Between the racism training last week (ARC), our adolescent development training on Monday, a community meeting on Tuesday and seeing Red Tails last night -- I've got a giant ball of yummy, gummy thoughts and questions. Any answers? Anybody? Bueller?
- Can you really get white people to engage directly with the topic of racism when they can't see that it remains a structural component of our society that benefits them? Terry thinks yes. Most of what I've read says no. Hmmm.
- Why do we (youth serving community) want to avoid this topic so desperately? At the adolescent development training our most dramatic youth story about racism still didn't get folks all riled up about it. They did name it, but very little depth to the conversation. Why?
- When/how do young people of color start to really understand the impact of racism on their life? Is it impacted by development? Experience? What is behind their claims that it is irrelevant to their lives? At our community meeting the young people's perspectives had a HUGE range from articulating exactly how it impact them to completely denying it. Sure, you can't generalize, but ...
- My blogs criticized Red Tails for "white washing" racism. I didn't get it! Failed the test (kidding, mostly.) Probably didn't understand what they meant -- because I did see the movie put it out there -- and put it out there beyond a few bad people. Reflection (and re-reading comments) -- I do a face palm. Point was how the movie made it seem pretty darn easy to overcome racism because, really, at heart white people are good and accepting -- so just do a good job and they'll welcome you to the officer's club or the prison break. Right. Didn't get that at all while watching. My white lenses surely do filter well!
What's in your brain?
Anything exciting happen since you got home?
g/
