[Vision2020] Diversity 1,2,3
Melynda Huskey
mghuskey@hotmail.com
Sun, 2 Nov 2003 19:52:46 -0800
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Dear Doug,
It *is* a little complicated, but I'm happy to clarify:
Race is socially constructed.
The social construction of "whiteness" in the U.S. (and in other places) =
has conferred disproportionate power and unearned benefit on some people.
Many of those "white" people have deliberately used that power to harm ot=
hers who are not "white."
All "white" people participate in racist systems which harm others who ar=
e not "white."
Melynda Huskey
----- Original Message -----
From: Douglas
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 10:47 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Diversity 1,2,3
Visionaries,
In sum, there is no such thing as the white race, and they have been guil=
ty =20
of some awful crimes.
Cordially,
Douglas Wilson
At 06:19 PM 10/31/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Rodney asks:
>
> >So here we sit, long story short, in the city of Pullman (founded by
> >whom?), in the State of Washington (constituted by whom?), in the hall=
owed
> >halls of WSU (started by whom?), surrounded by wheat fields (first til=
led
> >by whom?), poised in front of our digital displays (invented by
> >whom?--forget about who manufactured it), arguing over the merits and
> >contributions of, well, just about our very existence I guess.
>
>Far from demonstrating your point about the "obvious contributions of th=
e =20
>white race," Rodney, I think your paragraph demonstrates how easy it is =20
>for us to imagine that "white race" means something. There's just one =20
>race: human. Internal variation among various groups of humans exceeds=
=20
>variation across groups. (Take a look at the AAA "Statement on 'race,'"=
=20
><http://www.aanet.org/stmts/racepp.htm>www.aanet.org/stmts/racepp.htm). =20
>Definitions of what constitutes "white"
>have varied immensely across time. Are the Spanish white? Are the =20
>Jewish? Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi? And what about the Greeks, the =20
>Slavs, and the Italians? Different ages have given different answers.
>
>Your examples seem to imply that the city of Pullman, the state of =20
>Washington, WSU, and computers are the "inventions" of white people -- a=
nd =20
>we might even say white men -- and in one sense, they are. In a nation =20
>founded on the principle that black people are property, that women are =20
>property, that non-white/non-English-speaking immigrants are dangerous, =20
>and that the First Nations are to be exterminated, one wouldn't expect t=
o =20
>see many women, people of color, or immigrants empowered to found =20
>colleges, states,
>or towns. My goodness, my grandmother was born into a United States in =20
>which women couldn't vote, in which Native People couldn't vote, in whic=
h =20
>most black people were not permitted to vote. We couldn't go to most =20
>colleges, couldn't work in most offices, couldn't hold elected office, =20
>weren't allowed access to many professional positions . . .
>
>Nevertheless, there would be no Pullman without the Chinese who built =20
>railroads, cities, and businesses from East to West, all while they bein=
g =20
>denied the most basic of human rights. Our nation developed as it did i=
n =20
>part because of the prosperity and wealth created by a slave economy for=
a =20
>small white elite; there would have been no cotton mills in New England =20
>without slaves in the South. No university without the French, who =20
>founded the very first one in 1170, closely followed by the Germans, the=
=20
>Portuguese and the Spanish -- only some of whom are presently defined as=
=20
>"white" in the U.S. No rule of law without Hammurabi's Code -- thank yo=
u, =20
>Turkey and Iraq. No democracy without the Athenians and the Iroquois --=
=20
>but in 1915, we didn't want too many of those "non-white" Greeks to =20
>immigrate, and we'd done our best to extirpate the Iroquois.
>
>Why would my existence, or yours, be endangered by acknowledging that =20
>everything of value to us did not come from the hands or brain of a whit=
e =20
>person (whatever we imagine that to mean) and that the systematic =20
>privileging of some people in our society has resulted in =20
>injustice? Diversity is not a word I'm particularly crazy about as a =20
>rallying point: I think justice works a whole lot better. A racist =20
>society is not a just one. A sexist society is not a just one.
>Finally, Rodney asks,
>
> >Would you, in your OFFICIAL capacity at WSU'S Office of Diversity and
> >Human Relations, EMBRACE the inclusion of the League of the South as a
> >student group? [Hint: the words "official" and "embrace" are emphasiz=
ed
> >for a reason.]
>
>Would I, as the Director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Allies Progr=
am =20
>or as a member of the HRD staff (my OFFICIAL role at WSU), EMBRACE a =20
>student branch of the League of the South? The opportunity would not =20
>arise. You're thinking, perhaps, of Student Affairs?
>
>Would I strive to prohibit the establishment of a student League of the =20
>South? No, I emphatically would not.
>
>Would I encourage critical thinking among its members, and public dialog=
ue =20
>and debate about the goals and purpose of the League and its role on our=
=20
>campus? Absolutely. With all my heart.
