Note: There are two editions of this book, one that came out in 2008 and one from Earlier in 2000. I have the newest edition and there are several differences. There is a whole other chapter added to my edition as well as several new stories and points of view.
Long viewed as possibly the most vociferous anti-racist authors of this century, Time has written several books on white privilege. He is celebrated by many and hated by many more. His over-willingness to speak openly about white America's past and present dealings akin to a White Nashville preacher who suddenly woke up black. He has a habit of encouraging the Whites to feel a sense of tremendous quilt and the Blacks to feel as though they have always been victimized which in many cultural settings would not be a good recipe for success. In this approach he ignores the balance. He does not challenge blacks or validate Whites he merely encourages people to confront the system of White privilege.
Holding White people accountable for their racial fears and imploring Black people to not allow the history of their victimization at their hands be a paralyzing force that holds them back from all that they can be are ideas worthy of attention and debate. One of the biggest benefits of reading this book is to discover and become mentally aware of the many privileges being White provides. I believe that Blacks as where as other people of color are very conscientious of race in the same way that Whites seem almost oblivious. I agree with the point that is made that teachers who claim they are unaware of race division in the classroom are in reality doing students a major disservice. Each child must be recognized and understood for whom they are and that understanding includes race. Race impacts all ethnic groups and nationalities even though it is not always often realized. People of color are always worrying about how they are seen and understood, especially in situations where they are the minority and vise versa with Whites.
No matter where you go in the world Whites have privileges. Whether they are the majority or the minority. They are ushered to the head of the line in third world countries where life saving medicine is hard to come by. They are given preferred treatment in jobs and education opportunities. Profiling of a race is another issue of which Time Wise speaks openly. "Minorities suffer when a whole race is compared to or associated with someone or a whole group who have broken the rules of society." The opposite is not true of Whites who are never treated suspiciously just because others of their same race have been convicted murders or molesters. I particularly found the section entitled "White Jesus" of interest. To picture Jesus as he might have been, from Egypt, Jewish would more than likely not make him white as continually interpreted. There have been numerous European artists that have created Jesus in his natural form. They have challenged what everyone else has given little thought.
I also thought there was a pretty good quote regarding the "color-blindness" of numerous well to do White Liberals (Page 16-17) "Today in the course of my work I meet white teachers much like the ones I had in school-almost all of them nice, decent, underpaid professionals-who say things like-'I treat all my kids the same and I don't even see color when I look at them." This is not a true or accurate statement. Their students do belong to a certain race and that race matters greatly. That race says a lot about the opportunities they will be given and the challenges they will face. To be "color-blind" and not see the consequences of color. to "treat everyone the same" is an unrealistic ideal is to miss the fact that children of color will not have all of the same challenges white children do. I feel that if you have constantly told yourself not to "see" race, you will be more than likely able to ignore it, until it presents itself, and it will in which case you will be unable to respond to it.
Wise also tells a story as an example of how gender privilege factors into being lost in a storm with dense fog in a rural town in Idaho. He shares how he would have no difficulty walking up to a home, knocking on the door and asking for directions. He makes note how a person of color were to make the same choice and knock on the door of a rural farmer it would be assumed that the man was some sort of criminal. He would more than likely be ignored or threatened with a shot gun or any number of other horrible consequences. While Tim, although he makes note that something could just as well happen to him in the way of sexual assault or murder for going into a stranger's house it would be mush less likely so the thoughts were not long entertained.
The message that is clear throughout the book is that whites are born advantaged and that position is maintained at the expense of those of color. It is apparent that we all must fight against White supremacy because it is destructive to all not just ethnic minorities, including those who are privileged. While Wise attempts to challenge his readers into thinking of race and ethnicity in a whole new perspective. He begins the book in the first chapter by asking readers to recall their "first experiences with race." He asks them the first time they remember experiencing race. He makes no secret of his distaste for the Whites who will more than likely answer "the first time they encountered a person of color and were aware of the difference or witnessed some form of racial miss-treatment." While he has several valid points in this chapter, that most White people tend to relate the concept of race to people of color and to themselves only as far as they directly interact with these people of color. Tim spends a lot of time arguing the simple fact that White privilege does exist. He speaks quite candidly about his past. A family history of wealth for generations. The assumption that he would succeed based on his white skin despite the fact that he was not that good of a student academically and the fact that had he not had wealth and his ethnicity in his corner he more than likely would have a criminal record. He makes good the argument that there is white privilege.
In the final chapters of the book entitled "Loss and Redemption" Wise ends on a hopeful note. He discusses several ways that white supremacy is destructive to not only people of color but to whites as well. He urges people to accept accountability for their part in racism and where that has gotten us so far historically. Obviously accountability can never be perfect. There are too many different individuals, communities of color and organizations that will not always agree as to the direction in which the anti-racist movement should go and how their anti-racist White allies should join in the struggle. I think by listening to as many different voices as possible with regards to these matters and developing a real relationship with individuals, organizations and communities it becomes an easier task to know those who believe in accountability. Accountability should never be used as an excuse of not acting. It does mean being prepared to acknowledge when mistakes are made, apologizing for those mistakes and making an honest commitment to doing better next time.
Learning about race and ethnicity has opened my eyes to my own level of accountability. Maybe it doesn’t mean that I will always agree with others insights, advise, criticism or direction and accountability does not necessarily require that I do so. Nor does it require that I give up on my own judgment to the judgment of others but it allows me to always listen with an open mind and seek to grow from what I learn and hear.
