This month I invite you to notice a two themes: the need to unlearn and relearn and the need to focus our words and deeds strategically.
March 2023 Newsletter curated by Shelly Tochluk
Author of Witnessing Whiteness and Living in the Tension
Member of AWARE-LA
Hello All. I hope you are well as we move toward spring. This month I'm reminding myself to breathe, that everything on the schedule will get done if I focus on taking one step at a time. I hope the path in front of you is clear and that the seeds you’re planting will grow and burst forth in the months ahead. This month I invite you to notice a couple of themes: the need for unlearning and relearning and our collective need to be strategic with our words and deeds. Among the resources offered is a point of concern and suggestion. I hope this offering proves useful. There are also some important nuggets at the end, so be sure to scroll all the way through.
Unlearning Attitudes about Fatness - Relearning What It Means to be Healthy - And the Role of Racism
I recently heard Sabrina Strings speak on topics related to her book, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia(NYU Press 2019). It was an amazing lecture that connected the shift in beauty standards from the Rubenesque voluptuous form of European women in the Renaissance to a heightened value of thinness in the US by the 18th century. Strings moved through a compelling narrative that exposes how racist portrayals of Black women played a key role. Threaded throughout was an interweaving of how fatness was increasingly linked to a lack of health as it was associated with Blackness. Strings also presents evidence that the correlation between health and body size is not as we have been taught. Much to unlearn and relearn!
For a bite sized sample of what Dr. String's lecture included, check out this 5-minute video of Dr. Strings explaining her research and how “fatphobia” is rooted in racism.
To read more via an article Dr. Strings wrote for Scientific American, click here.
Navigating Treacherous Terrain
There is of wrangling over antiracism taking place these days, and my hope is that what follows helps connect a few dots.
This past month a Black professor’s reflective analysis of a summer workshop/class gone awry went viral. In his article, titled A Black Professor Trapped in Anti-Racist Hell, the professor tells the story of what happened when anti-racist principles were applied using an either/or attitude by and with people at the beginning and middle status positions on the racial identity journey (my analysis).
He describes an extreme situation, a very unfortunate one, and one that would be equally criticized by most people I know within antiracism. I would certainly not want to face what he did. That said, my understanding of the racial identity development process helps me recognize how and why the situation played out as it did. In reading the professor's critique, I could not locate a suggested corrective to support what I know to be the goals of antiracism. Its absence means that readers are left with a charge that this experience exemplifies antiracism, as opposed to it being a situation gone awry. What struck me while reading was that the situation itself serves as evidence of why antiracism (as a field) needs to balance developmental and sociological approaches.
Beyond the analytical differences the author and I might have, what troubled me most is that while the professor’s experience is truly lamentable, the characterization of it as typifying what antiracism stands for has, predictably, become red meat for the far right.
In fact, the story, in its entirety, has been reposted on the American Renaissance website, a platform for white nationalists. The far-right feeds on this type of fodder and uses it to their advantage.
Regretfully, instead of offering a supportive corrective analysis, such as what Maurice Mitchell offers in Building Resilient Organizations, the article functions as a take-down of antiracism, writ large.
My concern is amplified by the fact that the conservative far right is actively working to dismantle any organizational structure dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. This is not a secret, and yet too few recognize the potential impacts.
Check out this Chronicle of Higher Education article titled, The Plan to Dismantle DEI. (You can create a free account to read the article, or this Google doc includes the info.)
Don’t stop there, though. You should really download the PDF of the model legislation proposed. Christopher Rufo, the architect of the anti-CRT movement, is a primary author. I read every word, and I suggest you do the same.
This model legislation would ban the hiring of DEI officers at public universitites. We can anticipate a number of states moving forward and using this model. While it will surely begin with red states and public institutions and there will be push back, leading to a long, drawn-out fight, consider who could become the final arbiters (the Supreme Court) and their general approach to race issues and universities (prioritizing colorblindness). Think of the long game. Where could this land in 5 or 10 years?
