TTT1146-Nov 14-White Racial Framing
How deeply embedded in our personal, institutional and national cultures is the notion of racial superiority – the very idea that, no matter what we say or do, people of color are just not quite what most of us are: white? This program takes the idea of white supremacy and white privilege one step further than we’ve ever gone before.
We cannot excuse the present national ethos by saying things have gotten better or now that we have elected a president of African-American descent – or that we no longer embrace the slavery of Antebellum – or that we have passed a Civil Rights Act (about 400 years after the first settlements) – that we can say we no longer fit into what Professor Joe Feagin calls the White Racial Frame.
We need only to look around and see how still segregated our housing patterns remain, how we still allocate our educational, job-producing and labor-organizing efforts in favor of a depleting white majority. We need only watch the disparities in health care access and the criminal justice system which itself has convicted and warehoused a disproportionate population of color to see how confining the white racial frame has been to progress toward American equality – something present in our European roots countries but nowhere near as entrenched as the United States. Is there any hope for us?
Much to mull over and talk about. That’s what this year’s Overcoming Racism Conference is about and that’s what we’ll look at on TruthToTell this week. The gathering itself, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19 at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, is already sold out for Friday with some walk-ins still available for Saturday starting at 7:30AM.
This, then, is a wider opportunity to hear Keynoters Joe Feagin and Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya (Dr. B), along with Conference, co-chair Antonia Apolinário Wilcoxon talk about the issues raised by both the conference and its “stars” Monday morning, November 14.
TTT’s ANDY DRISCOLL and MICHELLE ALIMORADI welcome these guests and, we’ll perhaps raise some important issues with these three professionals.
JOE FEAGIN – Friday Keynoter, Overcoming Racism Conference 2011; Author, The White Racial Frame
DR. BRAVADA GARRETT-AKINSANYA (DR. B), PhD, LP, CAC/BP; Board Certified Diplomate/Fellow in African-Centered/Black Psychology, Association of Black Psychologists; Executive Director, African American Child Wellness Institute; Founder, President, Brakins Consulting & Psychological Services – Saturday Keynoter
ANTONIA APOLINÁRIO WILCOXON – Health Disparities Department, Minnesota Department of Human Services; Conference co-host