https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930 After you have read the excerpt, please share your reflections with your house by Thursday, 4/13. en-us 2017-03-28 16:16:16 UTC 2017-05-03 22:27:26 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166340917 I really enjoyed this piece and would love to read the whole book sometime. While the concepts presented are not new to me, it was nice to view them in a different way and from a black woman's perspective. I agree with the majority of what she presents here. Institutionalized racism is so prevalent and ingrained in our culture that we are inundated every day and may not even realize it. The things Tatum mentions about the privilege of blacks versus whites can clearly be seen in our criminal justice system if one is willing to look. Why else would a black man receive 5-7 years in state or federal prison for a drug charge while Brock Turner, a young, white upper class male, would receive 6 months in county jail, only to be released after 3, for sexual assault? I also think it's important to mention her point about the difference in racism and prejudice. Her way of defining racism as including the critical point of oppressing another group is crucial. All straight white men have the ability to be racist/sexist/heterosexist because they are in a position to be oppressive to other racial groups, gender groups, and groups of other sexual orientation. Overall, I really enjoyed this piece because even though I may not have experienced the same things in life as a black or Asian man or woman has, these chapters help to further explain why that might be. 

-Meagan]]> 2017-04-14 01:57:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166340917 sebastianivory https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166442522 Why Are the Black Folks Sitting Together in the Cafeteria is actually one of the books that I think has shaped me. I keep a copy in my dorm room, which many other books that have inspirited me. In terms of the section, this makes me think a lot about issues of colorist that have affected my life. As a light-skinned African-American, I've always had a lot of questions about my personal racial identity. Especially since i was raised by my dad, as a single parent, through my teenage years, where I developed the most, I've always been very proud of my racial identity. That being said, when I meet new individuals, many people wonder what my race is. It's always interesting to see what people think. I've gotten tan white guy before, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, among other things. I'm not automatically racially profiled by police, or in a department store (though I have experiences of personal racial profiling). I've always acknowledged my privilege in that way, but there are often times where individuals view me as "less Black" due to my lighter Melanin. I was asked in an interview whether I could successfully connect with minority individuals as well, due to the fact that I may not look exactly like them. It's something that has always weighed on me, and something I will continue to think about. Colorism issues are incredibly prevalant in Black communities, and something we must be cognizant of.

I also like a lot of what Meagan said with regards to institutionalized racism. One of the other books that I consider to have shaped me a lot is Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. As a sociology major with a concentration in Crime and Criminal Justice, I've considered a lot of issues involving disparate impact with regards to race, including mass incarceration, mandatory minimum laws, and three strikes policies. 

I've always been torn on the fact that in order to be identified as racism/sexist/ableist/etc, you need to be in the oppressing group. I'd probably agree with that at the end of the day, but that does not mean that even if you're not in the oppressing group that you do not need to be cognizant of many of these issues. As noted, we all hold many different identities, many of us hold identities that are more privileged, while also holding identities that are more disadvantaged. 

-SLI]]> 2017-04-15 20:44:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166442522 https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166674008 I would love to read the entire book as well.  I feel that what Tatum writes about is nothing new, it just needs to be said loud and clear enough for those in the back nodding to understand! Racism in America is like sweet tea in the South. It is so ingrained in our culture that we pass in on to the next generation without even stopping to think if our comments will cause harm or not. I felt very strongly with the beginning of Ch.2 where Tatum writes about "Who am I?" and how what I (or my future students) are surrounded by will influence your individual characteristics. Social media, the news, your peers, family, strangers etc. will affect the way you perceive yourself. To relate this to the classroom, even when I was in (particularly) High School the people you 'hang' with is nothing like the movies. There is no jock, cheer leading or nerd sections. There are black, brown and white sections (with a few mingled in between). And what is the cause of this? Generation after generation of ingrained stereotypes, prejudices and racism. The conversations at each table (although humorous at the time) we highly derogatory statements about 'other sections' that these kids heard from grandparents or bias news stations. 

So, why are black folks sitting together in the cafeteria?  The same reason the brown and white folks are sitting together in the cafeteria...
-Camille S. ]]> 2017-04-18 05:03:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166674008 https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166810068 These chapters are always relevant; however, they seem particularly illuminating in light of a political climate that thrives by failing to distinguish outright racial hatred from more subtle but pervasive systems of inequality. By lumping the broad manifestations of "racism" into one definition -- loudly and openly hating someone based on race -- you can immediately deflect any personal responsibility for a system that continues to dole out power and benefits based on race, and to halt any productive conversation about race and prejudice. 

But by comparing cultural racism and prejudice to smog -- something nearly invisible to the eye, but nevertheless pervasive -- the author has given shape to the personal dichotomies that underly these conversations: you can be prejudiced without vocalizing hate; you can be racist without realizing it; you can receive benefits of a racist system without necessarily wanting them; we can live in a racist society without having actively contributed to its construction; BUT it is still our responsibility to acknowledge that we have been breathing the air, that we are a product of a society that does systematically advantage whiteness, and that it is our job to clean it up. 

This was the part that resonated most with me: it is my job not only to listen, but to actively seek out ways of undoing my own prejudices, so that I can pass down a more accurate and holistic and inclusive perspective. In my "ongoing examination of who we are in our full humanity, embracing all of our identities, creates the possibility of building alliances that may ultimately free us all." It's easy to point out others' prejudice, but we don't often look into our own prejudices -- which may not be as loud, but are still present, and still work to perpetuate inequality and the idea of racial or cultural inferiority. 

-Alison

]]> 2017-04-18 16:25:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/166810068 https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/169806831 I love this selection. "White guilt" is an emotion that I experience frequently as I become more aware of the privileges I've been blessed with. Some are obvious to me, such as how policemen interact with me, or how potential bosses view me as a candidate for employment, but others I never considered. I have never thought about how lucky I am that I've always had easy access to appropriate makeup and hair care products. Even when living overseas (I have lived about half of my life in Asia) I was able to find products tailored to me. While I was a racial minority in Asia, the beliefs of "white is beauty" and the privileges I expected were still there. It is hard for me to reconcile my privileges with what I can do now to enact change. I so often feel like no matter what I do now to try to reach across the privilege gap, it won't make up for the fact that I was born into privilege. That being said, this reading has reawakened me and reinvigorated me to do more and be a part of change. To be aware not just of the obvious differences between races, but to notice the disadvantages that I take for granted. It requires looking beyond myself and focusing outward rather than inward. My whole white privileged life I had society teaching me that I should be in it for me only, that you need to be focused on yourself to get ahead, but I've done a lot. It's long past time for me to stop thinking about myself and instead focus on helping others. I can't change society, but I can change myself and I can be a bridge.

-Camille]]> 2017-05-03 22:17:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ashley_jackson2/euak2218s930/wish/169806831