Hello CSWAC Supporter,
You matter to us. You are the foundation for our work. You are the source of our support. Maybe you think we’re making too much of this. But we aim to change our country’s racial structure, and there’s nothing better than a group of people like you joining us in that effort.
Over the next 10 weeks we, Charley and Jeff, will describe to you where CSWAC is going as an organization. We have a theory of change. We have means of actively promoting the change we seek. Follow us each week. We promise it will be worth your time. Week 1 begins below.
WEEK 1
CSWAC has changed its focus
Once upon a time, 30 years ago, the mainstream took little notice of whiteness, which was odd since the mainstream was very white, much as today. But nobody took time to raise that point for public discussion, in the mainstream that is.
People of color, of course, had been raising discussion of whiteness throughout history, but their voices could not penetrate the white consciousness of the nation.
We founded CSWAC during that time, in 1995. With an “in your face” name we confronted whiteness as the central lynchpin in our nation’s racial structure. Others joined in the work. Nowadays the discussion of whiteness is out there, like it or not. Even the right wing talks about it, if only to mock progressives and anti-racists who talk about “white privilege” and “decentering whiteness.” The latter phrase was coined by CSWAC’s own Charley Flint in 1996.
Back then we put forward our mission to decenter whiteness and create a multiracial center for our country. Given the times, we focused on making whiteness visible in mainstream discussion by doing what we do, i.e., holding conferences and workshops, publishing, producing programs, networking, and organizing. Along the way we promoted the idea of a white anti-racist identity and practice.
The discussion of whiteness and the emergence of white anti-racist practice are now well-established branches in the public stream of activity surrounding race, racism, and racial justice. We know this was not entirely CSWAC’s doing. But any history of this topic and those times will be incomplete if it fails to contain CSWAC’s name.
Five years ago, we began to change our focus. Our mission has always had two parts. The first, that of decentering whiteness, was being taken up by many academics, pundits, and organizations. But the second part, that of creating a multiracial center, was neglected and misunderstood. It still is.
We shifted our focus, slowly at first. It took a little time to wrap ourselves around the change. But now we have grown into our new point of emphasis, which is building multiracial community. If you have followed us closely, you may have noted the change.
Our original mission has not changed. We want to decenter whiteness and build a multiracial center. We value our accumulated experience in decentering whiteness and promoting white anti-racist practice. We have done excellent work in these areas and will continue to do so.
But it is the second part of our mission where we are, once again, breaking new ground. We’re raising the discussion of centering multiracialness. Understanding what that is, and why it is needed, is critically important to our nation’s future.
Charley Flint . . . . . . Jeff Hitchcock
Next Tuesday: How Do We Build a Multiracial Center?