The following is an article submitted by the Manitowoc Public Library and Natasha Kahn, the Executive Board Vice-President, Lakeshore’s United Visionaries.
“Let’s talk about race. Just reading that sentence may make some people very uncomfortable. Race is not something most people enjoy talking about. Events over the course of the past year, however, have made it evident that having conversations about race is more important than ever. With all the information on social media and the internet, there may be some new or misunderstood terms about racial justice. Few are as misunderstood and trigger negative emotions as the term, “white privilege.”
So what is white privilege? To define white privilege, let’s begin by defining what it is not. White privilege is not the suggestion that white people have never struggled. Many white people do not enjoy the privileges that come with relative affluence, such as food security. And white privilege is not the assumption that everything a white person has accomplished is unearned; most white people who have reached a high level of success worked extremely hard to get there. Instead, white privilege should be viewed as a built-in advantage in a society where being white is the standard.
Learning for Justice is an organization that provides free resources for educators and caregivers focused on racial justice and human rights. It was originally founded by the Southern Law Poverty Center in 1991 to prevent the growth of hate by reducing prejudice. Their website is www.learningforjustice.org. According to Learning for Justice, white privilege is separate from one’s level of income or effort. They go on to elaborate: “The two-word term packs a double whammy that inspires pushback. 1) The word white creates discomfort among those who are not used to being defined or described by their race. And 2) the word privilege, especially for poor and rural white people, sounds like a word that doesn’t belong to them—like a word that suggests they have never struggled.”
For many, white privilege is an invisible force. It is being able to walk into a store and find that the main displays of shampoo and pantyhose were catered toward your hair type and skin tone. It is being able to turn on the television and see people of your race widely represented. It is being able to define yourself without the color of your skin playing a factor in how others perceive you.
On Monday, April 19, at 6 PM, Manitowoc Public Library will be hosting an online community conversation with Lakeshore’s United Visionaries to educate and inform on the topic of white privilege. Lakeshore’s United Visionaries is a group dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the Lakeshore Area. While shining a light on our beautiful diversity, Lakeshore’s United Visionaries vows to bring the entire Lakeshore together through Education, Understanding, and Love. The discussion panel will include personal experiences the panelists have had with white privilege and answer questions submitted by community members. The intent of this discussion panel is not to judge or shame, but to offer a space to start a safe conversation about a difficult topic and to uplift and inform in a respectful way.
The mission of Manitowoc Public Library is to promote a culture of reading and to provide access to information. Through services, the library strives to foster an environment that meets the educational, recreational and cultural needs of the community. Wisconsin law recognizes “the importance of free access to knowledge, information and diversity of ideas by all residents of this state.” Wis. Stat. § 43.001. For these reasons, Manitowoc Public Library offers a wide variety of programming that represents all members of our diverse community.”
Join MPL & Lakeshore’s United Visionaries for this virtual discussion panel on Monday, April 19, at 6 PM for an open, affirming conversation about White Privilege and how we can move forward together as a stronger, more equitable community. Hate speech, derogatory comments, and racial slurs will not be tolerated. We invite everyone to join MPL and Lakeshore’s United Visionaries on either MPL’s Facebook page or our YouTube channel.
