Thursday, March 14, 2013

Wisconsin’s VISTA Program Encourages Volunteers to Overcome White ‘Privilege’

 
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) wants its white VISTA volunteers who work with low-income, racially diverse public schools to examine the “privilege” their Caucasian race confers on them.
DPI devotes an entire Web page to “Power and Privilege,” including links to racial justice workshops and online tests where VISTA volunteers can “learn about your personal bias.”
One “diversity” document linked to DPI’s Web site suggests that white people “wear a white wristband as a reminder about your privilege, and as a personal commitment to explain why you wear the wristband.”
The document — written by a diversity resource center in New Jersey — also suggests that white people ask themselves questions, such as: “How do I ignore privilege? What am I doing today to undo my privilege? How do I fool myself into thinking I am powerless?”
 Other suggestions for white people include:

           – Set aside sections of the day to critically examine how privilege is working.
– Put a note on your mirror or computer screen as a reminder to think about privilege.
– Make a daily list of the ways privilege played out, and steps taken or not taken to address privilege.
– Find a person of color who is willing to hold you accountable for addressing privilege…

 LANGUAGE

12 comments:

  1. So Im thinking.When they take this to the national level.I would like to be forced to wear a camo wristband.It will match my hat.Gotta be styling and profiling.

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  2. And knowone can be charged for "Treason" for doing this?

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    1. That's so antiquated, you know......:) All kidding aside, this wouldn't meet the definition of treason.

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  3. The upside is that since the DPI doesn't teach kids to read anymore, they won't actually be effected by this crap.

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  4. White Privilege.

    So that's what they used to call paying taxes and busting your ass to make next month's power bill, right?

    Yeah, it's been a REAL priviledge, I'm here to tell you all.

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    1. So that's what they used to call paying taxes and busting your ass to make next month's power bill, right?

      Yeah, it's been a REAL priviledge, I'm here to tell you all.

      Surreal.

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  5. Oh good GOD!!
    Who writes this drivel?? I feel privileged just to be alive, and kicking the dirt (not laying 6ft. under it).
    That is the extent of my "white guilt" for being born into this world!! Gezzzz people, get a grasp on reality will ya'??

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  6. Have some fun with the official flow chart for this: change 'privilege' to 'Affirmative Action', 'white' to 'black' and 'person of color' to 'white'.

    Seriously.

    Then, read it out loud. See just how ridiculous it sounds. Pity the Diversity Bozos never realized that.

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    Replies
    1. Pity the Diversity Bozos never realized that.

      Good one.:)

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