Student Favorites
Essays
"Are All White Americans Police Officers?"
I found this source helpful in reframing not only what it means to be Black in America, but also what it means to be white in America. The title, specifically, illuminates how white Americans in the 21st century continue to police Black bodies and lives. The article highlights how the threads of racist ideologies remain rooted in white Americans’ desire to exert control over Black bodies, just as people did during the era of slavery. These sentiments remain in American society, and white Americans enact those sentiments every time they seek to control, hurt, or kill Black people. Many people assume racism in this sense is a thing of the past, but the continual brutalization of Black bodies at the hands of white people, whether that person is actually a police officer or not, shows that these issues are far from solved. White people “police” Black people through this constant surveillance and brutality.
--Isabel, Fall 2020
Sarah Bellamy, "Performing Whiteness"
Bellamy writes a harrowing reflection of how racism is performed through white and black bodies and each respective one’s racial inheritance. With her background in stage direction, she is able to read the bodies of those involved in acts of racial violence and how their demeanors reflect their racial inheritance: the white man standing over the brutalized black body with a sense of power, control, and possessiveness. She then delves into the topic of “generational expressions of racial power,” which works similarly to racial trauma-- how these expressions come out of white people in times of stress from reduced authority. These expressions are further enforced by current ideas of white supremacy, where hate is used to mask pain. White people should work to relearn the meaning of whiteness in this country. She finishes off bringing the conversation around to reading bodies once again: how who is performing the action is inherently informed by their race, and how this should not be ignored. This piece is informative towards learning about antiracism because it calls for white people to be aware of their history and present and how the two affect their actions towards black people. This awareness helps fulfill antiracism’s tenets of acknowledging personal privileges, confronting acts of racial discrimination, and working to change personal racial biases. The way Bellamy writes this piece-- making expressions of racial power a broader defect ingrained into white people by their history and environment instead of scraping it up personal issues amongst a select few-- is helpful for every white person to understand their part in racism without taking it personally. The urgency for their need to do this is highlighted by how this racism results in the oppression and death of black lives. As sad and frustrating as the issue is, it is one that needs to be addressed, and Bellamy does so tactfully and thoroughly.
--Chloe, Fall 2020
"By Remembering Our Sisters, We Challenge Police Violence Against Black Women and Legacies that Eclipse these Injustices”
he article names countless women and girls who have lost their lives at the hands of male police officers, the majority of which are unfamiliar because they have not received the same attention as their male counterparts who have also suffered at the hands of the police. Even now, as racial injustices have moved to the forefront of our collective attention, black women remain unnamed, unrecognized, and unrectified in their suffering. The article explains how easily the conversation becomes about the officers, the men in the wrong, their emotions, their futures, rather than the experiences, emotions, or futures of the women who lost their innocence, their autonomy, and their lives. This article touches on the power of naming, using #SayHerName. In terms of antiracist work, this article serves to call direct attention to the disproportionate and unjust suffering of black women. There are many resources that speak to the work of antiracism and detail the countless issues that are prevalent in our society. However, this article does not try to address all the issues. Instead, it focuses the conversation on to one topic that is often brushed aside in racial injustice conversations. This article is helpful because it gives value and prominence to stories that have not been told, that need to be heard. The suffering of black women is real and specific. Because of intersectionality, black women engage with the world differently than others, making their experiences unique. They have not adequately been represented or acknowledged, but by naming these women and telling their stories, this article ensures that they are not forgotten and that their experiences may shape and inform a different future for black women.
--Abbie, Fall 2020
James Baldwin, "Stranger in the Village"
Baldwin’s essay is especially useful for understanding racism/antiracism because not only does it relay a very brief history of the mindset of early white Americans and underscore how the power structure of American slavery was different than that of previous historical examples of slavery, but it emphasizes an understanding and awareness of white supremacy, which Baldwin calls, “the very warp and woof of the heritage of the West.” (6) Baldwin clearly states that the idea of white supremacy has made it terrifying and threatening for white people to recognize and relinquish their hegemonic status, and to maintain this status, white people have systematically dehumanized black people. Though for America, Baldwin asserts, there is no possibility of returning to the attitude of the small Swiss village, where they unceasingly treat him like a stranger, for in America black people are and always will be indelibly stitched into the social fabric.
