Thirty-five members of the campus community participated in a white awareness
workshop titled "To Be(come) or to Un-Be(come)?: A Critical Examination of Whiteness Studies" on Nov. 5.
The goal of the workshop was to engage participants in a critical dialogue on whiteness studies within both personal and sociopolitical spheres. "Ultimately, the goal of the
workshop was to examine manifestations of white privilege and racism at the university
and to develop strategies for addressing and eliminating them," says Paul Gorski,
co-facilitator of the workshop and coordinator of the Student Intercultural Learning
Center (SILC) within the Office of Human Relations Programs.
"Part of the reason whiteness studies have recently become so popular is because
people finally got a clue that it is no longer okay for me, as a white person, to sit around
and wait for people of color to solve racism problems. It is my obligation as a white
person to understand the role of my race in racism," adds Gorski.
Issues surrounding whiteness and whiteness studies were addressed at the workshop,
but the majority of the afternoon surrounded a dialogue about privilege. Small group
discussions and an experiential activity called "Cross-Walk" sparked this discussion.
Participants at the workshop determined that "whiteness" is a very complex issue
because people have different dimensions of identity, e.g., ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, religion and social class.
Defining this concept is important in the development process. According to Gorski, the
starting point is to reflect on oneself before moving on to some type of action.
"It [the workshop] was a very good time to start exploring the idea of whiteness. We had
a good dialogue and began to focus on the issue," says Linda Sarigol, the film
collectors supervisor with the University Libraries.
A discussion about racial and gender issues at the university illustrated that changes
still need to be made. Workshop participants who experienced racism or had examples
of privilege at the university shared their stories. These stories gave other workshop
participants concrete examples that there is still work to do at both a university and
societal level.
"The workshop was excellent, but it is a shame that some of the directors and
administrators did not attend. I see the same faces at these diversity-related events,
which makes me question very deeply whether the 'administration' and the people with
'decision power' have a commitment to these issues. They need to show a commitment
with action," says Ron Abbit, assistant director of Campus Recreation Services.
Gorski, a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Virginia, in educational evaluation,
facilitated the workshop with Miriam Phields, a doctoral student and intern in the
Counseling Center. Gorski wrote his dissertation about racial and gender identity in
white male multicultural educators and facilitators. His study focused on the individual
processes of self-development. "It is the process of examining my own experience that
moves me forward," says Gorski.
"I hope this workshop introduced a conversation about whiteness and, ultimately, I hope
it comes to what we can do on this campus to break through and address racism and
privilege in the future," says Gorski.
*Note: There will be another event related to white awareness on Tuesday, Nov. 30,
6-8p.m., in the Cambridge Community Center, Room 1111. This event is a cinema and
conversation session focused on "White Privilege." Cinema will be used to spark
dialogue about this important topic. It is co-sponsored by Office of Human Relations
Programs, National Conference for Community Justice, College Park Scholars, and the
Academy of Leadership. Contact Bridget Turner, 5-8190 or bt38@umail.umd.edu
-JAMIE FEEHERY-SIMMONS