Reflections on becoming an effective ally in the fight for racial justice.
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White Savior Complex examines anti-racism with the understanding that ending racism is the responsibility of white people. Through discussions of current events, historical contexts, interviews with black voices and white allies, WSC unpacks the complexities and pitfalls of combating racism as a white person.
These days it seems like EVERYTHING is about race. And it is! While it can feel overwhelming, the number and variety of ways everything is about race these days, its important to pause and to recognize the ways we ourselves may be used to reading race into things without ever realizing it. It can be as simple as they way we respond to a play like James Baldwin's The Amen Corner.
15 Jul 2021
Olympic Racism: Disqualifying the Black Body
The 2020 Olympics are finally coming to Japan this month and several storylines that put in sharp relief the ways white supremacy informs treatment and perception of white vs black athletes. But before we get into that, a quick dive into the horrific legacy of Canada’s residential schools for indigenous native Americans.
19 Jun 2021
Juneteenth, Critical Race Theory and Teaching Anti-Racism with Clifford Cartel
Happy Juneteenth everyone! The debate raging over Critical Race Theory is chaotic and fast moving. In this first crack at the topic, we speak with Clifford Cartel, educator, musician, and yoga instructor to gain some insight on the value of diverse and challenging perspectives in the classroom.
22 May 2021
Apartheid in Palestine, with ANSWER Coalition's Richard Becker
The conflict between Israel and Palestine erupts into war every few years. Its complicated. Its half a world away. Its also our responsibility, since the US supports Israel so deeply. We speak with Richard Becker of ANSWER Coalition to learn more about this situation.
8 May 2021
Tim Scott, Is America a Racist Country?
Is America a racist country? Not according to Senator Tim Scott (who is a Black man). His a rebuttal, on behalf of the Republican party, to President Biden's address to Congress, was bitterly condemned by many. Yet many others agreed, even Joe Biden himself and Vice President Kamala Harris. In this episode we unpack Senator Scott's rebuttal and ask, is America a racist country?
24 Apr 2021
Reflecting on #StopAsianHate
The murder trial of Dereck Chauvin came to an end last week. In past episodes we've discussed extensively the ideas and tensions underlying police brutality, so in this episode we simply consider, very briefly, what's next after the guilty verdict. Then we move into some deep reflection on the role of anti-Asian bigotry in our collective conscious, and how that informs the bright but brief publicity of #StopAsianHate. Finally, we take a quick look at how our white savior complex can disguise itself as passion and purpose, sneakily poisoning and undermining the ways we show up as anti-racists.
16 Oct 2020
Picking Factions
What do table top games all have in common? They are so white! Well, not Factions: Battlegrounds! This episode we talk with cocreators of the game, Jason Crayton and Pete Ferry, and game illustrator Brianna Cole about their work to diversify gaming (and combat racism) by drawing upon the rich, deep mythologies and cultures around the world.
15 Sept 2020
Hacking Racism w Angel Rich
On this episode our guest is Angel Rich, author, tech entrepreneur, and financial literacy expert. We discuss her book History of the Black Dollar as well as Hack Racism, her upcoming partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
28 Aug 2020
Is Violence Progress?
In this episode, Steve reflects on what the past 6 months of tension and violence (like accused multiple murderer Kyle Rittenhouse) mean in the struggle against white supremacy, and asks, Is this progress? Or is this a setback?
Its been a very difficult week with the tension and pain surrounding Wisconsin police officer Rusten Shesky's shooting of Jacob Blake, and the subsequent multiple murders of protestors by alleged shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager from Illinois. How do we process everything? Have we finally stopped ignoring the issue of racism and white supremacy?
23 Jul 2020
Whiteness at Work
Companies all across the country are attempting to grapple with the issues raised by the movement for black lives. In this episode we explore diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
15 Jun 2020
On the Killing of Rayshard Brooks
Recorded on June 15th, 2020
On June 12th, 2020 Atlanta police responded to a call from a local Wendy's that a man was asleep in his car in the drive through line. When police encountered Rayshard Brooks, they ended up taking his life. Is this the outcome we as a society desire? Who is to blame? And was it avoidable?
13 Jun 2020
Solidarity and Sensibility
Recorded June 12th, 2020
As we grapple with the concept of defunding the police, what does it look like to stand in solidarity with black led solutions and tactics? Are we imposing our sensibilities on black people when we critique their messaging and strategy, or are we just being helpful?
12 Jun 2020
Defund Police?
Recorded June 11th, 2020
What does it mean to defund the police? A lot, from minor tweaks to abolishment. But its not a rash response to recent murders. There is research and precedent to follow. What do we do after the protests subside? It isn't sexy or fun, but the answer is to engage in our local government, like many of the protest leaders do every other day of the year.
8 Jun 2020
Self Examination
Recorded June 7th, 2020
In episode one we explored some immediate tips for engaging in the current demonstrations. In episode two we step back from the topic of action to examine how white allies should orient our mindset as we begin to enter the space of anti-racism and engage issues of racial justice.
6 Jun 2020
The Urgency Of Now
Recorded June 6, 2020
As we launch the first episode, we realize a lot of folks are newly energized to engage in the recent demonstrations against police brutality. People want to make an impact, and that enthusiasm is amazing! However there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of. We explore a couple best practices for becoming an ally in the anti-racist movement.
29 May 2020
Introduction to WSC
As protests against police brutality erupt around the country, more than ever people are awakening to the urgency of confronting racism. For white people, we must confront our roles in the status quo and grapple with how to move forward.
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