White Privilege Conference, USA, 2014

Smashius_Clay

The city of Madison, Wisconsin hosted the 15th annual national White Privilege Conference last week at the Monona Terrace to discuss issues of white supremacy, social justice and education.

At this conference, Kim Radersma, a former high-school teacher working towards her PhD in critical whiteness studies, spoke at the event and said the following.

"Being a white person who does anti-racist work is like being an alcoholic. I will never be recovered by my alcoholism, to use the metaphor. I have to everyday wake up and acknowledge that I am so deeply imbedded with racist thoughts and notions and actions in my body that I have to choose everyday to do anti-racist work and think in an anti-racist way."

She also argued that white people's actions, like donating to charity or helping a family in need, are inherently racist.

"It's that savior mentality, like 'save them, because they are not like us... we need to think of them and give them our sympathy and our charity and our generosity, which is so demeaning to the people on the receiving end. It's so demoralizing and disempowering to be receiving it."

Frankly, I find this whole thing baffling. I don't know who elected Radersma to speak for white people, or what a PhD in critical whiteness studies is, but telling someone that there is something inherently wrong with them, to me, is no different than telling a child that he is a sinner and Jesus died because of his sins (one reason why I am an atheist).

You can read more about this 'White Privilege Conference' here.

GenieOz

It's ok, I don't need to read more.

Every single white privilege, thin privilege, brown hair privilege blah blah blah, such a load of crap.

Honestly find it hard to picture those who go along with them as being intelligent on any measurable scale.

discus

This is why I dont want to bring children into this world.

Dafuq

My name is URL

Bunch of absolute gobshites

She also argued that white people's actions, like donating to charity or helping a family in need, are inherently racist.

"It's that savior mentality, like 'save them, because they are not like us... we need to think of them and give them our sympathy and our charity and our generosity, which is so demeaning to the people on the receiving end. It's so demoralizing and disempowering to be receiving it."



well , I'll tell ye what, love, Ill keep my white guilt priveledged money from now on then, how do you like them apples

sopretty

I can honestly say that this is the most bizarre association that I have ever heard of.

Bluewolf expressed it better than I ever could; 'Dafuq?'

ScumLord

Smashius_Clay wrote: »

"It's that savior mentality,

No, it's called empathy, one of the core virtues of the human race. Were the native Americans that sent money to Ireland during our famine racists?

I really don't understand how she could have got this nonsense out of a education system.

Links234

I'm pretty sure people in academia have a much higher risk of cranial-rectal-inversion than the general population, but I've no peer-reviewed studies on the subject to cite.

dodderangler

'Murica!!!!

mad muffin

<--- April Fools went that a way

Fox_In_Socks

Sometimes I get tired and jaded of this world. Work, study and the banalities of everyday life can get you down and you wonder are you ever going to look on the world with fresh eyes, encountering things that are novel and amaze you.

Then I come across an article such as this and realise that the world (and idiots) never cease to amaze me.

Thank you stupid woman, and your stupid organisation!

Thank you, thank you!

Manach

... so does that mean I'd not be welcome there singing my Horst Wessel lied rendition....

comongethappy

As a Wisconsinite I want to make clear that this does not represent my state..

Wisconsin is proudly home to literally several people of ethnic minority!!

Femme_Fatale

Self-loathing weirdo wrote:

I have to everyday wake up and acknowledge that I am so deeply imbedded with racist thoughts and notions and actions in my body

Jeez, fair play to her for admitting it. Hopefully she'll overcome her awful racist tendencies and become like us non racists.

LenaClaire

comongethappy wrote: »

As a Wisconsinite I want to make clear that this does not represent my state..

Wisconsin is proudly home to literally several people of ethnic minority!!

Go Badgers!

Femme_Fatale

comongethappy wrote: »

As a Wisconsinite I want to make clear that this does not represent my state..

Wisconsin is proudly home to literally several people of ethnic minority!!

Pffft... ye're all blondes and of nordic descent and say "ya" and "eh" non stop. Ye wannabe Canoodians.

Fox_In_Socks

LenaClaire wrote: »

Go Badgers!

:mad:

She also argued that white people's actions, like donating to charity or helping a family in need, are inherently racist.

"It's that savior mentality, like 'save them, because they are not like us... we need to think of them and give them our sympathy and our charity and our generosity, which is so demeaning to the people on the receiving end. It's so demoralizing and disempowering to be receiving it."

Yeah, all you racist charitable fúcks. Stop showing off your privilege by donating to actual needy causes and send your donations here instead.

Agent Smith

Them guys are going to so pissed when they find out the president is black. :pac:

sopretty

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Jeez, fair play to her for admitting it. Hopefully she'll overcome her awful racist tendencies and become like us non racists.

Is there a notion here that being racist is a bit like being alcoholic? :pac:

She is so full of self loathing she should be pitied really.


