I was pleased to find that while reading pages 165-208 of Tatum's novel Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting in the Cafeteria, she began to use more specific, related evidence to support her claims regarding psychological and social aspects of society when it comes to race. She appeals to ethos by presenting numerous papers and responses written by both whites and blacks in her experience of teaching. Tatum also appeals to pathos when she indirectly makes her white readers feel guilty for something that they have no control over. I disagree with her promoting and implicitly implying that whites shouldn't be proud of the color of their skin and should feel shame for things they are not responsible for.
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In the sections titled "Abandoning Racism" and "But I'm an Individual" on pages 188 through 201, I enjoyed hearing from multiple different perspectives, which is what I feel was lacking in the first part of this book. I think that in this section, she does an exceptional job connecting the experiences and thoughts of others to how information about race is interpreted by different people.
For example, I liked the entry from a young white woman who wasn't really exposed to racism growing up because her parents were very antiracist people. On page 192, this woman states that she "realized how exceptional [her] parents were. Not only were they not overtly racist, but they also tried to keep society's subtle racism from reaching [her]." I like hearing from other young white women like myself and understanding they're reaction to Tatum's words so that I can compare them to my own reaction and life. Since I've grown up in a less diverse town in our country, I like learning about other places and how people from different backgrounds react to racial issues.
However, I was saddened by the fact that several people in their entries admitted to having feelings of guilt and shame due to the color of their skin. One of these people that Tatum introduces us to (on page 195) is Connie, a white woman that feels resentment towards her race as a result of learning about discrimination and racism in our past more in-depth. She explains how she "find[s] [herself] thinking 'I didn't mean to be White, I really didn't mean it.' [She is] starting to feel angry toward [her] race for ever using this advantage toward personal gains. But at the same time I resent the minority groups. I mean, it's not my fault that society has deemed us 'superior.'"
Tatum uses quotes like these to appeal to pathos in her white audience. She makes her white readers feel guilt and anger whether it is intentional or not. Clearly, this is how Connie interpreted her teachings, which I feel is promoting the wrong idea and the opposite impression of what our country should be giving its citizens.
Another example Tatum uses of "white shame" is on page 200, when she presents another entry that a student of hers had written: "...I definitely remember many a time that I wished I was not White, ashamed of what I and others have done to the other racial groups in the world... I wanted to pretend I was Black, live with them, celebrate their culture, and deny my Whiteness completely."
This is where I disagree when it comes to how these social problems are presented in society today. Absolutely no one should be subjected to what people of their race have done. Grouping people based on the color of their skin is the exact opposite of what we should be promoting in society and separating people for the wrong reasons. Of course, we need to promote the fact that minorities should be seen as individuals, that is what should be done as I have stated. However, in doing so our society cannot flip this problem to the point where all whites are made out to be racist and ignorant to the problems of others. Addressing whites primarily as a racial group in an attempt to fix this problem with minorities, is using reverse discrimination to fix discrimination.
Tatum later references Ruth Frankenberg's book White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness on page 199-200 and how this woman "feared that anything [she] did say would be marked by [her] whiteness, [her] racial privilege." I feel that this type of thinking is a very big problem in our society today when it comes to discussing important topics and problems in our country. When someone speaks, it should be about the validity of their argument and the evidence supporting their claims, not the color of their skin at all. This should be true for every person in our country and their race should never be a factor when deciding how much faith should be placed in this person.
Therefore, I believe that in Tatum's attempt to open the eyes of her white audience, she indirectly (whether it's intentional or not) promotes the idea that whites should be ashamed of their whiteness due to reasons that are beyond their control. It doesn't matter what your skin tone is or what your "ancestors" have done or gone through. In the end, we all must be seen as individuals and the color of our skin should be irrelevant.
Therefore, I believe that in Tatum's attempt to open the eyes of her white audience, she indirectly (whether it's intentional or not) promotes the idea that whites should be ashamed of their whiteness due to reasons that are beyond their control. It doesn't matter what your skin tone is or what your "ancestors" have done or gone through. In the end, we all must be seen as individuals and the color of our skin should be irrelevant.
Caitlin, you raise an interesting point, as you suggest that it's possible that Tatum is discussing the idea of white shame as a concept, not necessarily intentionally trying to make white people feel guilt, but you think that it has that effect. I find it interesting because it raises the issue that by talking about a topic, one can be viewed as promoting it, which is often what occurs when teachers teach books with questionable content, such as the use of the "n word" in Huck Finn. Is it possible to discuss a sensitive topic and raise it as a discussion topic without promoting it? I'd be interested to hear what in Tatum's writing makes it seem like she is promoting white guilt.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my blog now, I can see that I did not entirely say how she is promoting this idea necessarily, so I agree that I should have developed that idea a little more. Nonetheless, I think that even if she doesn't necessarily "promote" it, this topic tends to go hand and hand with making whites feel guilty about the color of their skin. That is why I later address society as a whole because that is where I feel this problem is the most prominent. I feel that her discussion of this topic leads to "white shame" whether it's her intent or not.
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