Does it seem too far away, too remote of a possibility that this could be a significant threat? Reading the model legislation, I did not immediately fear for my own university’s new equity, diversity, and justice office (as we are a private university in a blue state). I cannot be dismissive, however. Collectively, we need to become proficient in arguing for why conservatives’ colorblind approach is not a benefit, and we need to ensure that our color-conscious approach is not linked to the kind of negative event featured in the article from the Black professor who entered “anti-racist hell.” And before I, or you, get too comfortable in a blue state or private institution, consider that should these efforts at legislating against DEI gain traction, even most private institutions require federal dollars to stay afloat (via federal student loan/grant programs). Were there to be federal legislation against our programming, even my institution would not be immune from consequence.
In case anyone reading this receives it as me unjustifiably warning “the sky is falling,” I feel similarly to when I began speaking publicly about the dangers of white nationalists’ threats in 2018, before it became regular news fodder and they infiltrated today’s GOP power structure so thoroughly. This is the next step on the far right’s strategic path to turn the clock back on social justice progress. While I am not predicting that they will win the larger “culture war,” we should all be ready to stand up for what we believe and understand the terrain so we can push back as powerfully and quickly as possible.
And I’m not finished connecting the dots. Read the next segment for how this fight continues at the K-12 level.
This is an important article for those of us who believe the anti-CRT movement has died down and lost steam. It’s essential to realize how it is morphing and continues to seek new targets that will help conservatives achieve their goals. This article helps explain how and why groups are continuing to ratchet up attacks against Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL). Teaching students about empathy and self-regulation sounds so innocuous to so many that it may lead us to dismiss this new target.
However, parents in many places are becoming convinced that SEL lessons are “Trojan horses” that allow critical race theory to infiltrate schools. This article is worth reading so you can recognize the connection between the efforts focused on K-12 and universities, and why broad swipes against antiracism are unhelpful unless they 1) marry their critique with supportive ways to improve and 2) reiterate a commitment to the larger effort.
This is a perfect example of someone working to counter the push against DEI by offering a straightforward, helpful set of suggestions for how colleges can counter the spread of white nationalism. It keeps this threat in the public eye and reminds people of our choices regarding who we are aligning with, or not.
How much do you know about the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
How did white supremacy and racism play a role and what are the lasting impacts?
Read this brief article from Anti-Racism Daily to understand how this treaty dramatically reshaped both the U.S. and Mexico and how it affects Mexico-US relations to this day.
Correcting for History
The Reasons for Reparations — and Why They're Necessary to Achieve Equity
From KQED:The hunt for racial equity in the United States may strike gold in California. At least that's how many hope the work of the California Reparations Task Force, the first statewide body to study reparations for Black people, will pan out. The task force could potentially change the course of history by creating a malleable reparations model that the federal government could adapt for a nationwide package.
The term "reparation" is derived from "repair." But before we can seriously consider atonement and financial restitution for more than two centuries of enslavement, America, like California, must first acknowledge that, because of enslavement, racial inequities persist. Even though California staked a claim as a free state, Black people have endured marginalization and systemic racism since the state's inception, as KQED's years’ long project on reparations continues to report.
The durability of systemic racism can be difficult to digest. That's why Manjula Varghese, a digital producer and editor for KQED Arts and Culture, produced a five-part video series that enriches the reparations debate and, most importantly, provides enlightenment on why reparations are a necessary tool to achieve equity. Watch the first video here. 4 minutes
4-minute video: The Reasons for Reparations — and Why They're Necessary to Achieve Equity
Excerpt: In what is believed to be the first case of a land defender killed in the U.S. for their activism, a Georgia State Patrol trooper killed 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Páez Terán on Jan. 18…The green space is being threatened by a proposed training facility for the state’s law enforcement.
The state-of-the-art $90 million facility would require tearing down 85 acres of the forest, which serves as a getaway for Atlanta city residents. Opponents have dubbed the project Cop City… A coalition of folks has been occupying the forest in treehouses since December 2021..Read more.
One of AWARE-LA’s long-standing goals is to cultivate white antiracist culture. My contribution to this effort has largely been through hosting educational gatherings and supporting people’s increased awareness through direct, supportive knowledge sharing. Culture also includes the arts, writing, music, dance, and other artistic expression.
Author June Gillam adds to white antiracist culture with her book, Nest of White Crows, which fits into the sub-genre of “social justice crime fiction.”
