Reply to I understand the need for "Empowering Males of Color", but the tone of this is exclusive offensive

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Reply to "I understand the need for "Empowering Males of Color", but the tone of this is exclusive offensive"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think it's shitty that they have programs literally geared toward every student except white males.  Is there a correlating general leadership program that all can participate in in addition to or instead of these programs?[/quote]

Why do you think it's shitty? Do you think white males need a special program to be empowered?  Do you feel your white male child does not have enough support to overcome challenges in his life?  What kind of problems do you think your white male child will face getting into college, going to college, and in the workplace?  [/quote]

It is a kind of interesting question. There are efforts to talk to boys about things like sexual violence and awareness of problems women and girls face, often at the hands of boys and men, in order to combat "rape culture" and so forth.

Should there be something similar for white boys to learn how they might be perpetuating racism, and to be challenged to think about it in a separate group and come to terms with their identity and privilege, in a useful way? As a parent of a white boy I often wonder how to make sure he grows up to be both anti-racist and a feminist, and all alone we can only do so much if social pressures go the other way.

I would not want the white or non-black boys in particular to feel left out and therefore actually step up their journey toward racist behaviors linked to some kind of misguided sense of victimhood (a la, Trumpists). I don't think this event is a bad idea, or should be more inclusive, but shouldn't we also treat the disease from the other way.[/quote]

I'm the mom of a 14 year old white boy, and I agree with you. At work I am part of a white caucus (there is also a POC caucus) that aims to examine systemic racism and white privilege. The work of the POC is different, as their experience and needs are different. We come together as a full body (White and POC) occasionally to share, as well. The reading we do as White people is different than the reading the POC group is doing - they don't need to be brought along to understand and believe that systemic racism exists in the workplace, for example. And we White people don't particularly need to be heard and engage in healing. Different needs. My son's school actually is doing some of this work looking at what race means and what it means to each kid to be the race they identify as, and what privileges they do or don't experience. Its been interesting having conversations with my kid about all of this.[/quote]

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