Working Assumptions*

• Privilege and prejudice are two sides of the same coin; as I am elevated, someone else is marginalized or oppressed.

• It is critical to distinguish between prejudice and racism: racism = prejudice + power + privilege.

• I will never see the world through the eyes of a Woman of Color; my attempts to make comparisons of exclusion will never be on par with what People of Color might face in certain contexts.

• As a woman, I can relate to gender inequality. In many ways, oppression cuts across social identifiers, but experiences of oppression can be different and need to be recognized.

• My White identity includes white privilege as an aspect of my whiteness. It is not all, but it is a part of what it means to be white, and I have to be willing to accept this reality.

• Solidarity does not mean everyone thinks alike, but multiracial solidarity is geared toward points of intersection, not a false universalism or false unity. (Peter McLaren)

• I do not expect People of Color to thank me or to acknowledge my antiracist work. I consider it my moral responsibility and will not look for validation from People of Color. I am the one who benefits most from multiculturalism.

• Individual accountability is what changes cultures; the way I see myself is intimately connected to way I see others. If I don’t understand what it means to be White, or heterosexual, or upper- middle class, how can I ever hope to understand another colleague or student?

• If I am called a racist, it is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning.

• I recognize that there will be “slippage” (Enid Lee) in my work, meaning that sometimes I will make mistakes in the process of learning how to dismantle racism. Yet I know I have to pick myself up and keep going, and it will be easier each time.

• When I begin to feel complacent, thinking that I have “done” multiculturalism, or if I feel the need to list my multicultural credentials, then I know I still have a lot of work to do.

Actions

• Explore my own whiteness; become firmly rooted and aware of my own ethnic identity; think about what it means to be White in my school.

• See myself as diverse; make sure that “multicultural” is not synonymous with “other than White.”

• Distinguish between individual and group identity.

• Understand the social, political, and historical role of teaching:

  • I will teach the way I was taught unless I learn another way.

  • Teachers are not neutral; teaching strategies and methods are not objective.

  • We all speak from a particular standpoint based on our experiences.

  • There is no essential, observable single truth; rather, there are multiple truths.

  • Everything is not relative, but rather we recognize that cognition — the way we think and learn — is dependent upon experience and context.

• Understand and implement multicultural teaching strategies; design a curriculum that is explicitly antiracist; be committed to raising issues of identity development in my classroom.

• Learn the distinction between speaking for someone and speaking with someone; be committed to dialogue, as opposed to discussion, when appropriate.

• Recognize the difference between intentions and outcomes:

  • Schools are full of people “who without intending to create racial hurdles or hostility, manage to create a fair amount of both. That they cannot see what they have done is due partly to the fact that they meant no harm and partly to a disinclination to examine whether the assumptions they hold dear are in accord with reality.” (Ellis Cose)

• Practice “distinguishing” behavior (Randolph Carter): interrupting prejudice and/or racism, advocating for social justice, being an ally, using my privilege to dismantle systems of oppression.

* This list was inspired by Beverly Daniel Tatum’s working assumptions that she used to begin all of her courses on racial identity development.