Published In

Field Reports: Using The Color of Fear in the Classroom

Document Type

Technical Report

Publication Date

2008

Subjects

Technology -- Moral and ethical aspects, Technology -- Social aspects

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role that power, innocence, and ignorance play in maintaining the position of white privilege. There are times when white people use their privilege in ways that overtly attempt to put and keep people of color in their places, but more often white privilege is less obvious. White privilege does not stand out in white people’s behavior at all times.When white behavior is normalized, it is masked. At these times, white privilege and power hide behind the masks of innocence and the masks of ignorance. White people can hide their location, with relation to power, from themselves and/or others. In the film, The Color of Fear (TCOF), David Christensen hides his power. As he hides his power, he keeps his privilege invisible, that is, behind a mask. In this chapter, we focus on the masking and unmasking of innocence and ignorance to get a better look at how the process of normalization of these masks makes whiteness powerful and consequently hides white privilege.

Description

Published by Speak Out - The Institute for Democratic Education and Cultural

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10077

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