"White Privilege" Lesson Draws Nat'l Attention
http://thegrio.com/2013/01/17/white-privilege-lesson-in-wisconsin-high-school-draws-national-attention/
As most of you know, I am greatly interested in how we are handling discussions regarding race and class within our schools.
What do you think of the parent's concerns in this story? And how do you feel about the material and how it is presented?
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National attention has been drawn to a Wisconsin high school’s “American Diversity” course after one parent alleged that students are being taught white people are oppressors of minorities, reports Fox News.
One parent of a Delavan-Darien High School student spoke to Fox News.
“They’re teaching white guilt. They’re dividing the students,” this parent told said. ”They’re saying to non-whites, ‘You have been oppressed and you’re still being oppressed.’”
The parent, who requested to remain anonymous, claims she became alarmed by the content on some handouts that her 18-year-old son brought home from school.
A class handout defines “white privilege” as:
A set of advantages that are believed to be enjoyed by white people beyond those commonly experienced by non-white people in the same social, political, and economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.)
Students were also instructed to visit the toy section of a local Wal-Mart, where they were to count the number of white dolls versus the number of black dolls.
School district superintendent, Robert Crist told Fox that “a lot of red flags go u in my mind when I look at the materials. Her concern has merit.”
“Ideally, you would want to present one theory that might be way on the left and another theory that may be way on the right and if you find one in the middle you can present that, too,” he continued. “Now you have a well-rounded discussion in my opinion.”
Crist noted that the course has been suspended, while it is under review.
Quoting survivorinohio:I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
You dont have to go far to be the majority again. If your travel Detroit avenue out towards w 165 you dont see many minority again.
Even if you go to an all black school as my dd did there are still places you go where you would be the majority again. White people can easily find those places where as for Blacks and other minorities they are few and far between.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
And in places where white is not?
Quoting survivorinohio:I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
How far you go in life depends on your being: tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of both the weak and strong. Because someday in life you would have been one or all of these. GeorgeWashingtonCarver
Quoting survivorinohio:You dont have to go far to be the majority again. If your travel Detroit avenue out towards w 165 you dont see many minority again.
Even if you go to an all black school as my dd did there are still places you go where you would be the majority again. White people can easily find those places where as for Blacks and other minorities they are few and far between.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
And in places where white is not?
Quoting survivorinohio:I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
I am in akron and I can travel about 5 miles to enter a predominately white area, in any direction. Cuyahoga Falls is still called caucasion falls by many.
Oh and I am 5 min from downtown here and on my short little street we have 5 black families, one hispanic family and 18 white families
ETA I would definitely say this is a low income neighborhood.
How far you go in life depends on your being: tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of both the weak and strong. Because someday in life you would have been one or all of these. GeorgeWashingtonCarver
I found this passage from the article to be hillarious - "white people are oppressors of minorities" - has that historically not been the case? Is it news to white children that they have it made in the shade being white? Since her son is 18-years-old, prehaps mommy should cut the apron strings and allow him to decide for himself if this class is of interest to him.
Um... I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland. I can assure you that the majority in my hometown and in the surrounding areas were, and still are, White, including North Ridgeville.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Akron, Warren, Toledo, Cleveland, Bedford, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lyndhurst, South Euclid, Wickliffe, Painesville, Richmond, Willoughby, north ridgeville, lorain..... There's a couple directions for you, in varying travel times, where its pretty evenly mixed if not mostly minority. You know where white becomes a noticeable majority again? The rural areas and the areas close to the rural areas. If I want to go downtown I am most definately not a majority. And for half an hour in any direction, still not a majority.
Quoting survivorinohio:
You dont have to go far to be the majority again. If your travel Detroit avenue out towards w 165 you dont see many minority again.
Even if you go to an all black school as my dd did there are still places you go where you would be the majority again. White people can easily find those places where as for Blacks and other minorities they are few and far between.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
And in places where white is not?
Quoting survivorinohio:
I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:
So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:
I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:
Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:
looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
Quoting MsRickie:
I found this passage from the article to be hillarious - "white people are oppressors of minorities" - has that historically not been the case? Is it news to white children that they have it made in the shade being white? Since her son is 18-years-old, prehaps mommy should cut the apron strings and allow him to decide for himself if this class is of interest to him.
you know, it's this type of flippant remark that makes me just shake my head. While shaking my head, I will tell you why it stinks.