''She argued that until white people admit they have a problem, they will not be able to fight against white privilege.

"We've been raised to be good. 'I'm a good white person,' and yet to realize I carry within me these dark, horrible thoughts and perceptions is hard to admit. And yet like the alcoholic, what's the first step? Admitting you have a problem," she told the session attendees.


Radersma also argued the first step is realizing that all white people are carrying the signs of oppression.

shruikan2553

Im confused, white people are privileged but if we think we are privileged arent we racist for thinking we have something special?

Nodin

Smashius_Clay wrote: »

The city of Madison, Wisconsin hosted the 15th annual national White Privilege Conference last week at the Monona Terrace to discuss issues of white supremacy, social justice and education.

At this conference, Kim Radersma, a former high-school teacher working towards her PhD in critical whiteness studies, spoke at the event and said the following.

"Being a white person who does anti-racist work is like being an alcoholic. I will never be recovered by my alcoholism, to use the metaphor. I have to everyday wake up and acknowledge that I am so deeply imbedded with racist thoughts and notions and actions in my body that I have to choose everyday to do anti-racist work and think in an anti-racist way."

She also argued that white people's actions, like donating to charity or helping a family in need, are inherently racist.

"It's that savior mentality, like 'save them, because they are not like us... we need to think of them and give them our sympathy and our charity and our generosity, which is so demeaning to the people on the receiving end. It's so demoralizing and disempowering to be receiving it."

Frankly, I find this whole thing baffling. I don't know who elected Radersma to speak for white people, or what a PhD in critical whiteness studies is, but telling someone that there is something inherently wrong with them, to me, is no different than telling a child that he is a sinner and Jesus died because of his sins (one reason why I am an atheist).

You can read more about this 'White Privilege Conference' here.

All a bit mental, tbh.

solomafioso

Black White Supremacist.

The reason this person is getting notice is because the bat**** crazy PhD program exists. She isn't representative of anything but the bat**** crazy corner of academia she exists within. These 'niche' programs attract the extremes, who try to validate their existence by having these 'conferences' (probably existing of two speakers and one stand in the lobby of a Motel 6) and publishing these articles in an attempt to legitimise their discipline. No one takes them seriously but themselves and the universities who offer these programs in an attempt to corner some cash.

You can do a Masters in The Beatles, Popular Music and Society in Liverpool Hope (arguably more valuable than Critical Whiteness Studies), a B.S. in Fermentation Sciences in Appalachian State, or a PhD in Decision Sciences in Indiana. Just because it exists doesn't mean anyone takes it seriously.

In many departments of established universities that offer programs of study that add to the worthwhile font of human knowledge, it's a source of both hilarity and embarrassment when this kind of rubbish rises to the surface anywhere.

enfant terrible

To be fair to her she is technically correct, she is a racist.

A racist against white people.

Donkey Oaty

Jake1 wrote: »

dark, horrible thoughts and perceptions

I'd like her to expand on these, as it may give us some insight into what is clearly a very troubled mind.

Femme_Fatale

enfant terrible wrote: »

To be fair to her she is technically correct, she is a racist.

A racist against white people.

She's like women who go on about women being bitches; Irish people who go on about Irish people being backward and all the other descriptions that pop up here every day; men who condemn men and claim to be staunchly feminist (often to get laid) etc.

Although to be fair to this nut-job, she isn't saying "except me" like the people above tend to do.

Mike747

I feel sorry for her partner. Imagine putting up with that level of crazy.

Seriously though how can you be racist just because you're white? Scary stuff.

Femme_Fatale

Equal crazy (but coming from a different angle) in the comments.

Muise...

I can't find a link because it's from the paper days, but The Onion once had an article about a white family being criticised for not meeting racial diversity quotas. This reads almost exactly the same.

I wonder does Brock University, Ontario know that Radersma is studying there toward a PhD in critical whiteness studies? Is it all lower case because fcuk you Capital patriarchy? So many levels. Such woo. Wow.

Donkey Oaty

Muise... wrote: »

I wonder does Brock University, Ontario know that Radersma is studying there toward a PhD in critical whiteness studies?

This lady is likely to be her supervisor, having critical white studies as one of her interests.

However, this guy would probably be just as appropriate.

Stavros Murphy

"I'm so right-on and PC, it hurts. Literally. Pain, every day"

fcuk off. Some people badly need a few real problems.

strobe

A lot of quite well educated quite stupid people around these days it seems. What's with that? Rich kids? You tend to see it a lot on blogs and things. People pretty knowledgeable about all kinds of academic theories and what have you but seemingly incapable of doing anything with the knowledge but regurgitate it without any kind of ability to understand or appraise it. It's weird. Maybe it's a result of the whole learn by rote thing in schools. People that really shouldn't be allowed get a bus on their own in case they wander off with a bad man moving in academic circles because they've got half decent memories.

