Category: Blog

I recently met with a man who some years ago recognized some of the privileges his life had afforded him.  Both his parents were professors, he had the benefit of an excellent education, of growing up in a “safe” suburban neighborhood, all leading to a stellar career in the business world.  He decided it was… Continue reading ACTION: What Isn’t Helpful

From a recent poll: “Half of white Americans – including 60% of the white working class – told researchers that discrimination against whites has become as big a problem today as discrimination against blacks and other minorities.” (Public Religion Research Institute Nov. 2015) Many of us white folks have an anecdote or two about so-called… Continue reading “White Privilege” – Says Who? Part II

“White privilege!” This term stirs disbelief, ire, and resentment among so many of us whites, often leading to the counter-charge: “Reverse discrimination!” In “Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right”, Hochschild describes the mindset that perceives non-whites “cutting in line” in front of all us hard-working American Dream chasers. In… Continue reading “White Privilege” – Says Who?

Okay, so we’re three posts into this blog and we have evoked some racial tension. Actually, it’s a fairly common situation and was inevitable: quite a few white folks have been upset by strong replies coming from a Black man (some other time, I’ll address the varied use of capitalization). What to do about that?… Continue reading The Challenge of Engagement