God I hate that meme, "Woke". We're all "woke" bc none of us are sleeping while reading or doing shit during the day. Ugh.
White people talking to other white people about race and racism is good, I'm in support.
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University of Maryland announces “White Awake” safe space for white students
- Thread starter BAD
- Start date
God I hate that meme, "Woke". We're all "woke" bc none of us are sleeping while reading or doing shit during the day. Ugh.
White people talking to other white people about race and racism is good, I'm in support.
Just taking then at their word from the flyer, am I wrong for not seeing the problem? Getting white people to talk about race in an attempted positive way is a win to me. Baby steps, if white people need their safe spaces to talk openly about their feelings towards other races in an attempt to understand why then fine.
Yeah I can see it going pretty horribly with no other voices represented to temper discussion, but hopefully the moderators of the space are somewhat capable.
Yeah I can see it going pretty horribly with no other voices represented to temper discussion, but hopefully the moderators of the space are somewhat capable.
You would be surprised how many white people who are perfectly nice people otherwise just don't get this at all. I basically have to explain it to some like this: " Well how would you feel if you had a boot to your neck your entire life, just for existing..."
Seems like a good idea. OP are you going to share any opinions or are you just a news aggregate? lol
This appears to be well intentioned and terribly thought out. It looks like the idea is that it's intended for white people to work through their feelings on diversity in a judgement-free zone so that they can ideally work out their issues, but if their only sounding board is other confused white people then I don't think they'll arrive at the conclusion the organizers expect.
TBH, this thing feels like its for dumb people who get defensive when Blacks teach them about race but will lend an ear when a white person says the same exact thing. I know diet racists like that in real life.
I don't know if Noah Collins is vetted either, he might have some blind spots himself. This program would take two decades to produce 1 John Brown.
I don't know if Noah Collins is vetted either, he might have some blind spots himself. This program would take two decades to produce 1 John Brown.
People aren't going to listen to minorities on this because they simply haven't ever since the idea of a "white people" was a thing. To better open the door for anti-racism to take hold, you need white allies on mass combating white supremacy and apathy to it, which means a lot of awkward dinners and family gatherings, a lot of putting yourself out there when you see racism occurring, a lot of aggressive parenting with children when they go into and return from the world at large, and so on.
This is still ultimately up to white people to fix.
It's just pale sleepybois trying to become pale wokebois
The intent seems okay, but the flier is a bit...
The intent seems okay, but the flier is a bit...
Presumably the moderators would be white people who are well educated on race issues to help guide the less "woke".
This is too much. I had to leave the Courtroom because I'm trying hard to contain my laughter. I am looking like that niccage.gif . Judge must think I'm a jackass.
Lmao
Loving the cynicism here everyone. Every since I starting self educating about racism and anti racism in college, in like 2008, the importance of white people talking to other white people about this was brought up. So the flyer is akward and someone didn't realize that "white awake" is a bit too close to a lot of white power lit/jargon, unfortunate but hey lets spread it everywhere and ridicule it.
Trump has made everybody go fucking nuts. Even when white people are trying to be better it's viewed with skepticism.
Nothing wrong with this in theory unless you also impeach other groups' safe spaces-
However, the type of white people that are likely to show up are probably... unenlightened.
However, the type of white people that are likely to show up are probably... unenlightened.
Which is kind of the point. If everybody in the room was "englightened" it'd be a wank session with a bunch of white people talking to each other about how woke they are.
A lot of people are just reading the thread title and posting with no understanding whatsoever of what the organizers are trying to do.
A lot of wells have been poisoned. Which happens when people are under attack and need to defend themselves. Now isn't the time for the benefit of the doubt.
At this point, we don't need to see white people at the head of anti racist rallies or in leadership positions in racial justice groups. Background support, sure.
We definitely need honest conversations and closing venues for them isn't a plus.
Lots of derision but some objective takeaways:
Humans do not all have the same levels of social intelligence, it varies much like any other form of intellectual aptitude. Not all humans who feel 'uncomfortable' after interactions with minorities have that feeling due to the minority themsves but due to their own uncertainty as to whether they actually interacted in an appropriate way. We can, and should expect people to treat others the same, but you can't expect all humans to achieve that through some form of magical Eureka process as if they're all Buddhas in training ready to make the world a perfect utopia. That's absurdly naive and counterproductive.
It's also likely much better to have the minority speakers be trained empathetic professionals as opposed to just dumping these people in with their 'woke' peers and expecting them to be patient and understanding. That's how you misinterpret attempts to deduce appropriate speech as real prejudice. This is definitely an assumption that it isn't some sort of a crazy only white people are speaking/teaching situation. If their intent is genuine it seems super obvious they will bring in minority speakers/professors who will be able to answer awkward quasi racist questions without flying off the handle. Also being that the speakers are consenting to this specific type of teaching they will be understanding and expecting that sort of microaggression environment and not ' fixing for a fight ' as it were.
People that have social anxiety, are new to being around individuals that look differently, or want to improve and self reflect could all use something like this.
To be honest, even while reading the ad it felt more like a social experiment than a legitimate venture. More to see how people react to the idea and examine that response. They definitely botched the copy on that poster though. Pay for an editor folks, you're not as good at writing as you think you are.
Humans do not all have the same levels of social intelligence, it varies much like any other form of intellectual aptitude. Not all humans who feel 'uncomfortable' after interactions with minorities have that feeling due to the minority themsves but due to their own uncertainty as to whether they actually interacted in an appropriate way. We can, and should expect people to treat others the same, but you can't expect all humans to achieve that through some form of magical Eureka process as if they're all Buddhas in training ready to make the world a perfect utopia. That's absurdly naive and counterproductive.
