White Tears in the Classroom Rachael Blansett Chelsea

White Tears in the Classroom Rachael Blansett Chelsea Smith

Agenda White Fragility Whiteness University System History Privileged Identity Exploration Model Angry Po. C Narrative Informing our topic Case Study Policy Recommendations

White Fragility “I’ve had people tell me the term itself is offensive. . . which is classic white fragility”- R. Diangelo A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves such as: Outward display of emotions (anger, fear, and guilt) Behaviors of argumentation, silence, and leaving the situation Factors that insulate fragility: segregation, universalism & individualism, entitlement to racial comfort, racial arrogance, psychic freedom, mass representation in everything Di. Angelo, 2011

White Silence White silence is a manifestation of white fragility and is a common tactic used by white people to avoid participating in cross-racial discussion Rooted in complacency of privilege Common rationales for silence: “It’s just my personality - I rarely talk in groups. ” “Everyone has already said what I was thinking. ” “I don’t want to be misunderstood/say the wrong thing/offend anybody” Di. Angelo, 2012, p. 1

Whiteness A social process; theory-laden constructs inseparable from systems of injustice Frankenburg (1993) defines Whiteness as multi-dimensional: 1. Whiteness is a location of structural advantage, of racial privilege 2. It is the “standpoint; ” a place in which White people look at themselves, others, and society 3. A set of cultural practices that are usually unmarked and unnamed Di. Angelo, 2011

History of the University System Universities have historically served White, Christian, heterosexual, middle-class, ablebodied, male-dominated identities “Whiteness as property” - a tenet of Critical Race Theory (CRT) Learning as an objective process Content and curriculum Exclusion in higher education Institutional discourse on diversity Bondi, 2012

Model refers to privileged identities that are linked to political and social advantage Not limited to race Recognize eight defense reactions Raising critical consciousness “While students today are exposed to more diversity, they likely have not thoroughly explored their own identity and what it means to function honorably in a multicultural community” To advocate for social justice must be willing to change institutional policy and practice Privileged Identity Exploration Model Watts, 2007

8 Modes of Defense Denial Principum Deflection False Envy Rationalization Benelovence Intellectualization Minimization Watts, 2007

“Angry” Person of Color The moment an assertive black woman expresses her opinion, she becomes an “Angry Black Woman. ” Anger is a valid emotion Po. C shouldn’t have to apologize for being angry Po. C, specifically Black women, are shamed for the things white women are typically praised for Huffington Post, 2015

Case Study Scenario: Students in a sociology class are discussing the recent police violence against black males. The professor is allowing the students to facilitate the class discussion. The Black male classmate expresses to the class a genuine and legitimate fear as a result of recent times. A white female classmate speaks up about how people shouldn’t be afraid of the police if they do not do anything illegal. Out of anger as well as out of legitimate concern, a black female student speaks up about the facts of recent cases of police violence, oppression and the stigma of men in the African American community, and the constant dismissal of the concerns of black students. The white female student begins to get upset and cry, because she said she felt attacked by the black female student because she is not racist and her brother is a police officer. Contributors: White Ally Classmate Black Female Classmate Professor

Relation to Iowa State How do these concepts inform our topic? At Iowa State: Microaggression Co. E Hinder the learning of others Reinforce white privilege Personal Experiences Watts, 2007

Recommendations Recognize your privilege Utilize your privilege to evoke change Learning Humility Allow Po. C space to speak about the experiences Remember the goal of the conversation Be specific about your observations (“I noticed when I said X, you reacted in Y manner…”) Watts, 2007; Accapadi, 2007

References Bondi, S. (2012). Students and institutions protecting whiteness as property: A critical race theory analysis of a student affairs preparation. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 49(4) p. 397 -414. Di. Angelo, R. (2012). Nothing to add: A challenge to white silence in racial discussions. Understanding & Dismantling Privilege, 2(1) p. 1 -17. Di. Angelo, R. (2011). White fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3) p. 54 -70. Hoft, J. (2016, Sep. 30). Iowa state university now indoctrinating freshman engineering students with lectures on microaggressions. Gateway Pundit. Retrieved from http: //www. thegatewaypundit. com/2016/09/iowa-state-university-now-indoctrinating-freshman-engineering-students-lecturesmicroaggressions/ Motwani Accapadi, M. (2007). When white women cry: How white women’s tears oppress women of color. The College Student Affairs Journal, 26(2) p. 208 -215. Iowa State University. (2016) http: //registrar. iastate. edu/sites/default/files/uploads/stats/minority/minfall 16. pdf Pewewardy, N. (2004). The political is personal: The essential obligation of white feminist family therapists to deconstruct white privilege. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 16(1), 53 -67. Walsh, L. (2015). Amandla stenberg and the sad reality of the ‘angry black girl’ stereotype. Black Voices: Huffington Post. Watt, S. K. (2007). Difficult dialogues, privilege and social justice: Uses of the privileged identity exploration (PIE) model in student affairs practice. College student affairs journal , 26(2), 114.