{"id":121435,"date":"2023-01-27T09:14:22","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T14:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=121435"},"modified":"2023-01-27T09:14:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T14:14:22","slug":"white-people-need-to-work-on-their-whiteness-sociologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/white-people-need-to-work-on-their-whiteness-sociologist\/","title":{"rendered":"White people need to \u2018work\u2019 on their \u2018whiteness’: sociologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘How can white people engage in efforts to dismantle racism in ways that do not reproduce or place unfair burdens upon people of color to be our teachers?’ professor asks<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

White people need to acknowledge their faults and fix their \u201cwhiteness,\u201d according to an Oregon sociologist.<\/p>\n

Professor Emily Drew will host a \u201cconversation\u201d in February \u201cfor white people to reflect together on what it means to \u2018do our work\u2019 as white people,\u201d according to an announcement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Willamette University professor\u2019s presentation at a local library is titled \u201cWorking on Our Whiteness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participants will be asked to consider the following questions:<\/p>\n

How can we who are white show up as more effective and less damaging participants in struggles to interrupt racism in our community? How can white people engage in efforts to dismantle racism in ways that do not reproduce or place unfair burdens upon people of color to be our teachers?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The \u201cwork\u201d that white people must focus on \u201cincludes taking responsibility for one another, educating ourselves, and coming to view other white people as our partners\u2014not competition\u2014in developing antiracist identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drew also teaches ethnic studies at Willamette. \u201cShe gives presentations at universities and community-based organizations on the subjects of white privilege, gentrification, fair housing, reparations and affirmative action,\u201d according to her bio. \u201cIn all of these capacities, she is an organizer and strategic planner, helping institutions develop and implement long term commitments to anti-racist, multicultural diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drew is a regular speaker on how white people need to become better people. For example, she gave a talk at another Oregon library in 2018 titled “Challenging Our Inner Becky: Interventions of White Women-ness in Our Community.” \u201cBecky,\u201d like the name \u201cKaren,\u201d is used as a stereotype against an overbearing or annoying white woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope was to attract people who already knew racism was a problem, probably had a critique of the kinds of people who do racism,” Drew told a local newspaper<\/a>. She wanted white people to \u201cturn the mirror on ourselves and look at how does that same stuff live in us?”<\/p>\n

Drew gave a presentation<\/a> in June 2022 on \u201cWorking on our Whiteness\u201d with the same topics planned for the February session.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> UChicago offers ‘problem of whiteness’ course<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Willamette University with College Fix<\/em> edits<\/p>\n

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