sticks & stones
TRANSCRIPT
STICKS & STONES
Sisco Symposium Webinar Series 2020 - 2021 Program Year
October 20, 2020 | Webinar #1 of 4
Unpacking the Language of
Racism
Moderator: Dr. Kristy Morgan Presenters: Dr. Sheila Caldwell & Mrs. Hasana Pennant Sisco
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Presented By:
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
“Sticks and Stones
May Break my
Bones, but Words
will Never hurt me.”
First published, 1872 Christian Recorder, AME Church
Do we really believe that?
How do we think about
words,
phrases,
language?
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Words
Phrases
Language
Let’s take a look at some of these:
• what do they mean….
• share examples of how are
they used….
• the impact they have….
• how should we as People of
Faith respond….
Prejudice
Whiteness White privilege
Micro-aggression
Micro-invalidation
Justice
Reconciliation
Equity vs Equality
Systemic racism
Code switch
Color blind
Bias – implicit/explicit
White supremacy
Structural Racism
Racial battle fatigue
Stereotype threats Cultural Racism
Multicultural
White gaze
Micro-insults Micro-affirmation
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Words, Phrases, Language
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What do they mean…
Racism: Racism is the local and global power system and dynamic, structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as white, whether consciously or subconsciously determined, which consists of patterns of perception, logic, symbol formation, thought, speech, action and emotional response, as conducted simultaneously in all areas of people activity: Economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war (Cress-Welsing, 2009). White supremacy: The conviction that white people are superior to other races. This belief system is embedded in a social system in which white people enjoy structural advantage over other ethnic groups. Whiteness: An identity or perception of identity that grants advantages in society such as higher self-worth, visibility, positive expectations, psychological freedom from the tether of race, sense of belonging and a sense of entitlement (DiAngelo, 2018). White Privilege: Unearned advantages and assets in society that benefit white people over people of the global majority. The concept also implies the right to assume one’s own experiences as the norm as others as exceptional.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Racism
White Supremacy
Whiteness
White Privilege
Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms
for Discussion
• Share some personal
examples
• Discuss your lived reality
and experiences
• Notate one or two
comments from your
group in the Chat
• Approx. 4- 5 min
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What do they mean…
Systemic Racism: Modes of operation designed to advantage cultures associated with whiteness while negating identity development, personal agency and power systems among communities of color. Cultural Racism: How the dominant culture defines reality to advantage and oppress People of Color. Use cultural differences to overtly and covertly assign value and normality to white people and whiteness in order to rationalize the unequal status and degrading treatment of People and Communities of Color. Individual Racism: Beliefs, speech, symbols and actions of individuals that support and/or perpetuate racism in overt or subtle ways. Racial Battle Fatigue: The social and psychological stress developed from the burden of a lifetime of blatant racism and microaggressions (Smith, 2003).
