Wisconsin's "White Privilege" Wristbands

[betsy]

Wisconsin Education Officials Want Students to Wear ‘White Privilege’ Wristbands

That sounds reasonable enough.

But the program’s approach becomes a bit suspect when one reads the Gloria Steinem quote on the top of its webpage: “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”

The webpage also offers a series of suggestions for high schools students to become more racially sensitive. They include:

· Wear a white wristband as a reminder about your privilege, and as a personal commitment to explain why you wear the wristband.

· Set aside sections of the day to critically examine how privilege is working.

· Put a note on your mirror or computer screen as a reminder to think about privilege.

The Wisconsin DPI also sponsors several similar programs, including CREATE Wisconsin, an on-going “cultural sensitivity” teacher training program which focuses largely on “whiteness” and “white privilege.”

http://townhall.com/columnists/kyleolson/2013/03/12/wisconsin-education-officials-want-students-to-wear-white-privilege-wristbands-n1531315

I've heard of the same thing starting to happen in some parts of Canada.

Why do we put so much emphasis on race?

And why do we burden our children with guilt. Targetting the white children. For a secular society that criticized the guilt they say Catholic doctrines place on people, and the psychological problems those guilt induce - here they are plying their own brand of guilt.

We should keep a very close tab on our schools.....hence we may find our children reprogrammed, or as Gloria Steinem puts its - "unlearned." This must be similar to indoctrination, Kremlin-style.

Edited March 24, 2013 by betsy

[Michael Hardner]

People can feel guilty, or not in response to this. Reality is what's being taught here.

[Guest]

Well, it does say suggest, so any sane people can ignore it.

[Shady]

This is one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard of. But it doesn't really suprise me. It's a great example of why the education system has been failing so many students over the past couple of decades.

[TimG]

People can feel guilty, or not in response to this. Reality is what's being taught here.

I disagree with that assertion. It is not reality. It is a myth being propagated by people that wish to deny that success in life is a function culture rather than race. Culture is what matters. Cultures that put a high value on learning and hard work will succeed. Cultures that put a value on a family with a father and mother present will move forward. Those that do not will fall behind.

The effect is most obvious when you compare the cultures of poor whites vs. rich whites. Poor whites share many of the same cultural traits with poor blacks and see similar outcomes. The same divide exists between rich blacks and poor blacks.

Trying to claim that people who succeed are only succeeding because of 'privilege due to their skin color' is insulting.

Edited March 24, 2013 by TimG

[GostHacked]

Trying to make the current generation feel guilty of the sins of generations of the past. Something that should be taught in history class.........

These campaigns are really dumb. Wear a yellow ribbon to support the troops, wear a pin badge so we can get Kony, Wear a wristband to feel shame of your being white ... or whatever.

[scribblet]

If it is being done or even suggested it's disgusting. The idea of 'white privilege' is past it's best before date and is simply and old relic of multi cultural training seminars from the 90s and does nothing but foster enmity among groups. How about instead we talk about how we can help and work towards achieving equality for all people via education, speaking well, dress and skill sets etc. etc.

Anyone agreeing to wear those bands are allowing themselves to be browbeaten and are subjugating themselves to propaganda. There are many white people who are under privileged and downtrodden but this type of nonsense only promotes inequality causing resent

[Michael Hardner]

I disagree with that assertion. It is not reality. It is a myth being propagated by people that wish to deny that success in life is a function culture rather than race. Culture is what matters. Cultures that put a high value on learning and hard work will succeed. Cultures that put a value on a family with a father and mother present will move forward. Those that do not will fall behind.

So ? The same principal applies here - a culture that began in complete subjugation and has only just started to emerge from racism is disadvantaged. No one argues that skin colour itself offers advantage, it's the attitudes of society that matter.

Trying to claim that people who succeed are only succeeding because of 'privilege' is insulting.

Your assertion that it's more about rich vs poor doesn't take away from the fact that African Americans as a group do not do as well as whites.

[Michael Hardner]

How about instead we talk about how we can help and work towards achieving equality for all people via education, speaking well, dress and skill sets etc. etc.

Anyone agreeing to wear those bands are allowing themselves to be browbeaten and are subjugating themselves to propaganda.

We're not responsible for your emotional reactions to facts, though. And there's nothing in this idea that stops us from talking about how we can 'help'. In fact, awareness that there is a gap is the first step.

[Canuckistani]

Make em wear green wrist bands if their parents and in the top 20% of earners. That will sort out who's privieged and not.

I've always heard the term applied to males. Why aren't they making boys wear a blue band for male privilege?

Edited March 24, 2013 by Canuckistani

[Canuckistani]

Your assertion that it's more about rich vs poor doesn't take away from the fact that African Americans as a group do not do as well as whites.

Yep, that's it. So some poor white kid is supposed to feel guilty about his privilege, while the black rich kid can play the victim.

Of course it's about rich vs poor. If programs that address poverty benefit a particular group more because more of them are poor, then great. But don't make it about race. We have the same bs happening in Canada with Indigenous People - don't have special programs for IPs, have programs that deal with poverty no matter what somebody's race. Anything else is just racist.

[Michael Hardner]

Yep, that's it. So some poor white kid is supposed to feel guilty about his privilege, while the black rich kid can play the victim.

I'm not responsible for someone's irrational emotional reaction to facts.

have programs that deal with poverty no matter what somebody's race. Anything else is just racist.