--Jevon, Fall 2020
“How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race”
If white parents are choosing not to explain the Black Lives Matter movement to their curious children, then they are doing a moral disservice to them. This article is identifying one source of racism, and it stems from the silence of white parents. We live in a society where being white inherently allows you to dominate others, and as we try to combat this, staying silent is another way of supporting this racist structure. Children should be able to identify with each other regardless of their race. If they can’t, those white children will grow up and struggle with anti-racist ideals. Jennifer Harvey explains that the experience of police brutality should be explained to children because the physical harm done to those who are bipoc rightfully allows for a reaction of both peaceful and destructive protests. This article is extremely useful because it is something that college students don’t usually think about. Our focus is on fighting the racist systems in our community so future generations won’t have to experience oppression, but those children also have to be aware of why that system exists in the first place. Putting yourself out there to challenge discrimination isn’t taught in schools, so parents need to be responsible in showing their white children how to use their privilege for the benefit of others facing discrimination.
--Mariah, Fall 2020
"Racism Has a Cost for Everyone"
Throughout this TED Talk, Heather McGhee touches on many different examples (related to the American economy) of the way racism manifests in our daily lives/society, many of which would not be considered common knowledge. In one part of the talk, McGhee elaborates on America’s underinvestment in public goods, which are things needed by everyone, as a result of racist policies/guiding principles. All throughout the 1960s, many public parks, pools, schools, and recreation centers had to shut down as a result, illustrating how everyone is at a loss, not only those directly discriminated against. She also references more recent examples, such as a situation in 2008 and another in 2017, to show how these long-standing policies/stereotypes/principles are still very relevant. The TED Talk proves how racism has plagued every single of us and will continue to until actively stand up against the injustice to promote changes towards a brighter future.
--Peyton, Fall 2020
"Why Intersectionality Can't Wait"
Intersectionality was first coined by law professor Kimberle Crenshaw decades ago to describe “an analytic sensibility, a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power.” In this way, intersectional thinking brought to light the invisibility of people who fall within certain groups but are failed to be represented by those groups. Crenshaw gives the examples of “people of color within LGBTQ movements; girls of color in the fight against the school-to-prison pipeline” and “ women within immigration movements” to describe people who face vulnerabilities through the intersection of racism, classism, transphobia, and more. Crenshaw also responds to some of the controversies surrounding intersectionality, such as “identity politics” and “privilege checking.” For those who recognize and support people with intersectional identities, intersectionality alone cannot make visible those who find themselves invisible in America. The less-visible members of political constituencies must wait for leaders to recognize and address their struggles. This article, though, can give Americans a better understanding of where the term intersectionality came from and how it can be used to bring to light people whose identities are characterized by a combination of their race, class, gender, sexuality, as well as other identity markers. It can also bring to light how those in power react to people with intersectional identities wanting more visibility for themselves and others. By claiming that intersectionality brings about “identity politics,” despite it really aiming to call attention to how institutions use identity to exclude and privilege, we can see how some people in power are using their power to keep American society from moving forward and to keep groups of people invisible.
--Jade, Fall 2020
Films, videos, and television series
Jasmine Roberts, "I'm Tired of Talking about Race"
This talk was a very thought-provoking and useful tool for thinking about how I, as a white person, respond to conversations about racism and white supremacy. It is also a helpful reminder to “check yourself” to make sure that you are not placing too heavy a burden on the shoulders of the BIPOC in your life, like relying on them to explain how racism is perpetuated in the U.S. Roberts’s TED presentation serves as a great reminder that conversations of racism should not only be initiated by the people that it most directly affects.
--Maddie, Fall 2020
Spike Lee, BlacKKKlansman
BlacKKKlansman is an excellent movie to learn the history of how racially divided the U.S. was in the 70s. BlacKKKlansman is about Ron Stallworth, a black policeman/detective, going undercover to uncover and expose the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs. While the movie might be uncomfortable to sit through at points, it is important to note that some events in the movie actually happened. There are multiple moments in the movie that could easily be something that happened this year. Patricia (played by Laura Harrier) is leading a protest for her university's Black Student Union to essentially be recognized, respected, and ensuring that the Black students attending college there are safe. In order to stop the protests, some of the KKK members planned to place some bombs around their house where the Black Student Union meets. However, the plan backfires when the KKK members are caught in their own trap. Ron Stallworth saves both Patricia and the Klansmen that planted the bombs. The reason I bring up Ron Stallworth saving both the BSU leaders and Klansmen is that Ron Stallworth knew the Klansmen had every intention of killing some of the BSU members and could have let them die. But he saved them both. This idea that Black people are being nice towards racist white people because they know what it's like to be oppressed. BLM is not an anti-white movement and it is not a terrorist group. It is demanding a peaceful end to systemic racism.
