The Path to Transformation: Building a Multiracial Movement

john a. powell

Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Moritz College of Law

ISAIAHApril 16-18, 2009

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Presentation Contents Analyzing how we think, talk, and act on race

Talking about race Identity and the self Framing, implicit bias, priming

The role of whiteness

Space and institutional arrangements

Recognizing our interconnectedness Targeted universalism Coalition building

Analyzing How We Think, Talk, and Act on Race

Source: Lester, Julius. Let’s Talk About Race

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The Social Construction of Race

People talk about race as though it is essential, even though it is socially constructed

This provokes some important questions: How is race constructed? By whom? For what purpose?

The fact that race is constructed implies that it has a history and that it is constantly changing.

How does our perception of race change? What forces are causing these changes?

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Analyzing How We Talk About Race

We often think about and talk about race within false dichotomies.

1) Black / White The public has generally not adopted the notion of a continuum

2) Civil Rights / Post-Racialism Older Americans often look at race from a Civil Rights angle Younger Americans tend to use a post-racial perspective Whites tend to be absent from this discussion

3) Affirmative Action, School Integration: Race / Class Race and class are both multidimensional

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Hesitancy to Talk about Race

Most people do not know how to talk about race in constructive and transformative ways.

Reasons for the hesitancy include: Fear of stigmatizing groups and creating self-fulfilling

prophecies Concern about reinforcing negative stereotypes Fear of stimulating frames that create resistance to social-

justice policy and encourage inter-group conflict Ignoring similar stresses of whites

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Why We Need to Talk about Race

To not talk about race is to talk about race.

Race plays a critical role in the creation and perpetuation of many social, political, and organizational structures that control the distribution of opportunities.

Race affects all aspects of our lives. Where we live, who our children’s friends are, what social programs

we support, how we vote, etc.

We must address race to understand the history of our nation’s democracy and the future well-being of its people.

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Consequences of Not Talking about Race

Racial disparities are masked

Misperceptions about equality are reinforced

Support for equitable interventions is decreased

Diversity becomes less valued

“Color-blindness” gains salience

Inadequate proxies, such as class, become more visible

Understanding of “linked fate” is weakened (we fail to see that institutional arrangements are functioning poorly for everyone)

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Framing

How messages are framed affects how they are perceived.

Conversations about race and diversity must be honed to ensure that messages are effective.

We need to start from the assumption that an awareness of racial disparities is fundamental to fostering race-conscious approaches to social justice policy. This is the first step in proactively achieving and maintaining

diversity in our public institutions.

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Another Example: Binary Frames Shaping How We Think About Race

False Dichotomy: Civil Rights / Post-Racialism Civil Rights mindset – We have yet to entirely overcome

historical challenges. Post-Racialism mindset – Racial problems were more notable

in the past.

Implications: What should we do? Civil Rights mindset – Nothing. We are stuck in the past. Post-Racialism mindset – Nothing. Our problems are largely

solved.

Both perspectives yield racial apathy. These are the dominant frames in our society.

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Implicit Bias

We unconsciously think about race even when we do not explicitly discuss it. Implicit thoughts can overpower our explicit positions.

People have multiple networks that may be activated without our awareness. Depending on the situation, one network becomes dominant over

the others.

Race is part of how we process information. Research indicates that we categorize people we see by their race

in less than a tenth of a second.

Nicholas D. Kristof. “Our Racist, Sexist Selves.” Nicholas D. Kristof. “Our Racist, Sexist Selves.” New York TimesNew York Times 6 April 2008 & 6 April 2008 & Barbara Reskin. “Unconsciousness Raising.” Regional Review, 2005 & Barbara Reskin. “Unconsciousness Raising.” Regional Review, 2005 & Drew Drew Westen’s Westen’s The Political BrainThe Political Brain (2007)

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Priming

Our environment affects our unconscious networks.

Priming activates mental associations. Telling someone a scary story activates a frame of fear

Claude Steele’s “stereotype threat”: For example, tell students about to take a test that Asian

students tend to do better than whites, the whites will perform significantly worse than if they had not been primed to think of themselves as less capable than Asians.

http://www.eaop.ucla.edu/0405/Ed185%20-Spring05/Week_6_May9_2005.pdf

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Identity Identities can be multiple and conflicted

The British did not become “white” until Africans became “black”

Both internal and external pluralism is supported by a healthy society

We may experience an uncomfortable awareness of our own multiplicity W.E.B. DuBois’ double consciousness

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Identity, Groups, & Structures

Identity reflects group positioning rather than actual group identity.

Groups are often seen as possessing some distinct personal or social attributes that differentiate group members from non-group members.

“Considered relationally, a social group is a collective of persons differentiated from others by cultural forms, practices, special needs or capacities, structures of power or privilege.” (p. 90)

“… a structural social group is a collection of persons who are similarly positioned in interactive and institutional relations that condition their opportunities and life prospects.” (p. 97)

Inclusion and Democracy by Iris Marion Young (2000); chapter 3

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The Self – Hobbesian View Current paradigm: Hobbesian, isolated

Perceives individuals as autonomous-independent selves Egoistic, possessive, separate, isolated, rational

This has led to increasing isolation and fear of the other This framework creates and marginalizes the racialized other Racial disparities are seen as a subjective, personal experience Creates false separations – negates shared humanity

Whiteness is a social category that has been inscribed in the separate Hobbesian self.

