Taking the Hobgoblin Out of Privilege
Have you had frustrating conversations about privilege? You are in good company, it's a common challenge.
Privilege has become a charged word often associated with blame, shame and guilt -- whether someone acknowledges their own privilege or is told they have it. Our goal is to have effective conversations about privilege without defensiveness. We are multifaceted, diverse beings with many factors and experiences that only begin to inform our identity. We all have different amounts of privilege depending on age, gender, race, class, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background, where we were born, immigration status, whether we are cis or transgender, our education, body size and many more factors. Privilege also varies depending on the context: for example, a woman who is the leader of her household might have significant privilege at home and almost none at the restaurant she works at as a server.
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The tricky part about conversations addressing privilege is the implication we might not have earned the access and resources we have. Does how we think about privilege change once we recognize that everyone has it? Just because we have some privilege does not mean we have everything we need or want. It can be scary to first identify our privileges because it feels like we have to give them up. However, privilege, much like power, is not a zero sum game. Owning our privilege is one step, then using it to make the world more equitable is a step towards change.
Please watch and share the
video linked here and below for a helpful framework of understanding privilege. We encourage you to have these conversations more regularly -- we can't talk about race effectively without talking about power and privilege. Having productive conversations takes personal and professional practice!
Questions? Please contact us at Equitynorthcoast@hafoundation.org
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It's a lot easier to recognize how you're different and the doors that are closed in your face than it is to recognize how you're normal and doors [that] are open for you. This is not a reality that is only held by white people. In those areas where I am dominant, I just assume that the doors that are held open for me are held open for me because I'm such a fabulous human being.
- J. Elena Featherston
On the one hand we can work really hard, but on the other hand our hard work can be met by access to an opportunity structure. My great-grandfather who came here from Russia, [was] a Jewish immigrant who didn't speak English. He worked eighteen hours a day, it's not that he didn't work hard, but he also had access to jobs that were off limits to people of color the day he got off the boat.
- Tim Wise
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How would you answer this question: For every $100 earned by an average white family, how much do you think is earned by an average black family? a) $0-25 b) $26-50 c) $51-75 d) $76-100 e) $100+
Yale Psychologists recently asked hundreds of people in the U.S. this and other questions and discovered something striking: everyone who participated imagined that we are far closer to income and wealth equity than we are.
See the New York Times article to read more about the research. It is important that we are aware of these disparities as we walk through our lives and do work in our communities. We need to understand systemic racism and its effects in order to build an equitable world.
(The answer to the question above is that black families earn just $57.30 for every $100 earned by white families.)
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EA Roundtable
Race: Justifying Injustice
Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
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Have you struggled to find a space to deepen your understanding and conversations about race and racial inequities? The Equity Alliance of the North Coast is sponsoring Racial Equity Roundtables the first Thursday of every month from 5:30-7:30 p.m., offering an opportunity to discuss race in an open and brave space of learning and dialogue for both the newcomer to and the experienced in such conversations.
If you’re interested in gaining knowledge and practicing these discussions with others, we hope you’ll join us Thursday, June 7, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. as we explore the roots of the concept of race in North America, including the 19th century science that was used to validate it. Using Episode 2 of the
PBS series Race: the Power of an Illusion
as a starting place, we will learn how race has been used to rationalize -- and even justify -- American social inequalities as "natural." Together, we will begin to identify how a deep investment in the idea of race is layered into the foundation of western society's culture, policies, and institutions. Facilitated by Melissa Meiris and Ron White.
Register in advance below, the event is filling quickly so sign up soon!
Low cost options and scholarships are available.
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The House that Will Not Stand
May 24, 25 & 26 at 8:00 p.m.
New Orleans, 1836. Following an era of French colonial rule and relative racial acceptance, Louisiana’s “free people of color” are prospering. Beatrice, a free woman of color, has become one of the city’s wealthiest women through her relationship with a rich white man. A bewitching new drama of desire, jealousy, murder and voodoo, The House That Will Not Stand received its world premiere at Berkeley Rep in January 2014. Directed by Michelle "Chelly" Purnell and Clint Rebik. At Redwood Curtain Theater in Eureka.
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McKinleyville Alliance for Racial Equity presents:
Food, Film, and Discussion
Thursday, June 7 (6:00-8:00 p.m.)
The McKinleyville Alliance for Racial Equity (MARE) is beginning their film series to promote conversations about race and diversity on June 7. The first event will include a showing of "The Danger of a Single Story", a TED Talk by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The event is free of charge and is being held at the Grace Good Shepherd Church in McKinleyville. Light refreshments will be provided.
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Native American Tales from Charlene Storr
Wednesday, June 13 (6:00-8:00 p.m.)
Local storyteller Charlene Storr invites all families to Fortuna Library's Summer Reading kickoff party. Enjoy stories of Native people, and sign up for this year's Summer Reading Program. Charlene Storr is a storyteller of Tolowa/Maidu heritage, from California. She is both a traditional and contemporary storyteller who presents stories at festivals, national and state parks, schools, and Native American gatherings. People of all ages love to listen when Charlene opens her bright eyes wide, lifts her hands, and begins a tale. There's something to learn, too!
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Racial Equity for Nonprofits
Friday, June 22 & Friday, June 29 (9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)
Does your organization wish to serve more diverse clients but you’re unsure of how to broaden your reach? Have you been trying to diversify your staff and board but are yet to see significant change? Are you noticing a revolving door in your staffing for people of color who are leaving your organization shortly after coming on? If your answer to any of these questions is Yes, this workshop is a helpful start. Over two days we will foster a deeper understanding of race as a social construct and its unseen role in each participant’s life; explore the role of implicit bias in determining our behaviors despite our best intentions; and help participants understand the four dimensions of racism and bias and their impacts on nonprofits while introducing best practices & approaches to common problems surrounding race. The event will be facilitated by Ron White and Iva Dubyak at the Humboldt Area Foundation.
NorCAN Members $50 & Non-Members $60.
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Equity Alliance of the North Coast| Humboldt Area Foundation | (707) 442-2993 |
equitynorthcoast.org
|equitynorthcoast@hafoundation.org
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We are looking for partners to help move the Equity Alliance forward. If you are able to donate, please contact us or make a donation by clicking below.
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~ Donations Appreciated ~
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Equity Alliance of the North Coast is supported by these sponsors:
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