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Systemic Racism
Cultural Racism
Individual Racism
Racial Battle Fatigue
Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms
for Discussion
• Share some personal
examples
• Discuss your lived reality
and experiences
• Notate one or two
comments from your
group in the Chat
• Approx. 4- 5 min
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What do they mean…
Prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Bias (Implicit/Explicit): Unreasoned or unfair distortion or judgement in favor or against a person or group. Code Switch: The modification of behavior, appearance and mannerisms to assimilate or adapt to different sociocultural norms. Colorblind: The idea of a color blind society, while well intentioned, leaves people without the language to discuss race and examine their own bias. Color blindness relies on the concept that race-based differences don't matter, and ignores the realities of systemic racism. Stereotype Threat: Anxiety arising from a person’s awareness of a negative stereotype about a group they belong to.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Prejudice
Bias (Implicit/Explicit)
Code Switch
Colorblind
Stereotype Threat
Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms
for Discussion • Share some personal
examples
• Discuss your lived reality
and experiences
• Notate one or two
comments from your
group in the Chat
• Approx. 4- 5 min
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What do they mean…
Micro aggressions: a comment or action that negatively targets a marginalized group of people. A microaggression can be intentional or accidental. It is a form of discrimination. Micro invalidations: when a person’s comments which undermine subtly exclude, negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings, work or experiential reality of a certain group of people. Micro insults: a comment or action that is unintentionally discriminatory. Micro assaults: is when a person intentionally behaves in a discriminatory way while not intending to be offensive. Micro affirmations: small acts that acknowledges another person’s value and/or contributions. These acts can positively impact people and combat unconscious bias.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Micro aggressions
Micro invalidations
Micro insults
Micro assaults
Micro affirmations
Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms
for Discussion • Share some personal
examples
• Discuss your lived reality
and experiences
• Notate one or two
comments from your
group in the Chat
• Approx. 4- 5 min
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What do they mean…
Equity vs Equality: Equity is providing various levels of opportunities, resources and support depending on specific needs or abilities while equality is providing the same level of opportunities to all members of society without acknowledging historical inequities and wrongs. Justice: The quality of acting right, making right and doing right in our shared life and experiences. Reconciliation: The restoration of relationships when the responsible party acknowledge and discuss the nature and impact of wrongs that were done, and a willingness to be accountable and make amends, sometimes in the form of money and economic support for the injured party.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Equality vs Equity vs Liberation
Paradigm Shift: Act Right/Make Right /Do Right
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Equity vs Equality
Justice
Reconciliation
Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms
for Discussion
• Share some personal
examples
• Discuss your lived reality
and experiences
• Notate one or two
comments from your
group in the Chat
• Approx. 4- 5 min
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Free Speech vs.
Hate Speech
• Free Speech is the right to speak and share
ideas freely. It can be unconstrained by the
disciplines of reason and objectivity and
sound evidence. It does not require
accuracy.
• Hate Speech is any kind of
communication in speech, writing or
behavior that attacks or uses
discriminatory language with reference to
a person or group on the basis of who they
are with respect to religion, ethnicity,
nationality, race, color, gender or other
identity factors.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Words
Phrases
Language
What has been the IMPACT on
ALL of us…
• Low Self Esteem
• Higher levels of Depression
• False feelings of Inferiority
…feelings of Superiority
• Feeling Invisible
• Feeling Isolated
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
IMPACT Specifically on
White Americans?
• Anxiety
• Low Self Esteem
• Isolation (Relationships)
• Social Exclusion
• Higher levels of Depression
• Higher level of Suicide Rates
• False sense of Superiority
• Imposter Syndrome
IMPACT Specifically on
People of The Global Majority
• Low Self Esteem
• Psychological Disruptions
• Elevated Blood Pressure/Heart Disease
/Kidney Disease
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• False sense of Inferiority
• Imposter Syndrome
• Survivors Guilt
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
What does the Word of God Say….
• ‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.’ - Proverbs 16:24
• ‘For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ - Matt 12:34b
• ‘The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.’ - Proverbs 15:4
• ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.’ -1 Thes 5:11
• ‘Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone’. -1 Thes 5:13b – 14
• ‘Mourn with those who mourn…’ Matt 5:1-6 – the Beatitudes/Sermon on the Mount
• ‘What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’. - Micah 6:8
• ‘From one man, God made all the nations that they should inhabit the whole earth’. - Acts 17:26
• ‘…From every tribe and tongue, and nation and people..’ Rev 5:9c
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
How Should we
as People of Faith
Respond…
• Defend the weak…
• Mourn with those who mourn…
• Seek to work across racial lines…
• Don’t stand by when you see injustice….
• Once you become awaken/aware –
neutrality is no longer an option
• Keep your eyes open -
wherever/whenever you see it …speak
up and against it
• At work, school , neighborhood, etc.
------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism
Merely Tolerate
Sincerely Appreciate
VS.
STICKS & STONES
Sisco Symposium Webinar Series 2020 - 2021 Program Year
Thank you for participating!
Unpacking the Language of Racism
The Rodney K. Sisco Symposium is a 501(c)3 Organization established in 2019.