Unpacking Race 2016, Part 4: The Internal, The Fragile, The Subtle

In early 2016, T.O. Philly hosted a workshop series on race and undoing racism. Each week we posted material here for folks both in and outside of the workshop to use. Each page archived here contains things to read, watch, hear and do:

• Part 1: Entering Courageous Conversation
• Part 2: Defining and Journaling
• Part 3: Unpacking Racism
• Part 4: The Internal, The Fragile, The Subtle
• Part 5: Solidarity Means Running the Same Risks
• Part 6: The Mirror and The Hammer

“The struggle is inner: Chicano, indio, American Indian, mojado, mexicano, immigrant Latino, Anglo in power, working class Anglo, Black, Asian--our psyches resemble the bordertowns and are populated by the same people. The struggle has always been inner, and is played out in outer terrains. Awareness of our situation must come before inner changes, which in turn come before changes in society. Nothing happens in the "real" world unless it first happens in the images in our heads.” ― Gloria E. Anzaldúa

In Week Three of our Unpacking Race workshop series, we shared aspects of our racial and ethnic identities, both those that are assigned to us and those we choose for ourselves. In our sub-groups we used techniques of Image Theatre to unpack specific institutions of racism: health care, media, housing, and the criminal justice system. The reading and video materials are posted here.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 4: We will shift gears a bit toward unpacking microaggressions, internalized subordination, white privilege/fragility. Start by reading or watching something under each topic. When an article or video resonates with you, go deeper into that topic by looking at the other resources.

1. INTERNALIZED SUBORDINATION

• "Internalized Racism" (short video, above) Definition and examples.
• "Connecting the Disconnected" (article) Cultural appropriation and colonialism as an erasure of history and an impediment to solidarity.
• "Dear Young Man of Color" (short spoken word film) Internalized duality of tokenism and cultural pride in the Asian American community.

2. WHITE PRIVILEGE AND WHITE FRAGILITY

• "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" (short video, above) A primer of 50 examples.
• "Why White People Freak Out When They're Called Out About Race" (article) Interview about white fragility.
• "Admitting that white privilege helps you is really just congratulating yourself" (article + embedded video) How naming privilege alone can do very little to dismantle institutional racism and even support the white supremacist narrative.

3. MICROAGGRESSIONS

• 'Microaggressions in Everyday Life" (chart) Lists ten common forms of racial microaggressions with examples. 
• "The Paradox of Effort" (article) The high health cost of self-control among marginalized folks along race and class lines.

4. JOURNALING: In reading,writing, and.or experiencing aspects of the above topics, what are the similarities? The differences? What are the parallels and points of intersection between these experiences?

5. ONE MORE SHORT VISEO: A fictitious company explains the services that they provide and why. Check out their website for more info.

Next: Building solidarity.