As we grapple with our long history of racism, these past programs may prompt insight

In the midst of this watershed moment in American history there is a great deal to be learned about race and racism by the vast majority of Americans, particularly white Americans. As Robin DiAngelo writes in White Fragility, part of the insidiousness of white supremacy is that it is socially acceptable to deny its existence. She says “But whiteness… is a category of identity that is most useful when its very existence is denied. That’s its twisted genius. Whiteness embodies Charles Baudelaire’s admonition that ‘the loveliest trick of the Devil is to persuade you that he does not exist.’”

A foundational step to dismantling racism is acknowledging and discussing white privilege, white supremacy, and race. The programs included in this blogpost tackle these subjects from a variety of perspectives, and look to actions that may affect change.

This is the final of three blog posts that share recordings of past conversations that took place live at BHS. You can see the first post — “Confronting a History of Injustice” — here, and the second post — “Structural Racism in America” — here. We hope that together, they serve as prompts for each individual’s evolving insights about race, and that they spark frank discussion and spur action.