White Privilege: A Clarifying Conversation

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
7:30-9:00 p.m., South Cafeteria (Note extended time)

White Privilege: A Clarifying Conversation

You may be familiar with the term “White Privilege” and have had an opportunity to learn what it is and how it affects members of our community. Or, perhaps you have not heard of this concept and depending on where you are coming from may even take offense at the term itself. White privilege has been described as “a sociological concept describing advantages enjoyed by white persons beyond what is commonly experienced by the non-white people in those same social spaces (nation, community, workplace, etc.). It differs from racism or prejudice by the fact that a person benefiting from white privilege need not hold racist beliefs themselves.”

Consistent with our school's focus on multi-cultural appreciation, a rich panel of speakers will lead a conversation on various aspects of cultural competence, including white privilege. The panel includes Carla Gary and Tim McMahon, University of Oregon; Mark Harris and Ruth Wren, Lane Community College; Johnny Lake and Arbrella Luvert of Eugene District 4J and Charles Martinez, University of Oregon Center on Diversity and Community.

South Eugene High School staff spent much of their professional development time last year and this year, exploring and developing their individual and collective sense of cultural competence and attitudes about racism. They know that the more they learn and grow in this way, the better able they are to serve an increasingly diverse community of learners. Some of the lessons are difficult to come to terms with, but every one is critically important.

These issues are not only relevant to the confines of the school; rather, it's absolutely critical that we include parents in this conversation. It takes courage to participate in this dialogue, and we hope to attract a very large crowd on April 2. We expect that many of you who attend will wish to explore this topic further, and if so, we will plan follow-up sessions for those who are interested.

We invite all South parents and their students to participate in a meaningful conversation on the concept of “White Privilege” with a panel of highly esteemed members of the various communities of color from Eugene and Springfield. Please join us on April 2. You'll surely find it to be a most thought provoking evening!

For more information, please e-mail Helen B. Garrett, Parent Council Chair, sehsparentcouncil@comcast.net