Getting Real About Whiteness in Independent Schools

1. Getting Real About Whiteness in Independent Schools Edward Carson Houston Christian High School ecarson@houstonchristian.org http://professorcarson.weebly.com/ 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

2. Purpose The goal of this session is to discuss historical, cultural, economic, and anthropological constructs that impact both students and faculty members; addressing the argument that independent schools profess an attitude towards diversifying their campus; however, according to faculty members and students of color, there is a sense that there is a right kind of diversity 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

3. Methodology Surveys sent to sectarian and non-sectarian independent schools Qualitative data gathering Review of Literature Campus affinity group gathering and discussion 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

4. Being Invisible Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: “I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of those Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids-and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination-indeed, everything and anything except me.” 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

5. Iceberg Model Born in the 1960s Mission: Educating white leaders on the inclusiveness of people of color, gays and lesbians, and gender differences Aligned with the Civil Rights Movement, circa 1960s It sought cultural change during the decades of the 60s, 70s,and 80s….Turbulent decades regarding race relations 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

6. Iceberg Diagram 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

7. Furthering the Iceberg On your campus, what observations do you make about your white allies and your black brothers and sisters regarding race and culture? What polarizing constructs exist on your campus, and have you and your colleagues dealt with them? If you had to convey a MYTH or a LIE that exist on your campus regarding race, what might that be? 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

8. Iceberg Analysis 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

9. Why Does It Matter? I am confused as I do not see the difference from a White person to a Black person.. I will teach my children the same.. We are all the same... The title of this article says it all I need to know about the author. I do not need to teach my children any thing different.. WE ARE 1. I wish people would stop teaching their kids that we're all the same. We are NOT all the same. Every individual on this planet is unique in some way. And in terms of race, each one has its distinct and non-distinct differences also. By telling children "We're all the same", you're basically saying race/ethnicity doesn't exist. Each group of people weren't given classifications for no reason. 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

10. But it Does Matter To Some Students’ Thoughts Staff Members’ Thoughts Faculty Members’ Thoughts 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

11. Defining The Decades: Making Generalizations • Using the iceberg model, what historical conclusions can be drawn for the • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • Present 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

12. Hollow Head Activity Fill in the person’s head with their point of view towards the challenges and conditions constructed during a particular decade I. Example: What behaviors, actions, languages, and styles defined the black plight during 19__? II. How about Invisible characteristics? 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

13. Uncle Tom 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

14. Origin of Uncle Tom 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe Tom the protagonists for abolitionists Tom the antagonist by 1960s following the Civil Rights Movement Blacks acting white The Oreo Notion 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

15. Chris Rock on Race 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

16. Minstrel Show 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

17. Minstrel Show 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

18. Uncle Tom and Black Ideology The End of Racism by Dinesh D’Souza Dinesh D’Souza challenges deeply held orthodoxies about race and racism in America Was slavery a racist institution? Is America a racist society? Is Eurocentrism a racist concept? Can African Americans be racist? D’Souza argues that the liberal crusade against racism is detrimental to both blacks and whites, and that our next step must be to eliminate race as the basis for identity and public policy. 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

19. Conservative Black Ideology Black people who prefer white lawyers, white bankers, white dentists are seen as Uncle Toms Dating back to the days of Booker T. Washington, he argued that if black people do not visit and help black professionals, who will Black conservatives gave rise to the middle class notion by the 1980s with the likes of Thomas Sowell 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

20. Conservative Black Ideology Homophobia and anti-gay attitudes are pervasive as seen by the fact that many black Americans are anti-gay marriage Affirmative action policies, though it helped many ascend to middle class status, are no longer needed Black politicians are needed to protect the economic status of the black middle class, not to speak about social justice Black liberals have no focus and can no longer speak for the burgeoning black middle class 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

21. Conservative Black Ideology Intra racism has long been the standard among blacks of different shades of blackness Academic underachievement is the result of the black home, not institutional problems such as racism dating back to Jim Crow Poverty is a problem that should be addressed by local communities and not the federal government a la taxes and welfare 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

22. Black Liberal Ideology Blacks continue to eye states with a great deal of suspicion. As a collective group, blacks shifted their political loyalty by the 1960s; it was at this point that blacks supported Democrats over Republicans, though an embryonic move was in place during the New Deal Black folks did not embrace Ronald Reagan. Better yet, he was seen as a racist — one who catered to groups looking to recapture the traditional elements before the civil rights movement of the 1960s 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

23. Black Liberal Ideology The traumas of the 1960s and 1970s created a loss of confidence among Americans; Reagan capitalized on this feeling by easily winning the 1980 election Reagan promised to rebuild the nation’s defenses, cut inflation, restore economic growth, and reduce the size of the federal government Reaganomics and its assault on welfare are linked to racial issues of the 1980s 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

24. Black Liberal Ideology The poorest Americans fared poorly during the 1980s The bottom tenth saw their low incomes decline by 10 % In 1986, a full-time minimum wage worker earned $6,700 per year – almost $4,000 short of the poverty level for a family of four One out of eight children went hungry and 20 percent lived in poverty, including 50 percent of black children during the 1980s 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

25. Transformation of Black Thought Black Power Movement of the 1960s gave way to hip-hop from the 1970s to the present Shift from color-conscious racism that was predicated on the norms of strict racial segregation to what is now colorblind racism Colorblind racism constructed a skeleton that promised equal opportunities…but it provided no avenue for African American advancement 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

26. Impact of Transformation • New “sense” of blackness by 1986 • MTV, Run DMC, Michael Jackson represented whiteness • Yo MTV Raps and NWA represented blackness • Pride in language • Capitalism and exploitation of the black image • White kids being black • Again, how do we define “blackness”? • Fear of Uncle Tom • MC Hammer – sellout 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

27. Impact of Transformation: A Conservative Reaction The 1980s Cosby Show, 1984 – 1992 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

28. Impact of Transformation: A Conservative Reaction The 1980s Webster, 1983 – 1987 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

29. Black Anger Rap group Public Enemy 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

30. White Perception, Black Reality Drugs Education Prison Sports Gangsters Ghetto Teen pregnancy Single parent home

31. Examining Whiteness Scholars serving on a panel from the likes of Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Swarthmore noted: The problem on many traditionally White campuses seems to be that the majority of students, faculty, and administrators are oblivious not only to what it means to be White, but to the extent to which their Whiteness dominates the campus culture, making it uncomfortable for many people of color 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

32. Examining Whiteness 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

33. NY Times article Admitted, but Left Out published Oct. 19, 2012 In New York City --African-American, Hispanic and Asian children, according to the National Association of Independent Schools, up from 21.4 percent a decade ago. (Nationally, the figure was 26.6 percent for the same period, up from 18.5 percent 10 years before) Once students are enrolled, they become part of a vanishing community There are not enough faculty members of color who can understand their plight 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference

34. Diversity From The Colors of Excellence "People of color, be they African-American, Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern or whatever ethnic group, have spent years discovering their roots, developing a keen pride in their heritage, and accepting who they are. So don’t expect the current crop of prospective faculty to fit into your conservative profile. Many of them will not, and, frankly, I don’t think they should even try! Is that shocking? Is that unacceptable to you and your clientele? Then, perhaps, diversity is really not for you. If a turban or a dashiki pants suit offends, then so will diversity! Diversity by definition implies that the status quo will be upset." 2012 NAIS People of Color Conference