Pulling from California headlines and situating characters in her own local context, Gillam invites us to journey with characters who operate from a range of racial identity positions. This book is sure to spark self-refection and discussion. I could not help but fantasize about people reading it alongside the forthcoming Being White Today. As I paused to consider the various identity positions on display, and the trouble that comes with them, I imagined other readers querying one another:
What did you think when she said…? How is guilt playing a role in her reaction? Is that really the most effective or strategic way to get the point across?
Nest of White Crows is not simplistic; it offers a wealth of issues for a critical reader to consider, wrestle with, and debate. I invite you to check it out and let me know what you think. How does the book add to our white antiracist culture? How does it demonstrate the dangers of the middle positions of white racial identity development? What questions does it raise for you about the strategic use of voice, allyship, and guilt? Enjoy the read, and let’s discuss!
Sign Up to Attend our March 4th Saturday Workshop
AWARE-LA's monthly 2-hour workshops provide content to frame conversations and then invite attendees to share their cultivated wisdom with one another. My role in this year’s effort includes offering six workshops that draw on the forthcoming Being White Today book material. Check out the March workshop and register to join!
Out of Colorblindness, Into Confusion: Supporting People to Adopt an Antiracist Worldview
Who or what helped you recognize racism for the first time? When did systemic racism become clear to you? For most, becoming aware of racism and adopting an antiracist worldview requires grappling with a set of moral dilemmas. This grappling involves reconsidering valued beliefs about how US society works. If we enter this process without support, we are susceptible to far-right messages that idealize the status quo and pull against antiracism. This workshop highlights dilemmas that, when skillfully addressed, can support a move toward an antiracist worldview. We will brainstorm strategies together.
AWARE’s monthly Sunday Dialogue (SD) occurs on the 3rd Sunday of every month, 3-5PM Pacific via the Zoom online platform. This is a space for white people to bring their concerns and challenges. Is there an idea you're having trouble integrating, a conversation that didn't go well? This dialogue focuses on connecting, sharing, and learning from one another.
Join me in Mesa, AZ for the White Privilege Conference
On Wed., April 12th I will co-facilitate a full-day, pre-conference institute with Christine Saxman on our forthcoming book, Being White Today. It would be wonderful if you could join us and spread the word!
This is a wonderful opportunity to build and deepen antiracist community.
Register for WPC here. During the registration process, select our session at the bottom of the page listing the pre-conference institute options.
Overcoming (In)Security in Our White Community
Amidst the fallout of the January 6 insurrection and the waning momentum of White people’s involvement in the racial reckoning of 2020, our White community needs strategies to build a community of fortified antiracists. Through the lens of Helms’ White racial identity framework, participants in this institute will explore scenarios that reveal how far-right recruiting can seduce White people at each position in their racial identity. Discussion of each scenario will provide helpful strategies to counteract far-right messaging. We will also explore how to more effectively employ antiracist messaging within each point of White racial identity development.
Hope to see you there!
Two years ago, I received a slim book in the mail, a compilation of poems from a set of fifth graders sent to me by their teacher, Monique Marshall, someone I admire. I promptly tucked the book away for safe keeping without spending much time looking through its pages.
This past month, while pruning my book collection to make room for new acquisitions, I opened it anew and what lies within floored me. I plan to revel in the students' brilliance for months to come. This month I am sharing a poem from Section III: We MUST Look Below the Surface – Poems About Identity. Enjoy!
The Way Our World Works
What can we do
As a people
To help this world become what it should be
Sometimes we need to step aside and think,
To
Make a plan
To help our
Friends
Family
Teachers
All feel like they are equal.
As a people
Like one big family
Peaches, chocolate
Equally delicious
Will we ever be a whole?
Who will we be
Can we ever break the mold?
There will always be a set image of us in
one’s mind
Can we change that?
Fights
For human rights
Change
What can we do?
Shy
Grateful
Kind
Funny,
We can be all these things together
Not sides
Not just peaches
Just peaches and chocolate together
Forever.
By Koko, Age 11
And as I end this newsletter, let us all savor the beautiful flavor combinations possible in this life, starting with peaches and chocolate. :)
