Third Dialogue Reflections

As you know, the third dialogues wrapped up last week. We brought up previous responses to the discussion of whiteness, which provoked a variety of new responses (meta-responses?) and sent us off in new directions around statements such as "I don't think talking about race helps anything" and why they might come out of the mouths of all students regardless of race/ethnicity but might mean very different things to white students and students of color.

The discussion of Allies and Actions steps provoked genuine interest, feelings of helplessness and occasional ridicule. For some white students professions of hope or avoidance seemed to be the road to panacea, and for others the complexities are just beginning to emerge. For students of color hope was/is the riskiest response, and only seemed to occur when they saw white students being vulnerable and there was a sense of collective responsibility for change. Hard to believe but it did happen, and the reflections indicate as much.

Enough for now. Please post your own reflections. I'd/we'd love to know.. . .

Leda