diversity

Tolerant Oppression: Why Promoting Tolerance Undermines Our Quest for Equality and What We Should Do Instead

beth — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0000

On the surface, tolerance seems like an innocuous concept. We’ve heard it before in relation to diversity, acceptance, and other key words that denote something positive. However, a deeper look into the idea reveals a mess of conflicting messages and confusion. For those who have never considered the concept of tolerance from this perspective before, Dr. Scott Hampton provides a handbook of sorts that critically assesses tolerance. Each of the 110 mini-chapters works to debunk the idea that tolerance is enough in order to achieve harmony.

Hampton uses quotes from respected leaders and a variety of exercises to illustrate and demonstrate his points, making this a light and quick read. In fact, its format makes it a useful teaching tool for those looking to challenge their own or others’ views on tolerance. The point is driven home all throughout, but the exercises allow for readers to reach their own conclusions as well.

To explain how tolerance simply isn’t enough, Hampton draws on a variety of controversial and hot button issues such as sexism, suicide, human trafficking, and more. The moral and ethical arguments surrounding these issues serve to support his points and give him an opportunity to present ideas such as, “Tolerance is politically correct hatred.” He suggests alternatives to tolerance like acceptance, understanding, and respect, because these words are less likely to be confused and more accurately describe what a person typically means when they say tolerance.

Many who are part of traditionally oppressed groups will see the logic to Hampton’s claims. Being tolerated isn’t enough, and it only serves to further enforce differences. Tolerance perpetuates the idea that one group or person is superior to another rather than challenging that very idea. On one hand, this might seem like a simple case of bad word choice, but given the fact that many people and organizations hold tolerance up as the goal or hoped-for end result, it is worthwhile to take a moment to identify what we truly want (justice, equality, etc.) and how we might better achieve it.

Written by: Shana Mattson, January 29th 2011

What Makes Me White

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Directed by Aimee Sands

In America we have seen a lot of victories in the battle against racism. An African American leader in the White House is a prominent sign of this progress. However, we still have far to go.

The recent arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates has made many rush to judgment saying he is using the “race card” to dismiss any wrong action he may have taken during the incident. On the other hand, some are calling the actions of the police officer overtly racist. Accusing either side of using or dismissing race is an easy way out of a difficult discussion. Thus, this news story provides an example of how society still has more work to do regarding racism.

What Makes Me White, a short film by Aimee Sands, presents the audience with a lot of questions and anecdotes about race and our places within the complex issue. It attempts to reveal the subconscious biases that we—all of society, but especially white America—have been taught to conceal and repress for the greater good. But what good is denying bias when it turns up in our actions and thoughts anyway?

The film features interviews with people recalling their experiences with race, including when they first became conscious of its existence. White people in the film tell stories about recognizing their own prejudices and learning about the prejudices of those around them. Susan Brigham, co-founder of Wayland Diversity Network, recalled when she first began to see her housekeeper as more than just a housekeeper. Unfortunately, this recognition didn’t happen until the woman’s funeral. This experience encouraged her to begin looking at diversity and establishing connections with people of all backgrounds.

I commend the list of people that were interviewed for the film. One such person featured is Peggy McIntosh who wrote the oft-cited essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." McIntosh imparts excellent insight into the concept of White privilege, which the film is steeped in. It recognizes that White people don’t have to think about the reality of being White. When we wake up, most mornings we face the world as a "normal" person, not specifically a White person.

Concepts and ideas about race given during the interviews are punctuated by narratives by the filmmaker about her own experience of being White and how she was trained not to speak about race. Through the artistic visuals and narration, the audience can feel her genuine thirst for understanding.

My main criticism of the film is that it doesn’t push far enough. It does start the conversation about race and allows White people to begin the process of acknowledging their relationship with race, but more needs to be explored. The film speaks mostly to upper middle class educated White populations, in particular those living in the northeast. A broader audience should be asked these same questions and brought into the conversation.

Perhaps, this film is the first of a series. Talking to average Americans of all ethnicities across the geographic boundaries of the US would bring another dimension to this relevant topic. We all want to believe this issue is behind us and that there isn’t discrimination in the actions of leaders and neighbors, but the truth is murkier, and prejudice does exist, even in the most empathic people. It’s hard to admit our bias, accept our experiences, and celebrate differences, but we must do all these things in order to get to the finish line in the quest for equality.

Written by: Andrea Hance, September 20th 2009

Life Goes On

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:10:00 +0000

By Linq

Linq is a little bit like the love baby of Barney and Melissa Etheridge, and I really don’t mean that in a derogatory way. If Linq played an outdoor festival and if my partner and I had kids, we would be out having a picnic dancing on the grass with our cute gaybies singing along. Yes, I said gaybies. How can you not love a song called “Diversity Dance?” Hooray for gays! Hooray for bisexuals! It doubles the dating pool! After all, a little dose of cheesiness isn’t always bad, is it?

Take Glenn Danzig. He is one of the cheesiest guys ever, and he writes some of the cheesiest songs ever, and yet he is still able to make the biggest, hairiest metal heads sing along like twelve-year-old girls at a Jonas Brothers concert. The dude can rock, and part of what makes him rock is a certain element of ridiculous that also make his songs catchy. Linq has that same sort of catchiness, as well. Her songs have an addictive beat that makes them fun to listen to.

Linq and her fellow musicians are a talented crew. They obviously play their instruments with love and conviction. Don’t let the small dose of silly chase you away. Most of the songs on Life Goes On are seriously good.

As I mentioned before, Linq’s voice is a bit like Melissa Etheridge, and her music also follows the same kind of sound (with some kd Lang and maybe even a bit of Led Zeppelin in there as well, particularly on tracks like “SOS” and “Life Goes On”). It’s certainly “folk rock with a message” as her website states: Linq and her band take on everything from the Bush administration to the Patriot Act to deforestation. Frankly, I like her sound, I applaud her message(s), and I even like the slice of brie in there with it.

Written by: Emily S. Dunster, August 14th 2009