Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997
From: Curtis Michelson
Subject: Wow! Interestng stuff!

Wow! Interestng stuff!

Jeff, I am really intrigued with your concept and look forward to hearing from conference participants.

I live in Orlando, FL and I chair an Anti-Racim/Multiculturalism Task Force at my church (First Unitarian of Orlando). In our discussions of HOW to achieve greater embraces of multiculturalism and our combatting of racism in our community, our talks have begun to come around to the search for "authentic" relationships between whites and blacks. This is particularly challenging when the whites are trying so hard to "do good" and "show" the blacks how "tolerant" we are. It always gets so hung up on "what we have to show them".

Until I saw your site, I hadn't made the connection to whites lacking a strong sense of positive white identity. But this does explain a lot. I am sure you all have talked about the irony of American culture in which whites (speaking very generally here) historically have rejected blacks but consistently embraced and often co-opted black culture - their music, food, language, etc. Look how many middle class white kids like to dress like black gangstas or speak hip-hop. This has always struck me as odd and really pathetic in the sense of sad or pathos. We lack a "culture" so we latch on to others but try to pretend we came up with it in the firstplace.

I guess I could go on for quite a ways here but I feel so strongly about moving beyond traditional barriers and discovering new and authentic cross-racial relationships.

I look forward to coming back to your site.

Thanks,
Curtis Michelson

Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997
From: Curtis Michelson
Subject: P.S.

Hi Jeff,

One more thing. I was very intrigued by some of your quotes, especially this gentleman: August Meier, who apparently authored "Who Are the True Believers? -- A Tentative Typology of the Motivations of Civil Rights Activists," in A White Scholar and the Black Community 1945-1965: Essays and Reflections, 1992.

Do you know how I can locate this book or essay? It really touches an area that I am fascinated about learning right now - the relations between "good white liberals" and blacks in the 60's.

This has a very personal bearing for me because back in 1960 my parents were charter members of (what was for its time) a very radical institution - the first explicitly and openly integrated church in Miami, Florida. It was called the Church of the Open Door and I believe was an affiliate of the United Church of Christ. I was born in 1965 and in fact I was baptized at this church. My earliest memories of Sundays as a kid were sitting in the pughs of this arched church in the heart of Liberty City in Miami amongst a sea of black faces and singing "we shall overcome". (I recently came to find out we were practically the only white family who went to church with any regularity; i.e., we were the tokens!)

We attended regularly till I was about six years old in 1971. My folks said that as black power came on the scene, things got a litte uncomfortable around there. So they stopped going and would just go back for reunions. I actually wonder now if that was entirely the case. Undoubtedly, there were tensions though. My folks fell into the class of white liberal which Maier described as involved because of their sense of Americaness and responsibility, not out of a sense of alienation or whatever.

But looking back, it was really something special and I am very proud of my parents for doing what they did, and imparting strong multi-cultural values to me. Just last week, over the Christmas holiday I went to back my Miami and while there found the church again. It was really neat to meet the new minister who is my age (31 years old) and who is still keeping the church on its focus of social action and justice.

If you can give me some background on Maier and point me to more of his stuff, I would really appreciate it.

Again, thanks for the great job. Keep it up.

In peace,
Curtis

Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997
From: CGrundy797@aol.com
Subject: Book List

In reviewing your booklist, I was struck by some glaring omissions to your recommended readings. Let me, for now, recommend three works which should be considered seminal readings toward an understanding of this notion of "whiteness":

1) YURUGU: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior by Marimba Ani (also available on video)

2) The Iceman Inheritance by Michael Bradley

3) Message to the White Man and White Woman in America by Dorothy Blake Fardan

I wish you continued success in your vital work.
Chester Grundy

Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997
From: Debra Barrett
Subject: Whiteness

