Racism: Unpacking White Privilege
Racism: Unpacking White Privilege As indicated in the title of this blog post, racism is a tricky topic to "unpack," especially as a white, female teacher candidate from a middle-class family. After reading the article by Solomon et al. earlier on in the EDUC 8P02 course, The discourse of denial: how white teacher candidates construct race, racism and ‘white privilege,’ (2005), I became hyper-aware of the possible denial and privilege I brought to the classroom. Ever since this time, I have consciously focused on critically analyzing the impact and existence white privilege has on my teaching practice, and developing "concrete skills that would enable [me] to effectively address issues of difference in [me] classrooms" (p. 153). It was only until I taught a College level English course in an inner-city school that I realized how my own experiences as a child and young adult differed from those of my students. When I challenged myself to understand my pr...