In solidarity, learning, growth, and resistance.

Uncovering Whiteness. (Part 2) A blog post entitled ‘ Should we teach school students about white privilege ?’ recently hit social media. Please take a peek before you read on. This is Part 2 of a 3-part blog post related to it. In Part 1 , I said that rather than less (or zero) teaching about the specific white privileges of racism, we should strive for better teaching of it, and to argue otherwise is dangerous. But to be open to learning more, students and educators need to be in a place where they can reflect on their own whiteness.   They need skilled guidance to do this, especially since it may be so normal to them as to be invisible. I will use the blog post to help us see its whiteness and help to confront " our rigid refusal to look at ourselves " (Baldwin). In the forthcoming Part 3 I apply practical advice and a constructive, loving way forwards for educators. Any subject can be taught poorly (or well) and cause a "reaction". This is no reas...

Reckless Whiteness. (Part 1) A blog post entitled ‘ Should we teach school students about white privilege ?’ recently hit social media. Please take a peek before you read on. This is Part 1 of a 3-part blog post related to it. I believe it's a reckless piece, particularly in the current political climate . Ironically, it's also a textbook example of ' white privilege ', whilst writing about white privilege . For a better understanding of how white people tend to assert an opinion on racism merely as an excuse to undermine it - whilst reproducing their own whiteness - there are much better things to read than my thoughts here. But I thought it necessary to use Greg Ashman's blog piece to illustrate this, seeing as he has a strong social media platform with which teachers may be engaging. Anyway, for these reasons, that blog post will serve as the 'exhibit' for some analysis here. But more of that in just a second. Firstly, allow me to make...