Stavros Murphy

Anyone watch that mockumentary about rebranding the BBC there last night? This is the same guff - right on, too cool and dumber than a box of rocks, just ffs, don't call them out on it or there'l be war.

Femme_Fatale

strobe wrote: »

A lot of quite well educated quite stupid people around these days it seems. What's with that? Rich kids? You tend to see it a lot on blogs and things. People pretty knowledgeable about all kinds of academic theories and what have you but seemingly incapable of doing anything with the knowledge but regurgitate it without any kind of ability to understand or appraise it. It's weird. Maybe it's a result of the whole learn by rote thing in schools. People that really shouldn't be allowed get a bus on their own in case they wander off with a bad man moving in academic circles because they've got half decent memories.

Yeh I got over my insecurity about being middle-class by about 19.

strobe

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Yeh I got over my insecurity about being middle-class by about 19.

Come again?

Femme_Fatale

strobe wrote: »

Come again?

I'm referring to those idiots you mention who are rich/middle-class and feel insecure about it and wish they were part of a disenfranchised demographic in order to feel "edgier".

strobe

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I'm referring to those idiots you mention who are rich/middle-class and feel insecure about it.

Ah right yeah.
Think it's my bedtime.

Muise...

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I'm referring to those idiots you mention who are rich/middle-class and feel insecure about it.

That was probably the only point you could challenge fairly, as the rest of the post was unclear. Learning by rote, buses and strangers. I think.

Stavros Murphy

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I'm referring to those idiots you mention who are rich/middle-class and feel insecure about it and wish they were part of a disenfranchised demographic in order to be "edgier".

Or as I call it "the Blackrock-shemag syndrome".

Frank Lee Midere

Candie wrote: »

The reason this person is getting notice is because the bat**** crazy PhD program exists. She isn't representative of anything but the bat**** crazy corner of academia she exists within. These 'niche' programs attract the extremes, who try to validate their existence by having these 'conferences' (probably existing of two speakers and one stand in the lobby of a Motel 6) and publishing these articles in an attempt to legitimise their discipline. No one takes them seriously but themselves and the universities who offer these programs in an attempt to corner some cash.

You can do a Masters in The Beatles, Popular Music and Society in Liverpool Hope (arguably more valuable than Critical Whiteness Studies), a B.S. in Fermentation Sciences in Appalachian State, or a PhD in Decision Sciences in Indiana. Just because it exists doesn't mean anyone takes it seriously.

In many departments of established universities that offer programs of study that add to the worthwhile font of human knowledge, it's a source of both hilarity and embarrassment when this kind of rubbish rises to the surface anywhere.

But these academic institutions exist within the most powerful cultural empire, possibly, in history. That means that americanised ideas of "white" privilege spreads to places far less culturally, militarily or economically powerful than America ( including non-white America).

strobe

Muise... wrote: »

That was probably the only point you could challenge fairly, as the rest of the post was unclear. Learning by rote, buses and strangers. I think.

Now I'm confused again, or maybe you are. Don't think she was challenging any of my points/musings.

But yeah, the buses were the main thing. Gold star for you. Bed for me.

sopretty

strobe wrote: »

A lot of quite well educated quite stupid people around these days it seems. What's with that? Rich kids? You tend to see it a lot on blogs and things. People pretty knowledgeable about all kinds of academic theories and what have you but seemingly incapable of doing anything with the knowledge but regurgitate it without any kind of ability to understand or appraise it. It's weird. Maybe it's a result of the whole learn by rote thing in schools. People that really shouldn't be allowed get a bus on their own in case they wander off with a bad man moving in academic circles because they've got half decent memories.

I've noticed this too! You can teach people facts. You can't teach them 'having a clue what's goin' on' though lol.

Muise...

strobe wrote: »

Now I'm confused again, or maybe you are. Don't think she was challenging any of my points/musings.

But yeah, the buses were the main thing. Gold star for you. Bed for me.

It read as a challenge before FF edited it to add a qualifying sentence.

Me and my book learning, hah?

Goodnight.

Edit: Wake up! The second sentence is gone! S'alright though, there's a post to qualify it now.

strobe

Muise... wrote: »

It read as a challenge before FF edited it to add a qualifying sentence.

Me and my book learning, hah?

Goodnight.

Edit: Wake up! The second sentence is gone! S'alright though, there's a post to qualify it now.

So did the cops know internal affairs were setting them up or not? :pac:

Femme_Fatale

Haha, I blew your minds. :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1by7CiMZOWo

RDM_83 again

At least its in the USA where there is a history of institutional racism, when people start using that 'white privilege' guff over here where we have a completely different historical and cultural background its even worse.

enfant terrible

RDM_83 again wrote: »

At least its in the USA where there is a history of institutional racism, when people start using that 'white privilege' guff over here where we have a completely different historical and cultural background its even worse.

Nope still crazy even in the US.

In before the "I'm not a racist but......"