RACE, RACISM, PRIVILEGE & ANGER, GUILT AND FEAR
Jun 5, 2009
Prepared by Marian (Meck) Groot

There are so many directions we could go….but we cannot go in all of them at once. So…I have chosen with our final on-line session to focus on feelings – those messy messengers that can be so helpful and can also derail us.

Among the spiritual leadership practices that I shared with you at the March 14th workshop is “attend feelings and thoughts.” Because conversation and action around racism is “edgy” in this country, a lot of feelings tend to come up when we engage in them. In particular, there is often a mixture of anger, guilt and/or fear. These are experienced differently depending on whether you are a target of racism or a beneficiary of racism. However, if transformation is to occur, we must learn to deal with our feelings and get clear about the ways in which we get triggered. This requires a great deal of patience and practice.

And that’s just for our own feelings. We often have to field others’ feelings as well. It gets very complicated. Bear in mind, however, that we can only deal with our own feelings. How others’ feel and what they do with their feelings is not something we can do anything about. All we can do for others regarding their feelings is to support them in their journey toward discovery and transformation if they want that.

I have found a few articles for our reading on this. Two of them are attached to this email and three others can be found at the corresponding links. They are:

* “Individual Challenges for People Confronting Racism”
* “Reflections on Guilt and Racism” by Stephen Langfur
* “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism” by Audre Lorde
* “‘White guilt’ offers no solution for Racism” by Nicole Hsiang
* “Beyond White Guilt” by Amy Edgington

As you read these articles, note what feelings, questions, insights and stories come up for you. Tend your feelings and your thoughts as they arise. Journal on what comes up.

I’ve created some suggested activities below to help you deepen your exploration of how feelings play a role in your life as it relates to race, racism and white privilege. I hope you’ll engage some of them.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:

STRONG FEELINGS: Recall a recent situation in which strong feelings came up for you because of what you experienced, witnessed or learned about race, racism, or white privilege.

* Name the feelings that came up in that situation. What indicators were there that you were having these feelings?
* Did you express these feelings in the moment?
* Did they impact your actions? If so, how?
* Were you aware of your feelings in the moment?
* Were you able to make conscious choices about how to respond or were you more unconsciously reactive than that?
* If you were in the situation again, would you do anything differently?

WHITE GUILT: Draw a picture of “white guilt” and your relationship to it.

GUILT AS A THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT: What is your understanding of guilt as a Christian? How does that relate to the creation and maintenance of racial justice, if it does?

ANGER: How do you relate to your own and/or others’ anger at racial injustice? What is the relationship for you between anger at injustice and indignation or judgment of yourself or others? How have you experienced anger as liberating? How, as oppressive?

FEAR: What fears do you have related to learning, talking and/or doing something about race, racism and white privilege? What, if anything, helps you move through the fear?

JOURNAL ON THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: “When white people tell deep, honest stories of knowing both oppression and privilege, and when these stories are honored, my experience is that white people can open themselves to facing race, without blame, shame or guilt.” (Peggy McIntosh)

BLOG, BLOG, BLOG……………It’s so powerful when we’ve done it! I hope that you take this opportunity to share reflections and stories with the group on our blog at: http://www.speakingofrace.blogspot.com/?zx=694b937421f4ae42