Thursday, January 24, 2019

wealth gap

You might be aware of the wealth gap in the U.S. between white folks and POC. One way we (as white people) perpetuate it (are complicit) is to offer jobs to our friends and family (high percentage of which are also usually white too) without offering the job to the broader community. This would make it possible for POC to apply and compete.

I know why this happens; it is easier to do, we know the person, we love the person, we already trust the person, etc. For those of us who appreciate the importance of undoing racism, I challenge us to see the big picture, put in more effort, and offer jobs to the wider community, not just our friends and family. And don't take a job you could get from a friend/family member connection until you are sure the job was advertised widely.

Here are some related resources I used at a Knapsack meeting in Feb. 2018: Exploring the Intersection of Race and Class:

Whites Aren't Affected by Racism but are Victims of Classism (YouTube, 4:26 mins)

Wealth Inequality in America (YouTube, 6.23 mins)

America's wealth gap is split along racial lines — and it's getting dangerously wider (article on vox.com)

It’s Not Class, It’s Race: Why America Can’t Move Forward Until It Addresses the Racial Wealth Gap (article on theroot.com)

Is America more divided by race or class? (article on washingtonpost.com)

Our money will not liberate us: What the NFL protests say about wealth and White Supremacy (article on resourcegeneration.org)

The Color of Wealth in Boston (article on bostonfed.org)


Thursday, January 17, 2019

Seeing White podcast

A friend recommended this podcast to me and others in the Racial Justice Dialogue group that meets in Natick the first Saturday of each month. I am so grateful to know about this. I am almost done listening to the 10 hours in 14 parts. I have learned from it and want to share it with everyone.

Seeing White*

An exploration of solutions and responses to America’s deep history of white supremacy by host John Biewen, with Chenjerai Kumanyika.
Go to the bottom of the page I posted to start listening to part one.

This part of the series I found particularly helpful for understanding affirmative action so I can respond to what I hear from other white folks.