It's also likely much better to have the minority speakers be trained empathetic professionals as opposed to just dumping these people in with their 'woke' peers and expecting them to be patient and understanding. That's how you misinterpret attempts to deduce appropriate speech as real prejudice. This is definitely an assumption that it isn't some sort of a crazy only white people are speaking/teaching situation. If their intent is genuine it seems super obvious they will bring in minority speakers/professors who will be able to answer awkward quasi racist questions without flying off the handle. Also being that the speakers are consenting to this specific type of teaching they will be understanding and expecting that sort of microaggression environment and not ' fixing for a fight ' as it were.
People that have social anxiety, are new to being around individuals that look differently, or want to improve and self reflect could all use something like this.
To be honest, even while reading the ad it felt more like a social experiment than a legitimate venture. More to see how people react to the idea and examine that response. They definitely botched the copy on that poster though. Pay for an editor folks, you're not as good at writing as you think you are.
Pretty much my take. If you let people talk about these issues and reflect on them in a private setting, that might lead to change in individuals who respond poorly to being confronted in a more public arena. Sure, we can joke about how fragile a lot of white people are, but if this makes a change in a single individual then I have a hard time seeing how this is a bad thing. Some people are honestly confused and in need of guidance, and I would never mock somebody for trying to better themselves.
That said, it does leave a lot of responsibility on the moderators. If this fails it absolutely could be a pretty big misfire.
I personally don't have a problem with this. I mean, my black ass wouldn't want to be in a room full of white people working through their bullshit.
Why shouldn't it be viewed with skepticism when white people had 400 years to not advocate for white supremacy and are still terrible at it, and on top of that are largely responsible for electing and shielding Trump in the first place?
Minorities don't owe white people the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn't lessen the responsibility to do better.
I don't think the intention is bad or even misplaced, but its effectiveness will pale in comparison to having white people, you know, actually talk to people of different races and cultures.
"Let's talk about other people without them in the room"
"I don't see a problem with this"
Fucking lol
"I don't see a problem with this"
Fucking lol
I can't tell you for sure that I haven't had 400 years. Also I've never advocated for white supremacy and I'm definitely not responsible for electing or shielding trump.
Yes, but we need to start somewhere and it's not fair to expect minorities to shoulder the burden of educating ignorant white people all alone. This looks like it would have been a starting point for uncomfortable diet racists to start shifting their thinking. It shouldn't be the end point.
There is a book called White Awake and it sounds like they're going to use it's content for the meetings. It starts with things like White Privilege and Systemic Racism and goes on. These are things that some white people who say they are not "racist" haven't ever acknowledged. In monocultural places like where I grew up it is pretty common. This "safe space" of a meeting is a place for them to admit their racist feelings and work through them and improve themselves. It's a bit like therapy. I've been in multicultural meetings about race that got so aggressive, it was just shaming and not helpful for self reflection. I think this group has good intentions, but there's so much going on with the material it's hard to condense it into a flyer.
LOL - what the fuck were they thinking?
"Do black people confuse you? Well white brother, prepare for enlightenment."
God I hate how normalized "white people so dumb" comments like this have become.
"Do black people confuse you? Well white brother, prepare for enlightenment."
God I hate how normalized "white people so dumb" comments like this have become.
Thread is classic ERA. No one reads the OP, drive by posts, cynical snark everywhere.
I think the phrase "Do you want to become a better ally?" is actually confirmed as a way to induce seizures in Klansmen.
Ironically, you taking that post as a personal indictment of your individual actions is one of the roadblocks towards anti-racism.
putting a bunch of white people confused and uncomfortable with black people in a room together.
hmm what's there to be skeptical about.
The concept and poster are problematic but perhaps well-intentioned. For reference, the context is:
- The number of racially-motivated hate/bias incidents at UMD has increased over the past several years (e.g., white nationalist posters, a noose placed outside a fraternity house).
- Last year, a black Bowie State student visiting College Park was murdered by a UMD student. The murdered was deemed racially motivated after the FBI became involved in the investigation.
- In response to pressure from student groups, the administration implemented new protocols for dealing with hate/bias incidents and educating students about related issues.
Fine with the intent, that execution though...yeesh.
Worth remembering that college freshmen are just about the most naive creatures in the universe and college is the first time they get to really explore the real world. I would bet a lot of the kids that would go to this probably grew up very isolated from reality and simply have no frame of reference for real world race concerns.
U of MD is a huuuge school, so finding a dozen white kids who grew up in rich white suburbs and are totally clueless or misinformed about race would be pretty easy. Hell you could probably get a hundred plus just from the rich DC/Baltimore/Annapolis suburbs who couldn't get into illustrious schools (not that UMD is bad, it's just not Ivy)
If it breaks their bubble then I say go for it. There are definitely better ways they could go about it, but sometimes you just need an in, even a dumb in, to break through.
Worth remembering that college freshmen are just about the most naive creatures in the universe and college is the first time they get to really explore the real world. I would bet a lot of the kids that would go to this probably grew up very isolated from reality and simply have no frame of reference for real world race concerns.
U of MD is a huuuge school, so finding a dozen white kids who grew up in rich white suburbs and are totally clueless or misinformed about race would be pretty easy. Hell you could probably get a hundred plus just from the rich DC/Baltimore/Annapolis suburbs who couldn't get into illustrious schools (not that UMD is bad, it's just not Ivy)
If it breaks their bubble then I say go for it. There are definitely better ways they could go about it, but sometimes you just need an in, even a dumb in, to break through.