Women of the Klan: Kathleen Blee
A story of the women of the notorious Ku Klux Klan, WKKK, a hate group which existed in parallel to the 1920’s KKK. Ku Klux Klan comes from the old meaning of Kyklos or a circle without end. The original "Jolly Six" adapted the word into Ku Klux and added Klan to make it roll off the tongue easier. To qualify for membership, one had to be a native-born, white, Protestant woman; membership in turn signaled a Klanswoman’s belief in Christianity “as practiced by enlightened Protestant churches. One factor that made the Klan of the 1920s unique, however, was its intensified hostility toward immigrants, Catholics, and Jews. The Klan's anti-Catholicism was based on the belief that Catholics could not be good Americans if they maintained allegiance to the pope. They believed Catholics sought exclusion from mainstream America by creating their own schools. The Klan felt priests threatened families by exerting greater influence over women and children than the male head of household. Klan propaganda portrayed Catholics as potentially taking over the government and turning America over to Rome. It is a story of extreme racist history. antisentimism and extreme violence. One of the first questions Blee asks is “what right do women have in right-wing movements like the KKK?” The KKK of the 1920’s has many differences than the KKK of later history. They are full of contradictions. They were shrouded in secrecy and to date many of its members have died. Those who are still alive have trouble remembering the details. Blee obtains some of her information from interviews conducted with these remaining members. However the information related is vague and contains a lot of missing details. She also has gathered data from newspaper archives and event records. The use women more as symbols, potential victims used to bring men to their cause. A lot of the women who joined the KKK at this time in history were also progressive and feminist, using their role in the organization to increase their political power during a time of women’s suffrage. The women supported militant patriotism, racial segregation, national quotas for immigration laws. They formed rules and beliefs to be followed by the members of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan. These beliefs were recorded in the document, Creed of Klanswomen. In this document the women focused on heritage, great and glorious America, eligibility, and what they believed to be good for America. The Creed of Klanswomen let everybody know what these women thought to be one hundred percent American. Although the Klan involved its members in politics and some charity work, most historians associate the organization with acts of violence and terrorism. The Klan became the community watchdog, and when a citizen did not exemplify the Klan’' moral standards, a midnight whipping party flogged the offender. Local law officers sometimes handed criminals over to the Klan and occasionally participated in the punishment. Occasionally, members of the organization arranged these whipping parties for personal reasons, such as debt collection or competition for a girl.
The book is divided into two parts. The First part explains in detail the evolution of the second organization of the KKK in the 1920’s. It examines how this movement differs from the more violent 1880’s movement. In its earlier organization in the 1880’s the KKK was prominently a male organization that’s main agenda was to defend the sanctity of the white American Protestant woman. The female was viewed as vulnerable and that vulnerability justified the use of violence and brutality to make their points White women were excluded from participation in the first organization of the Klan. The extension of suffrage meant that when the Klan re-emerged again in the 1920’s women were seen as more important to the advancement of the movement than previously. The woman became a symbol as a mother and therefore a reproducer of the “white” race. The WKKK organization was a powerful organization in its own right, but for the men of the KKK it was simply an “auxiliary.” The author also explains in great detail the relationship between the Klan and women in society in general. The second part of the book uses case study material obtained from the WKKK of Indiana to give a compelling view of women’s lives within the Klan and the cultural politics of the movement. Of particular interest to me were the numbers of women involved. It is estimated that during the 1920’s there were approximately 500,000 women who has joined the movement. In some states more than half of the organizations members were women. (Page 2)
There were prime examples of gender divisions in the book. Not only did women perform different roles within the organization, they also actively and assertively promoted women’s rights. The Klan monopolized heavily on women’s family, social and community associations in order to promote the appeal of the movement and embody it easier into the framework of everyday life for white protestants. Women were used to also enhance the legitimacy of the movement and to help move away from the idea that the Klan was a solely violent, terrorist organization. women found new freedom in the public they showed their independence by voting, working, dressing with "sex appeal," or smoking and drinking in public spaces. Mass media including radio, magazines, advertising, and especially movies portrayed women as sexual beings, and films included nudity that shocked many. Committed to protecting the "purity of White Womanhood," the Klan physically punished those who engaged in immoral behavior, public indecency and drunkenness, wife beating, gambling, adultery, and the failure to support one's family.The extent of women’s involvement also serves as a challenge to existing concepts of extremism that many view as predominantly male.
The author makes it a point to brush upon the stereotypes regarding Klan members as “ignorant, simplistic, brutal and naïve” as historically misleading. (Page 7) There were many tensions centered around gender and many contradictions shown in the beliefs of the women themselves. “Klanswomen embraced the KKK’s racist, anti-catholic, and anti-Semitic agenda and symbols of white womanhood all the while using these same things too argue as well for equality for white Protestant women.” (Page 35)
Another key point that the author points out in the book is the issue of the Klan’s politics. The Klan avoids the issue of extremism to the margins of society. The Klan is able to insinuate itself into the fabric of every day life of white protestant society and other members of society began to ignore what they really stood for and that their beliefs were founded on violence and brutality. Not only did the movement provide women an opportunity for political participation and action it also provided an active social life and a feeling of belonging to something with collective importance. This ability to connect with every day life allowed for the Klan to convert everyday racism into a basis for political action and advancement.
Before I read this book I never even knew that the WKKK organization existed. Many people claim that the KKK was only trying to “protect their race” and “keep America American” however their main philosophy is drenched in racism. Racism like any other form of bigotry and oppression is absolutely wrong because it denigrates and dehumanizes people. Every creature on this planet has the inalienable right to be treated with dignity. No person or group has the right to proclaim social superiority over any other. It is absolutely wrong /unjust for any person or group to vilify, oppress, persecute and terrorize others for their selfish amusement or aggrandizement. In my opinion it is socially unacceptable and morally wrong.