--Gabby, Fall 2020
Keith Caver and Ancella Livers, "Dear White Boss"
If privilege was something that all people were granted, then maybe there could be less tense in a workspace that shares both black and white people. "Dear White Boss..," voices the concerns, feelings of frustration and blatant discrimination this black individual has faced, since becoming a manager at their job. Although this is the story of one person, the authors, Keith Caver and Ancella Livers, used this article to expose common issues that black people and other minorities must face even while in a professional setting. The narrator expresses emotions of wanting to be seen for more than just the color of their skin. Knowing that they've dedicated 15 years of their life to their education only to have the most tantalizing question asked of them while at work is a petty question about another minority coworker, the narrator is filled with a sense of defeat and disappointment. This article was the narrator's opportunity to voice this frustration to their white boss, who would never know what it's like to have everyone around them set such low expectations for them. Having these issues be presented and explained, other readers, both black and white, are able to see the clear distinction of how minority employees are treated differently compared to that of white employees. It's important to remember that this kind of discrimination isn't limited to an employee and their employer, this is something that can happen to anyone of any professional standing. In this case, a person's race will always outshine their other quality.
--Neicey, Fall 2020
Justin Simien, Dear White People (Netflix, Season 1)
Staring at your television you scroll through Netflix facing choices. Movie or TV Show? Romantic, action, horror, comedy, or documentary? How long are you wanting to watch? The most iconic Netflix question of all is, are you still watching? The same can be said of our education for anti-racism and intersectionality. Dear White People follows a young black woman by the name of Samantha White and her journey at the “Ivy-League” Winchester University. Samantha is a radio show host who’s voice is not to be silenced on campus and speaks her opinion for the public to hear. The show identifies problems of stereotypes of black students in Academia, and problems within elite or “ivy-league” scholarships diversity. The show can be relatable in everyday college sense as each student is flawed in some way. Their struggles are put on full display as the episodes progress making you wonder what will happen next. While I didn’t make it through all three volumes of the show Sam and the other students of Winchester leave us with remarkable learning lessons of “diversity” on college campuses. One episode, in particular, shows a student, Reggie, and his battle with himself and a battle with a police officer. This episode shows the learning curve that while letting loose at a college party and amongst your peers can be a treat for white students it can easily turn into a life-threatening experience for black students facing an officer and his gun. Just like Netflix asks are you still watching, the world must ask themselves are you still watching on matters of racism. In all, I think Dear White People is an entertaining and emotional television show that features blackness and diversity in scholarship that could be educational to its viewership.
--Paulie, Fall 2020
I was drawn to this resource because I personally believe education is one of the key ways that people are able to improve social standing. Higher education especially is increasingly necessary in order to achieve a sufficient income to support oneself, but higher education requires a solid foundation in elementary and high school. That foundation includes teachers who care, higher level courses for academically-motivated students, and the resources necessary to navigate the world of higher education. That foundation is accessible for white students who attend schools with funding, but schools that are majority non-white students are not given the same support to care for their students. This documentary seems to focus on historic inequities in schools and the ways in which our society perpetuates racial hierarchies. Providing adequate educational opportunities should be one of the priorities in terms of creating a better, more inclusive environment for our children, no matter what kind of background they come from. Unfortunately, our society still has a long way to go in that area, but “Teach Us All” would be a great start in terms of understanding where specifically we should focus our improvement efforts.
--Paulie, Fall 2020
Podcasts
This resource is helpful for learning about antiracism because it is an example of a crime that happened in the past that still affects our current society. The murder of James Reeb led to President Lyndon B. Johnson giving a speech that introduced the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was signed into law five months later. The people who still live in Selma are reminded of the injustices that have happened. A tour guide tells the narrators about the current state of Selma. The last stop of the tour is Brown Center AME, where a marker that commemorates the voting rights campaign shows a bust of Martin Luther King and three names stand. She says, “They talk about three of the deaths that were directly related to the Selma struggle... They say, ‘They gave their lives.’ They didn’t give anything. They were murdered by hateful, racist people... Their lives were taken, not given. Taken.” The deaths of these three people still haunt the people of Selma.
--Carinah, Fall 2020