>Melynda Huskey
>(preparing to put four candles on a chocolate cake for the sweetest =20
>birthday boy in Moscow)
>
>
>----------
>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.=
com
_____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet, =20
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. =20
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mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Dear Doug,</DI=
V> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It *is* a little complicated, but I'm happy to =
clarify:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Race is socially constructed.</DIV>=
<DIV>The social construction of "whiteness" in the U.S. (and in other pl=
aces) has conferred disproportionate power and unearned benefit on s=
ome people.</DIV> <DIV>Many of those "white" people have deliberately use=
d that power to harm others who are not "white."</DIV> <DIV>All "white" p=
eople participate in racist systems which harm others who are not "white.=
"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Melynda Huskey</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DI=
V>----- Original Message -----</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid;=
MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt Arial;=
COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> Douglas</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"=
><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, November 01, 2003 10:47 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FO=
NT: 10pt Arial"><B>To:</B> vision2020@moscow.com</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT=
: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Diversity 1,2,3</DIV> <DIV=
> </DIV><BR>Visionaries,<BR><BR>In sum, there is no such thing as th=
e white race, and they have been guilty <BR>of some awful crimes.<BR><BR>=
Cordially,<BR><BR>Douglas Wilson<BR><BR><BR><BR>At 06:19 PM 10/31/2003 -0=
800, you wrote:<BR>>Rodney asks:<BR>><BR>> >So here we sit, l=
ong story short, in the city of Pullman (founded by<BR>> >whom?), i=
n the State of Washington (constituted by whom?), in the hallowed<BR>>=
>halls of WSU (started by whom?), surrounded by wheat fields (first t=
illed<BR>> >by whom?), poised in front of our digital displays (inv=
ented by<BR>> >whom?--forget about who manufactured it), arguing ov=
er the merits and<BR>> >contributions of, well, just about our very=
existence I guess.<BR>><BR>>Far from demonstrating your point abou=
t the "obvious contributions of the <BR>>white race," Rodney, I think =
your paragraph demonstrates how easy it is <BR>>for us to imagine that=
"white race" means something. There's just one <BR>>race: =
human. Internal variation among various groups of humans exceeds <=
BR>>variation across groups. (Take a look at the AAA "Statement =
on 'race,'" <BR>><http://www.aanet.org/stmts/racepp.htm>www.aane=
t.org/stmts/racepp.htm). <BR>>Definitions of what constitutes "white"<=
BR>>have varied immensely across time. Are the Spanish white?&nb=
sp; Are the <BR>>Jewish? Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi? And=
what about the Greeks, the <BR>>Slavs, and the Italians? Differ=
ent ages have given different answers.<BR>><BR>>Your examples seem =
to imply that the city of Pullman, the state of <BR>>Washington, WSU, =
and computers are the "inventions" of white people -- and <BR>>we migh=
t even say white men -- and in one sense, they are. In a nation <BR=
>>founded on the principle that black people are property, that women =
are <BR>>property, that non-white/non-English-speaking immigrants are =
dangerous, <BR>>and that the First Nations are to be exterminated, one=
wouldn't expect to <BR>>see many women, people of color, or immigrant=
s empowered to found <BR>>colleges, states,<BR>>or towns. My =
goodness, my grandmother was born into a United States in <BR>>which w=
omen couldn't vote, in which Native People couldn't vote, in which <BR>&g=
t;most black people were not permitted to vote. We couldn't go to m=
ost <BR>>colleges, couldn't work in most offices, couldn't hold electe=
d office, <BR>>weren't allowed access to many professional positions .=
. .<BR>><BR>>Nevertheless, there would be no Pullman without the C=
hinese who built <BR>>railroads, cities, and businesses from East to W=
est, all while they being <BR>>denied the most basic of human rights.&=
nbsp; Our nation developed as it did in <BR>>part because of the prosp=
erity and wealth created by a slave economy for a <BR>>small white eli=
te; there would have been no cotton mills in New England <BR>>without =
slaves in the South. No university without the French, who <BR>>=
founded the very first one in 1170, closely followed by the Germans, the =
<BR>>Portuguese and the Spanish -- only some of whom are presently def=
ined as <BR>>"white" in the U.S. No rule of law without Hammurab=
i's Code -- thank you, <BR>>Turkey and Iraq. No democracy withou=
t the Athenians and the Iroquois -- <BR>>but in 1915, we didn't want t=
oo many of those "non-white" Greeks to <BR>>immigrate, and we'd done o=
ur best to extirpate the Iroquois.<BR>><BR>>Why would my existence,=
or yours, be endangered by acknowledging that <BR>>everything of valu=
e to us did not come from the hands or brain of a white <BR>>person (w=
hatever we imagine that to mean) and that the systematic <BR>>privileg=
ing of some people in our society has resulted in <BR>>injustice? =
; Diversity is not a word I'm particularly crazy about as a <BR>>rally=
ing point: I think justice works a whole lot better. A racist=
<BR>>society is not a just one. A sexist society is not a just =
one.<BR>>Finally, Rodney asks,<BR>><BR>> >Would you, in your =
OFFICIAL capacity at WSU'S Office of Diversity and<BR>> >Human Rela=
tions, EMBRACE the inclusion of the League of the South as a<BR>> >=
student group? [Hint: the words "official" and "embrace" are emphas=
ized<BR>> >for a reason.]<BR>><BR>>Would I, as the Director o=
f the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Allies Program <BR>>or as a member o=
f the HRD staff (my OFFICIAL role at WSU), EMBRACE a <BR>>student bran=
ch of the League of the South? The opportunity would not <BR>>ar=
ise. You're thinking, perhaps, of Student Affairs?<BR>><BR>>W=
ould I strive to prohibit the establishment of a student League of the <B=
R>>South? No, I emphatically would not.<BR>><BR>>Would I e=
ncourage critical thinking among its members, and public dialogue <BR>>=
;and debate about the goals and purpose of the League and its role on our=
<BR>>campus? Absolutely. With all my heart.<BR>>Melynd=
a Huskey<BR>>(preparing to put four candles on a chocolate cake for th=
e sweetest <BR>>birthday boy in Moscow)<BR>><BR>><BR>>-------=
---<BR>>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://exp=
lorer.msn.com<BR><BR><BR>________________________________________________=
_____<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving=
the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR> &=
nbsp; h=
ttp://www.fsr.net &n=
bsp; &nb=
sp; <BR> mailto:Vis=
ion2020@moscow.com<BR>///////////////////////////////////////////////////=
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