White Americans are only one group of many among Americans. But the “typical” American, research tells us, is perceived as white by white Americans, black Americans, and Asian Americans alike. When one group among several, such as white people, is considered to be...
CSWAC Blog
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The Siren Song of False Unity
White American culture calls out to all of us, inviting us into an American unity. We may heed the call or dispute it. Heeding it can bring rewards; disputing it brings challenges. Either way, you have to consider the needs of one group versus another in responding to...
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...
Has Black Lives Matter Made a Difference
Social movements capture headlines but do they actually change attitudes? Does a movement enhance or thwart its own goals? What about push-back? Social scientists and historians often debate these questions. A recent study provides some insight. Implicit and explicit...
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...
“What About Me?” Perceptions of exclusion and whites’ reactions to multiculturalism
Efforts to manage diversity and promote inclusion have become commonplace in corporations, governmental bodies, colleges and universities, and other organizational settings. Many people embrace the change, but research shows European Americans, in particular, are...
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...
Waiting to Become Multiracial
Like the award-winning play, Waiting for Godot, in which people await the arrival of the title character who never shows, many predominantly white organizations exist in a perpetual state of waiting to become multiracial. The organization might be a workplace, such as...