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The Self – A New Paradigm

What is the alternative vision? A model of connectedness Individuals as part of something bigger Inter-being, unified, not egoistically separate

Individualism and interconnectivity are not mutually excusive When a linked correctly, interconnectivity supports individuality

The Role of Whiteness

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Whiteness and the Continuum

There is a perception that minority populations are surpassing white populations.

When considering racial identities, we must address the role of whiteness and white space.

The fluidity of other races’ locations in the continuum depend on how we think about whiteness.

This continuum is becoming more

complicated, yet it is stable.

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Defining Racial Categories

The Census has been a tool for defining “whiteness”

“Whiteness” is not a stable category i.e., Irish Americans were once considered non-white Are Hispanics/Latinos considered white (yet)?

Given that racial categories are dynamic, there is no way to know whether whites will be a numerical minority

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Deconstructing Racial Categories

Our collective failure to deconstruct racial categories, especially the “white” category, has two main ramifications: The racial hierarchy is maintained Whites who want to reject the white category need an

alternate identity

What is the meaning of being in these categories? These categories are constructed, sorted, and policed

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Not Just a Typology These categories of racial identity are more than just a typology.

They give social meaning and social significance to race.

These categories are reflected in institutional arrangements. Ex: Privilege is sorted through institutional arrangements,

which are never neutral There is a tendency to favor one group over another

Ex: U.S. holidays arranged around Christian beliefs

Space & Institutional Arrangements

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The Arrangement of Structures

How we arrange structures matters The order of the structures The timing of the interaction between them The relationships that exist between them

We must be aware of how structures are arranged in order to fully understand social phenomena

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Transformational vs. Transactional

Transformational: Institutions need to be rearranged to support individual and collective values of (mutuality, equity, and democracy…)

vs. Transactional: Institutions are arranged appropriately; individuals just need to negotiate them better

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The Process of Transformation

Moving people to a transformative place is not just an internal project.

It is both interpersonal and institutional.

One may be easier than the other at times.

You may be able to change the interpersonal but not institutional policies, or vice versa.

“Be hard on structures but easier on people.”

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Individuals as Social Actors Often individuals are regarded as inert entities separate from

society This should not be our view

Questions of agency: One perspective: “I am acting on the world. If I become part

of the world, do I lose my agency?”

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Relationships with Institutions We have relationships with institutions and responsibilities to

them. This responsibility is shared with others.

We adapt to institutions as they adapt to us. Co-created Co-constituted

Q: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? A: The farm

Recognizing Our Interconnectedness

“We are all caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

-The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Creating Empathetic Space Everyone needs help now and then; we all want to do better We share deep values, concerns, and hopes

Addressing the problems that have a racial footprint has implications and benefits for all members of society, not just marginalized groups – linked fate

It’s not “robbing Peter to pay Paul;” instead, everyone benefits

http://www.equaljusticesociety.org/2008/12/talking-about-race-in-the-obama-era/

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Targeted Universalism Targeted Universalism recognizes racial disparities and the

importance of eradicating them, while acknowledging their presence within a larger inequitable, institutional framework

Targeted universalism is a common framework through which to pursue justice. A model which recognizes our linked fate A model where we all grow together A model where we embrace collective solutions

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Interconnectedness

Recognize the interconnectedness of our being and our fate

Develop and implement solutions that benefit ALL members of society

Reject the myth of scarcity

Strengthen our democracy

Collaborate and focus on coalition building

Interconnectedness provokes both political and

spiritual questions.

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Coalition Building

We need to move from transactional level to a deeper transformative level What would this look like? What are the costs and consequences of this transition?

Coalition across groups, space, ideology

Ethics of connectedness and linked fate Structures, policies, institutions actively disconnect us whereas

they could proactively connect us

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The Path to Transformation Moving from a transactional to a transformational paradigm

requires redefining the self in relation to others

Moving beyond the self: “In every major religious tradition the ideal is unity, and separation leads to suffering.”

* * * * * * * * * *

What interferes with building these transformational relationships?

What kind of leadership is required of us?

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Transactional v. Transformational Leadership

Transactional Leadership

The approach emphasizes getting things done within the umbrella of the status quo; almost in opposition to the goals of the transformational leadership.

It is considered to be a "by the book" approach in which the person works within the rules.

As such, it's commonly seen in large, bureaucratic organizations.

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Transactional v. Transformational Leadership

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is about implementing new ideas

These individuals continually change themselves They stay flexible and adaptable They continually improve those around them

Transformational leaders have been written about for thousands of years--being both praised (Christ and Buddha) and cursed (Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan)

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A Transformative Agenda

Transformative change in the racial paradigm in the U.S. requires substantive efforts in three areas:

Talking about race: Understanding how language and messages shape reality and the perception of reality

Thinking about race: Understanding how framing and priming impact information processing in both the explicit and the implicit mind

Linking these understandings to the way that we act on race and how we arrange our institutions and policies

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Linked Fates…Transformative Change

Our fates are linked, yet our fates have been socially constructed as disconnected, especially through the categories of class, race, gender, nationality, region…

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