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Racism Is Alive And Well At CSUDH
By Thomas Landefeld
I have spent a major part of both my personal and professional life committed to fighting racism in society and academia, and, in particular, as it affects the under representation of minorities in the sciences. As such, I have advocated and fought against racism and discrimination at all levels. In doing so, I have addressed the role that white privilege plays in racism. In fact, I have written articles about this topic, very often much to the displeasure of many of my white colleagues.
Similarly, another individual who is a nationally recognized author and speaker on antiracism and white privilege is Tim Wise. In his books, he talks about the need to not only acknowledge white privilege but also to be willing to give it up, at least to some degree, so we can start to eradicate racism. I taped a copy of one of his essays, entitled "This is your Nation on white privilege" to my office door in NSM so that others might read his writings. Well, over the past several months, this copy has been torn off my door at least 6-8 times (obviously I replace it each time).
It is really sad that much of the white population does not want to even acknowledge the existence of white privilege and the role that it plays in racism in America, but for someone to be bothered so much by an article about white privilege to tear it down from my door time after time, really speaks to the fact that those individuals with white privilege truly believe that they can do whatever they want to do because of it.
Certainly this was evident during the past eight years with the Bush administration and unfortunately do not believe for a minute that just because we have a Black President that we are in a "post-racial era". Racism is still alive and well across the country and, as evidenced by the incidents with the postings on my door, here at CSUDH as well. We will only get to that "post-racial era" that some are referring to when more whites are willing to give up some of that privilege and those advantages that they have only due to their white skin. In other words, do what is right, not what is white. Then, and only then, will we truly achieve Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of equality.
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