A color conscious ideology holds that our society is structured by race in a way that benefits white people at the expense of people of color, and awareness of this fact is necessary to build a more equitable arrangement. Color consciousness is one of the “big three”...
CSWAC Blog
color consciousness
Building Multiracial Community
We have no patterns for relating across our human differences as equals. Audre Lorde We’re observing a growing excitement among racial justice practitioners about decentering whiteness. CSWAC’s approach to decentering whiteness involves over twenty years history and...
Managing Whiteness
The following post reprises a talk given by Jeff Hitchcock a while back. The later portion of the talk raises some issues and concerns of an advanced nature. “Managing whiteness” is an obvious take on the ubiquitous phrase, managing diversity. Some people react to the...
So…What Works? What Anti-Racists Can Learn from Latin America, Part 2 of 2
So…what works? Post 2 of a 2-part series Colorblindness, liberal multiculturalism, race-mixing, and diluting monoracial identities of oppressed people are failed approaches to racial justice and equity. So, what works? What more of the Latin American experience can...
Things That Don’t Work: What Anti-racists Can Learn from Latin America, Part 1 of 2
People working for anti-racist change in the United States, whether it be in organizational settings or as activists, seldom look at the experience of other countries for guidance. Yet, valuable insights may be gleaned if we broaden our perspective. Or so says...
Doing Multiculturalism – An Example
What does multiculturalism look like in practice? Much has been written about multiculturalism as an ideology. But how do people and organizations actually make it happen? Real world examples occur, but detailed reports of what takes place are rare. One researcher...
What Makes a Group White? (part 2)
“It was a very white group.” At the heart of that observation lies a meeting of two different racial ideologies, colorblindness and color consciousness. A color conscious approach recognizes and brings together different cultural perspectives while acknowledging and...
What Makes a Group White? (part 1)
“It was a very white group.” Have you ever heard someone say that? Maybe you’ve said it yourself after an experience or two. Or maybe the thought never crossed your mind. This begs the questions of what makes a group white, and why it might be important to take note...
What Kind of White Person Are You?
People of color may rightly excuse themselves from answering this question. Obviously it’s intended for white people. When it comes to how one thinks and feels about race relations, most white people believe there are two choices. Either you’re racist or you’re...