Dear Center,

I am white and also a Deaf man. I am so thankful for this organization and think that it is about time and agree that yes this will help race relations and help whites to see themselves as just what they are and that is just a group of a whole multitude of ethnic mixes with white skin. I feel that white people have gotten to the point that we almost feel ashamed that we are white. The reason we feel that way is that we know our ancestors have done horrible things against other races but some of the extreme groups of those other races blame the newer generations for something that they did not do. I personally wonder why should I feel ashamed that I am white and what my ancestors did. I did not do those things and feel just as angry as they do as I would never want any of those awful things to happen to me and my family just because I am white. I feel some of the people in other races are seeing the shame that whites feel and are pounding on that to the point that we today do not dare say that whites do have cultures and many different cultures too and we should not be ashamed of the good things of those cultures. I could say that all African American's are no good and killers because of the Black Panthers and other groups. I could say that they are all murderers and rapers and robbers after what a few did in the riots after the Rodney King Trial. I felt that was so unfair to the people that suffered in those riots because all whites were assumed to be racists and like those stupid white cops that beated Rodney King. I was just as furious for what those officers did to Rodney King and sure wanted to take the law into my own hands.

Today we sadly are seeing reverse racism from many other races against whites just like the KKK and others did against African Americans. I am saddened and shocked by this because these people do not realize that they are exactly like the KKK and no better, period. I know if Martin Luther King were alive he would have been so saddened, shocked and angered by what he sees happening in his own race. The thing that is the most saddest about all of this is it may and probally will cause many good white people that have always looked at African Americans as thier equals to start hating them again and then groups like the KKK will be back in record numbers. I pray that if it were to happen that everyone in my family would be dead and spared from having to live through such a tragedy. How I wish we never had slavery. America would be such a better country than it is today. But it did happen, so what are we going to do about it besides let our hate and mistrust blind us completely against each others race groups? I love driving through Chicago because of all the differnet races with thier cultures. I always stop in each one and just soak in each ones cultures beauty, enjoy thier food, thier clothes, thier stories and so many beautiful things about every races culture or cultures. I love going into the black retail sections of towns and shop and eat in thier places. They have so many beautiful things in thier cultures that I love to see. No one and I mean no one makes better bar-b-que anything! Thier clothes are so beautiful and comfortable. I almost forgot to say that I love thier sweet potato pie and best of all is the red beans and rice. Man, I tell you I would die of boredom and boring food if it were not for other races and thier cultures. I wish other races would feel the same way about white races cultures. I know right now they are just now finally getting to know thier own cultures and finding thier own roots after having been forced for 200 years to reject thier culture, and only be allowed to accept the whites cultures and having to reject thier accomplishments as they are very numerous and invented many things in all fields of life that made all cultures lifes better but not thier own as they were even denied that.They felt that having black skin was inferior to white skinned people. I know right now many other races do not want to hear nothing about white cultures until they have learned about thier own and feel good about themselves and thier race and thier cultures.

The danger is that the more that white people aremade to feel no good and feel unjustified guilt, the more that they will wake up and realize that they did nothing wrong to feel ashamed about as it was thier ancestors that did it and then the whites are going to start getting angry and joined radical groups like the KKK and Skinheads just like some people joined the Black Panthers and other radical groups. This time I believe we are going to have a very ugly situation that will be much worst than anything we had in the past. I am seeing more and more African American people reject me right off the bat just because I am white and the sad part is most of them end up accepting me because I am Deaf and they know Deaf people suffer racism and disrmination. That makes me sad because I am exactly the same inside no matter if I am Deaf. My two kids are white and hearing and they have grown up in mixed race neighborhoods and never ever had any problems until Junior and High School because it seems as the kids get older they tend to seperate more into thier own races. My son feels more comfortable with African Americans than white people. Herecently had a black girlfreind and he said it never entered his mind that she was black. It was the same with the girl but sad to say more all of the hassles and physical confratations they faced was from African Americans. Sure some of the whites would look in a bad way at them but said nothing. That is exactly what blacks went through in all white schools. Whites pushed around and mocked black people. My son was so confused by this when he first faced this racism and it was hard for him to understand. Heknwos they are angry about what happened and is still happening in society but he knew that he did not do any of those things and supported thier anger against those things but he could not understand why he was picked on just because he was white. He wears rap clothes as most teenage white boys do and loves rap music. He also love music from Mexican Americans, Asian Americans and white Americans. All he cares about if the music and words were good.

