Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
Shelby Steele has written extensively about this and suggests that white guilt has become the moral framework for American racial relations and reinforced through our educational systems, our government and our media. He argues that liberal whites initially embraced guilt for two reasons: to avoid being seen as racists and to embrace a vantage point where they could dole out benefits to disadvantaged minorities through programs such as affirmative action.
I don't believe that feeling guilty is volitional; it is something one can recognize, choose to anayze, and step out of. I do think feelings of grief and sadness exist in all of us about racism and the state of race relations. Certainly no one I know thinks we're moving through healing the terrible damage done to people based upon their skin color. The data is clear that multigenerational effects of the trauma of slavery is still being felt in the African American community.

In my experience, many whites have been frozen by guilt and grief, and stuck in how to best to understand the roles each of us plays in keeping racist structures in place, & how to undo institutional racism. As I have explored my own internal assumtions based in race, largely learned before I had a cognitive filter in place to analyze what I was learning -- in other words, before I was around age 7 -- I have gone through several stages of understanding. The most important to me are these: I have a great deal to offer in undoing racism in our country, and the power to do so. By virtue of my unearned race & class privilege (I was born into both), I'm a gatekeeper, and can use that status as a way to open doors to others who don't have such easy access. I have an ongoing responsibility to this work to be aware of when I take refuge in my privilege, and think about who it impacts, and how.

Seeing race and cultural differences is very important as a condition of understanding others' realities. My Latino/a & Egyptian family members all love their mixed race heritages. Their multi-cultural background is a very important of who they each are, including their faiths, their dietary & religious observances, as well as how they are treated as brown-skinned people in a white dominated society, which is often as second-class citizens. Specifically, racial, ethnic or religious slurs being said to their faces, as well as other things I'd prefer to not mention. We do have a long way to go in our contry.

I understand Mr. Steele's perspectives that government programs have engendered dependency. Self-agency is an important quality to develop, and he believes that assistance deters this, a perspective I certainly share as a parent! I don't believe the data supports his beliefs that government supports have created dependency in the African American community, however. There is some pretty compelling data that food, housing, medical care, and education assistance gives the majorityof folks who receive it access to the middle class. As a biracial man, who, live Obama, grew up as a Black man, he has a very important life persepctive. I'm glad he's part of the national convo, even as I disagree with him!

An an anti-racist white, I recommend Tim Wise. http://www.timwise.org/

Also, if you're in the Seattle area, here is a conferenece that might interest you. I hope to go! http://www.whiteprivilegeconference.com/