I guess that's fine, if you want to deny facts and reality. It's pretty ironic, I find, that white people get so concerned about racism even though they're clearly still winning the race game.

[TimG]

Your assertion that it's more about rich vs poor doesn't take away from the fact that African Americans as a group do not do as well as whites.

So? Why bring race into at all? Why not focus on the things that we know contribute to improving outcomes over time: respect for school/learning and stable family structures.

These wrist bands encourage black people to see themselves as victims of circumstances that are out of their control when the reality is many of the things that make a difference are in their control.

[scribblet]

It's nonsense, it just creates more hard feelings and does nothing to foster co-operation or help anyone become successful.

It reminds me of HR multi cultural seminars where we were given tickets and divided into groups.. don't remember much else but all it did was foster resentment. In fact, none us had thought much about race and inequality as jobs and promotions were based on skill sets, interviews and merit. However, after these seminars, the requirement to keep race stats (% of asians, e. asian, black native, disabled etc.) and the awarding of additional points for just being a minority, it did change perceptions on who was actually being discriminated against.

Actually it may not be totally accurate.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZHBpLndpLmdvdnxkcGktdmlzdGEtcHJvamVjdHxneDo3MTMxMTU5NTljYzI2ZWFl

[scribblet]

So? Why bring race into at all? Why not focus on the things that we know contribute to improving outcomes over time: respect for school/learning and stable family structures.

These wrist bands encourage black people to see themselves as victims of circumstances that are out of their control when the reality is many of the things that make a difference are in their control.

Exactly !!

Actually, the whole concept is racist in itself.

Edited March 24, 2013 by scribblet

[Michael Hardner]

So? Why bring race into at all? Why not focus on the things that we know contribute to improving outcomes over time: respect for school/learning and stable family structures.

Because if the problem can be said to affect one race more than another, then a solution should take that into consideration.

These wrist bands encourage black people to see themselves as victims of circumstances that are out of their control when the reality is many of the things that make a difference are in their control.

The first part of your sentence doesn't gibe with the second. If "many" of the things are in their control, then some or many are out of their control, right ?

[Michael Hardner]

It reminds me of HR multi cultural seminars where we were given tickets and divided into groups.. don't remember much else but all it did was foster resentment.

Not sure why you feel bad about this, or feel guilty - but that's your business. I'm not sure why we're supposed to care about how all of you all feel, for that matter. Would you rather we all be so "sensitive" to your race, so as to not "offend" ? Isn't that a double standard too then ?

I say, don't be afraid of the truth. If you feel so guilty about it yourself, then figure that out privately.

[TimG]

Because if the problem can be said to affect one race more than another, then a solution should take that into consideration.

Blacks are a diverse group of people. Statistics gathered for them as a group are absolutely useless. The only people care about such an arbitrary sample of population are racists. A professor was called a racist a decade or more ago because he compiled stats on IQs by race. Stats for poverty by race are just as racist.

The first part of your sentence doesn't gibe with the second. If "many" of the things are in their control, then some or many are out of their control, right ?

The same is true of everyone. A kid can grow up in a stable family which respects learning but end up worse off because of dumb luck. That does not mean that a stable family and a respect for learning is not important - it just means it is no guarantee. Edited March 24, 2013 by TimG

[Canuckistani]

Because if the problem can be said to affect one race more than another, then a solution should take that into consideration.

Why? Any policy that addressed poverty will provide unequal benfits to the race that's underprivileged. But why give a well off person of that race special treatment, but not a poor "privileged" person. You're just continuing with racial devisivness.

[kimmy]

We should keep a very close tab on our schools.....hence we may find our children reprogrammed, or as Gloria Steinem puts its - "unlearned." This must be similar to indoctrination, Kremlin-style.

No, it does not mean "indoctrination, Kremlin style".

Steinem posits that prejudices are learned behaviors, and that we could overcome prejudice by "unlearning" the prejudices we have learned during our lives.

-k

[TimG]

Steinem posits that prejudices are learned behaviors, and that we could overcome prejudice by "unlearning" the prejudices we have learned during our lives.

Except all she wants people to do is learn new prejudices with are more in line with her political views.

[Michael Hardner]

A professor was called a racist a decade or more ago because he compiled stats on IQs by race. Stats for poverty by race are just as racist.

Such an oversimplification. One is testing for cause, another for effect. Not all testing is equal, of course.

The same is true of everyone. A kid can grow up in a stable family which respects learning but end up worse off because of dumb luck. That does not mean that a stable family and a respect for learning is not important - it just means it is no guarantee.

There's nothing new there.

[Shady]

So? Why bring race into at all? Why not focus on the things that we know contribute to improving outcomes over time: respect for school/learning and stable family structures.

These wrist bands encourage black people to see themselves as victims of circumstances that are out of their control when the reality is many of the things that make a difference are in their control.

It has to do with white guilt.

[Michael Hardner]

Why? Any policy that addressed poverty will provide unequal benfits to the race that's underprivileged. But why give a well off person of that race special treatment, but not a poor "privileged" person. You're just continuing with racial devisivness.

You're making assumptions here about what would be done with the information gained from gathering statistics by race.

[Shady]

Except all she wants people to do is learn new prejudices with are more in line with her political views.

Exactly. Why is she involved in this at all? Who gave her this authority? Parents and students?