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Last Call for WPC 10, A Once in a Life Time Experience
This week the 10th Annual White Privilege Conference will be held in Memphis, Tennessee, for the first and possibly the last time in our hometown.
Dr. Martin Luther King will not be there!
And hundreds of people filled with his spirit, passion and commitment to his dream of beloved community will be!
The learning, healing, and growth at this unique gathering will transform each of us now and forever.
Come join us as we come together to change our world for good!
From one spiritual being walking a human path to another,
gratefully seeking harmony,
Stephan
Conference location:
Hilton Hotel, I-240 and Poplar Ave.
939 Ridge Lake Boulevard
Memphis, TN
901.684.6664
Register on site:
Institutes: Wednesday, April 1, 8-9:30am
Conference (no partial prices): Thursday, April 2, 7-11am
For more details visit: http://www.uccs.edu/~wpc/ or contact Daryl Miller at dmiller4@uccs.edu
or 719. 255.4764
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
March Reflections
The Importance of Black History
A friend of mine asked me what I thought about an article he read that questioned the fairness and necessity of Black History Month. Do we really still need it? Why do we need a special history month for any group or part of our society? At some point will we have a Latino History Month?
My response has been sensitized with my newly acquired awareness around some of these ‘issues’ and ‘-isms.’ By doing personal growth work around my own white privilege and racism, I am more acutely aware than ever before of the painful and discriminatory imbalance in the way history has been taught in our country. Since the first black slaves were brought to America over 500 years ago, we have primarily had White History, All Year, Every Year in our schools, textbooks and courses.
In order to restore balance, America may need to embrace other nonwhite peoples’ history in special ways for decades. We will need a Black History Month and maybe a Latino History Month, too, until our American History books are more comprehensive and inclusive of the more ‘left out’ American’s history.
From my perspective, we need to go far enough to the side of giving special recognition to the previously ignored parts of our story, until a more balanced view is attained and maintained. In addition to telling and owning the terrible parts of these histories, we could also embrace the good parts. Non-white men and women of all colors have made huge contributions to our growth and development on many different levels. Giving these accomplishments more attention and celebration is part of the healing and growth necessary to progress beyond the past and toward beloved community. Considering the magnitude of the imbalance, we have barely begun to re-balance our culture and history.
Gratefully Seeking,
Stephan
To view this month's newsletter, visit healfoundation.org.
A friend of mine asked me what I thought about an article he read that questioned the fairness and necessity of Black History Month. Do we really still need it? Why do we need a special history month for any group or part of our society? At some point will we have a Latino History Month?
My response has been sensitized with my newly acquired awareness around some of these ‘issues’ and ‘-isms.’ By doing personal growth work around my own white privilege and racism, I am more acutely aware than ever before of the painful and discriminatory imbalance in the way history has been taught in our country. Since the first black slaves were brought to America over 500 years ago, we have primarily had White History, All Year, Every Year in our schools, textbooks and courses.
In order to restore balance, America may need to embrace other nonwhite peoples’ history in special ways for decades. We will need a Black History Month and maybe a Latino History Month, too, until our American History books are more comprehensive and inclusive of the more ‘left out’ American’s history.
From my perspective, we need to go far enough to the side of giving special recognition to the previously ignored parts of our story, until a more balanced view is attained and maintained. In addition to telling and owning the terrible parts of these histories, we could also embrace the good parts. Non-white men and women of all colors have made huge contributions to our growth and development on many different levels. Giving these accomplishments more attention and celebration is part of the healing and growth necessary to progress beyond the past and toward beloved community. Considering the magnitude of the imbalance, we have barely begun to re-balance our culture and history.
Gratefully Seeking,
Stephan
To view this month's newsletter, visit healfoundation.org.
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