Being White and Black History Month
This month is Black History month and a good time to reflect on race.
As a white woman raised by Polish immigrants in a majority white upbringing, it wasn't until I got to college that I had a black friend, and it wasn't until my 40's and exposure to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work through UCSF and the
Academy of Communication in Healthcare
that I thought too much about my "whiteness."
If you are white, and have had similar privilege not to think about race every day of your life, this is an invitation to begin.
Scholar and author Robin Diangelo writes that exempting ourselves of the unavoidable dynamics of racism because we are "different," have had certain "experiences," because we "care" or are "good," or because we are "color blind," only prevents us from examining and changing our biases and perpetuates the status quo. If the status quo seems comfortable to you, and not something that needs changing, then I'm especially talking to you.
To this end, to begin educating ourselves further, I highly recommend the incredible book
White Fragility
written by Robin Diangelo. Pick it up for free at 350 Parnassus, Suite 150 (Office of UCSF Health Experience) March 4-March 30th, 2020.
On a lighter note, my 5th grade daughter told me that a classmate called her racist because she said she liked the white cookies better than the chocolate cookies. My daughter bristled at the accusation, but it did start the conversation, as she wanted to talk to me about it. As 5th graders are muddling through what racism and bias mean, so surely can we as adults.
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