While writing a piece on White Privilege for my blog, i have been doing a lot of reading up on articles and posts relating to the whole Ferguson situation that has been playing out in Americaland and there have been a number of really helpful ones written and here are some of those:
I loved this piece which begins with an innocent ‘interaction’ in a coffee shop that opens up to the much more hectic conversation about Ferguson and the challenge for us to stop hiding:
http://culturemulching.com/2014/08/24/how-do-we-dance-after-ferguson-for-the-privileged-vacationer
An excellent piece from a comparative perspective of ‘If this was a white kid it would not have played out this way’ which is White Privilege to the extreme:
http://blog.mattstauffer.org/182/first-they-came-for-the-black-people-and-i-did-not-speak-out
This is a very different perspective, shared by a mother of a six year old, Keesha Beckford, with some practical ideas on what we can do to make a difference:
http://www.bonbonbreak.com/dear-white-moms
This is the piece by Elizabeth Broadbent which i already referenced [under her alias of Manic Pixie Dream Mama] from the perspective of a white mother able to spot the difference:
A helpful piece using the analogy of bicycle riding in a world designed for cars, helps to bring the point across:
http://alittlemoresauce.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/what-my-bike-has-taught-me-about-white-privilege
This is a visiual of the difference in reporting language for white and black crimes that is heartbreakingly indicative of the fact of White Privilege:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/media-black-victims_n_5673291.html
Had to add this one which looks at 28 common racist attitudes and behaviours and while i don’t agree completely with all of them, i do see a lot of sad truth in most of them:
https://www.stcloudstate.edu/affirmativeaction/resources/insights/pdf/28ToolsChange.pdf
And i would love to hear from you – when it comes to ‘White Privilege’ and Race Conversations, what are the articles and blog posts that have influenced you or caused you to pay extra attention of late?
Finally, a reminder from pastor Martin Niemöller which was written about the Holocaust and a reminder why it is SO IMPORTANT for white people to be having these conversations and getting personally involved in action:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
[For my original post on White Privilege, click here]