I commend your group and hope you areable to succed. I look at your group as exactly the same as the NCAAP or other race orginizations. Wejust want to be treated as having many good things as a culture just like all the other races have with thier cultures.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mrs. Robert Barrett

Date: Mon, 10 Mar 97
From: robert_horton@sfbayguardian.com (robert horton)
Subject: Fwd: study of whiteness

hi for the last 3 years i have been working with groups of white people to untrain our white liberal racism. i am white myself. i would like to find out more about yr organizaion. i do not have web access but a friend who does sent me your address. enclosed is a flyer in txt format giving a hint of what it is I do. please get back to me with info. thanks, robert horton.

Untraining White Liberal Racism
with Robert Horton

Do you wonder how you, as a white person, contribute to the maintenance of a white-dominated world?

The Untraining was developed as a way for white people to explore what it means to be white and how their "white training" affects people of whiteness and people of color. It is based on the work of Rita Shimmin, a powerful teacher of African-American and Filipino ancestry. Small groups meet once a month for 6 months in a challenging but highly supportive workshop format.

The group will address "untraining" the invisible white supremacist teachings in ourselves. This involves working on issues of:

Rank-"owning the power you have been given by society." Privilege-"the distance between you and the street." Truth-telling-"finding and speaking the truth about race." Intensity-"expressing the full range of human emotion." Conflict exploration-"learning to tolerate conflict without resolution." Multidimensionality-"holding more than one reality at a time." Core issues-"relating your deepest stuck places and traumas to racism." Other Isms- heterosexism, sexism, ageism, etc.

If you are a person who cares about what is happening in our world and want to do something about it, call (510) 235-6134.

Robert Horton has been working with Rita Shimmin intensely for the past three years, studying her approach to multi-dimensionality that she calls Racism, Diversity and Risk of the Self. He studied Process Work with Arnold Mindell and has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for 20 years. Robert also works with individual clients around racism and social issues.

-------------------------------------------------------
Sent via the Guardian Online. 415.437.3600 N81 or bbs.sfbayguardian.com, 3004

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997
From: Cibbaeno2@aol.com
Subject: Dark Latinas and Views on Whiteness (and Blackness)

Dear Jeff:

Here is a short piece I would like to insert concerning my views on "whiteness". OF "WHITENESS" AND LATINOS Actually, my views on whiteness and dark Latinas ( or Latinos) are sort of rolled into a body of thought.

A short time ago, I was chatting with a friend on the passion of basketball. It seems as if the jump shot is a non-entity in highlight reels of the game--everyone wishes to dunk.

[That is actually why the University of North Carolina was eliminated in the Final Four this weekend--they decided (when they had an early lead) to go for the dunk and the show-off, while Arizona clawed back by playing good, fundamental (but non-flashy) basketball.]

I was telling this young man that people respond much more excitedly to the man of medium or moderately tall height who elevates and dunks the ball, as opposed to the giant centers who do this while barely stretching. Part of this is due to the fact that people identify much more with average-sized people. However, a good portion of the excitement somes from the tremendous effort and power required for a smaller person to jump so high.

As a Latino, I enjoy saying that this effort (or vector of force) can be used as an analogy in looking at "whiteness" and what it means to us (Latinos).

A great deal of the push for dismantling, revising and/or critically appraising "whiteness" comes from people who, in our basketball analogy, could be likened to seven-footers: they are used to the "white" status, no special effort is required to maintain it--and, indeed, they did very little to attain it. Telling such a person that "whiteness" needs to have an overhaul or even an elimination may not evoke very much resistance. On the other hand, Latinos, who, upon arriving and/or growing up in the United States are made perfectly aware that this is a "white" man's country, are in a position in which this "white" status requires a certain amount of effort to push for (vector of force towards "whiteness"). Such a person would, of course, be less interested in "abolishing" or "revising" a status that he or she sees as a goal. This Latino would be, in the basketball analogy, the dunker who really needs a big push.

Once, while teaching E.S.L (English as a Second Language) in Minnesota, I was told by a Mexican gentleman that "Mexicans were 'white' also". This fellow was not speaking of a linguistic status, political ideology or even a nationality--he was speaking about a U.S. status of "white" privilege (and since many people do not consider Mexicans "white", one must say "potential privilege"). This status binds people as diverse as Sicilians and Finns, Ukrainians and Scots, Costa Ricans and even Domincans.

Failing attaining "whiteness", a Latino can always opt for "non-black" emphasis (stressing that color of skin comes from "Indian" ancestry, which, unlike "black" ancestry, does not automatically preclude "white" membership).