NO, your average white american kid has no concept of this elusive "white privilege" notion. Millions of white children are dying for a home to live in and food to eat.
That type of flippant attitude is exactly what causes MAJOR defenses to go up.
And it is not about whether we address this notion of WP in our schools, but HOW.
Telling children if their skin is white they are oppressing others is just counterproductive for all.
I think it would be a good idea if all the ppl so oppressed by their skin color simply move to a place where their skin color is the majority, and the rest of us will stay integrated and manage to thrive.
Quoting OHgirlinCA:Um... I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland. I can assure you that the majority in my hometown and in the surrounding areas were, and still are, White, including North Ridgeville.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Akron, Warren, Toledo, Cleveland, Bedford, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lyndhurst, South Euclid, Wickliffe, Painesville, Richmond, Willoughby, north ridgeville, lorain..... There's a couple directions for you, in varying travel times, where its pretty evenly mixed if not mostly minority. You know where white becomes a noticeable majority again? The rural areas and the areas close to the rural areas. If I want to go downtown I am most definately not a majority. And for half an hour in any direction, still not a majority.
Quoting survivorinohio:
You dont have to go far to be the majority again. If your travel Detroit avenue out towards w 165 you dont see many minority again.
Even if you go to an all black school as my dd did there are still places you go where you would be the majority again. White people can easily find those places where as for Blacks and other minorities they are few and far between.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
And in places where white is not?
Quoting survivorinohio:
I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:
So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:
I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:
Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:
looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
Whites make up 92.6% of North Ridgeville's population, 94% of Avon Lake's population, 98.05% of Bay Village's population, 85.1% of Lakewood's population, and 55% of Lorain's population.
Yes, Whites are indeed the majority in all of these cities, and these are just a few.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Yea? I live here.... And no.... They're not
Quoting OHgirlinCA:
Um... I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland. I can assure you that the majority in my hometown and in the surrounding areas were, and still are, White, including North Ridgeville.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Akron, Warren, Toledo, Cleveland, Bedford, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lyndhurst, South Euclid, Wickliffe, Painesville, Richmond, Willoughby, north ridgeville, lorain..... There's a couple directions for you, in varying travel times, where its pretty evenly mixed if not mostly minority. You know where white becomes a noticeable majority again? The rural areas and the areas close to the rural areas. If I want to go downtown I am most definately not a majority. And for half an hour in any direction, still not a majority.
Quoting survivorinohio:
You dont have to go far to be the majority again. If your travel Detroit avenue out towards w 165 you dont see many minority again.
Even if you go to an all black school as my dd did there are still places you go where you would be the majority again. White people can easily find those places where as for Blacks and other minorities they are few and far between.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
And in places where white is not?
Quoting survivorinohio:
I never said it was because of racism. White privelege exists not because it was decided or instated but because white is the majority.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
My issue is that its not because its racist that stores carry varrying amounts of product for different races it is because of the demographics. Even if the majority are still the minority, if that minority is say 30% vs 8% the chances of the store carrying items that cater to that minority are greater in the 30% area vs the 8%. It has nothing to do with white priveledge. My point was in areas where whites are a minority the situation is switched. How many white barbies dolls do you think are sold in east Cleveland? As a resilt how many stores there do you think carry white barbies dolls due to their low demand? That is the point.
Quoting survivorinohio:
So what is your issue?
Obviously in a majority of metro areas African Americans are a minority. Because of this there are not the same privileges or experiences. Why is that even arguable?
Because in select location whites may be the minority? How many places do you really think thats true and how does it override the fact that in the majority of the country its not true at all?.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
Would you like me to look for the demographics in every tiny town? You asked for any city on Ohio with demographics higher than 80%. I did. If you'd like more, ill find more.
Quoting survivorinohio:
I already posted about E cleveland I acknowledge you are correct about the % there but the population is closer to stuebenville not Cadiz. Cadiz is a tiny town.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I just did, east Cleveland. Even they have a population higher than cadiz and *gasp* 93% aa.
Quoting survivorinohio:
Ok show me a town where 83% are AA and less than 20 white. Good luck.
Quoting Lizard_Lina:
I didn't realize cadiz was a major city now. You cannot compare major cities to towns. It's apples to oranges.
Quoting survivorinohio:
looked for you and the largest population of African Americans in a city is Memphis Tenn where they are 46% of the population. Far cry from 80% or more.
Holder to investigate....Holder
- Radarma
on Jan. 17, 2013 at 11:40 AM