having no "defined organizational outcomes" in business and see how it works out.  When will authors such as this one (whose work, noteably, is mostly based on "notes" from "workshops") who preach inclusion stop dividing us all along racial lines and, in fact, preaching white deficiency rather than building up all students and celebrating all cultures?  Humanizing should not mean telling a whole group of people how horrible their culture is.  Instead, it should be about building connections between individuals so that education is more relatable.  Okun has profited from selling books about racism and her motivation is clear: write more books, give more workshops, and make more profit on the circuit.  It's hard to believe the lack of critical thinking from fellow faculty on this reflection board.

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As a researcher, I "know" how the educational systems work. As an adjunct faculty, I know how critical these humanistic/equity pedagogies are for students of color and other underserved students. As a woman of color, I have seen and experienced the hegemonic white dominant narrative that drives policy, procedures, and practices within systems of education. I have attended a number of equity driven professional development sessions this past year, in which a majority have been lead by scholars of color. This session was unique in that it created a safe space, a beautiful space, to acknowledge White privilege and to better understand the individualistic nature of dominant White culture. These sessions are so important for faculty, especially White faculty, to better navigate ways to understand different cultures and narratives, and ways of knowing. I came away inspired that so many attended the session, and hope to continue my self-guided practice, through and beyond these sessions. Much love and thanks, Audrey

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As a distance ed coordinator, this past year has had a significant impact on how I perceive my position in the institution. Stress levels went through the roof. Characteristics of a white supremacy culture crept back in to my work practices in a way that has been unsettling, yet received as acceptable; paternalism, perfectionism, quantity over quality, and a continual sense of urgency. This week our college hosted a presentation by Dr. Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility. That event and Tema Okun’s paper made an impact. Thank you for inspiring us to do better.

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This Fall was my first attempt to teach a full semester online with my usual (pre-COVID) schedule of courses. I quickly got overwhelmed, which affected my grading and communication. Thinking about today's sessions, I see that I need to find ways to better manage my work flow because the end result of this breakdown is a continuation of the status quo in which "success is given to the successful" (to borrow from David Stroh). Put another way, the breakdown in communication leads to defensiveness on my part while reproducing a system that rewards only the individualistic students and hurts students more aligned to a collectivist culture. I don't want to just be a part of a system that creates the result it was designed to produce, but I'm still working out how to find the balance to avoid that outcome.

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Two lessons stayed with me after today's presentations. 1) "Belonging is not the same as fitting in." As instructors, we must be intentional about creating inclusive environments. 2) "The less we know about a person, the more we make up." Therefore, getting to know one another's stories and one another's experiences further humanize our courses. Human connection is an antidote to the stressors that students carry which would otherwise prevent them from achieving educational success.
I feel excited for this upcoming semester, empowered that my course design is aligned with these lessons and encouraged to make changes (like record voice and video feedback) that further promote inclusivity and further humanize my courses. Thank you!

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Chris S: Tema Okun, where have you been all my life...

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Chris S: Tema Okun, where have you been all my life...

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Despite the many eye-opening lessons and takeaways from the Zoom meets, it was not until I was two paragraphs into Tema Okun's article before the true scope of our talks washed over me and, at least momentarily, left me thunderstruck. I then started reading Okun's article again, albeit more slowly and starting again from the beginning.
Word by word, each 'characteristic' echoed deeply with the struggles I have faced throughout my life and, in particular, my academic career. The descriptions of the 'antidotes', by contrast, looked like my private journal entries ...and also, quite regularly, the notes on my permanent record listed under "not satisfactory".
I'm not alone, there are others like me. I may march to the beat of a different drummer, but now I know that my drummer is part of a larger drum section ...and one that we should welcome, celebrate and encourage. I am overwhelmed, and excited to carry forward these concepts of empathy, respect, and engagement in to the upcoming semester.

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Today's learning has me thoughtfully overwhelmed. I was able to put specific words to learners that I see in my classes: the dependent and independent learner. I also noticed the reference was from the book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. That book has been in my wish list on Amazon for a while. I am now wondering what other concepts I have been missing by not purchasing and reading the book. I have just ordered the book thanks to your seminars today!
Humanizing ourselves, as well as our courses, is an ongoing lifetime project.

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In today's presentations I deeply appreciated the way the presenters modeled humanizing with their presentations. I felt seen and never felt judged or pushed to do more/be more. I look forward to using some of the techniques that were shared to provide that same experience for students and faculty.

The article by Tema Okun is a resource I can use to help students see the elements of white supremacy culture that exist in their college experience. I believe by helping them see it, they'll be able to help shift the culture in the academy.

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The talks and activities have me excited about the new term and I have tons of ideas going around in my head of new things I want to try but I have attempted to do too much in the past so I am trying to be very thoughtful about where I will put my energy to ensure I follow through and have a positive impact on my class.