Let’s Talk About Race: White Culture
Religion and politics have traditionally been considered taboo subjects for family and social gatherings. For many people, the list has expanded to include race. Ending Racism USA recognizes the importance of connecting with others who identify with the mission of ending racism. We believe discussing race should become an intentional action to help increase awareness and understanding of the impact race has on our society. Everyone has a race story.
One of the organizational strategies of Ending Racism USA is to seek out and share the stories of other anti-racism activists. Recently Ken Bedell and I were introduced to David Billings and Margery Freeman who self-identify as “nice, white, liberals, somewhat radical.” They currently live in Bronx, New York. They have been married for 42 years and continue to be deeply involved with civil rights and anti-racism activities.
We had an engaging online conversation about their connection with the Center for the Study of White American Culture (CSWAC). Billings currently serves as the Secretary and Freeman is a Trustee. They have been activists for decades but realized the need to become better informed about issues of systemic racism and the relationship to whiteness. Billings is the author of “Deep Denial” a book which chronicles the 400-year racial history of the United States and how people of European descent came to be called white. For over 36 years, Freeman has been an organizer and trainer for The People’s Institute for the Survival and Beyond, a national, multiracial, anti-racist organization.
White American culture is not a phrase many people use. Billings and Freeman credit CSWAC as one of the organizations that helped them to understand “whiteness” through a workshop model called “Decentering Whiteness and Building Multiracial Community.” The website lists a workshop titled “Raising Anti-Racist White Children.” It led me to ask the question about how their children see issues of race. Within their family, they strive to make conversations about race normative and encourage each other to use a racial lens in the search for equity and justice in issues impacting our communities.
Ending Racism USA looks forward to future conversations with Billings and Freeman. We thank them for the introduction to Jeff Hitchcock and Charley Flint, who co-founded CSWAC in 1995. Their first workshop was “Learning How to Talk about Whiteness.” The name of the organization has led to misconceptions about their purpose, but even a cursory review of the history tells a compelling anti-racism story.
“Mainstream culture only gives us two models for looking at white people. One is that white people are white supremacists and the other is that white people are colorblind. We say there is a third model in which white people can be aware of race and name it for the purpose of working for racial justice. We also say, ‘Our name is part of our work.’”
We will share more information as we explore ways to support and collaborate with the ongoing activities of CSWAC as advocates and agents for ending racism.