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    Whiteness History Month

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    liz
    - Portland Community College is hosting a White​ ness History Month project from October 2016 to February 2017 to examine the social construction of whiteness and its role in perpetuating racism. - The project seeks to challenge the traditional narrative around race and racism through multidisciplinary educational events that explore how whiteness was formulated as an identity and how it became institutionalized. - Organizers are inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to propose events like presentations, panels, films and workshops that address how whiteness is socially constructed, its historical origins and consequences, and strategies for dismantling white supremacy.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Whiteness History Month

    Uploaded by

    liz
    5K views3 pages
    - Portland Community College is hosting a White​ ness History Month project from October 2016 to February 2017 to examine the social construction of whiteness and its role in perpetuating racism. - The project seeks to challenge the traditional narrative around race and racism through multidisciplinary educational events that explore how whiteness was formulated as an identity and how it became institutionalized. - Organizers are inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to propose events like presentations, panels, films and workshops that address how whiteness is socially constructed, its historical origins and consequences, and strategies for dismantling white supremacy.

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    A community college is proposing a "Whiteness History Month"

    Original Title

    'Whiteness History Month'

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    - Portland Community College is hosting a White​ ness History Month project from October 2016 to February 2017 to examine the social construction of whiteness and its role in perpetuating racism. - The project seeks to challenge the traditional narrative around race and racism through multidisciplinary educational events that explore how whiteness was formulated as an identity and how it became institutionalized. - Organizers are inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to propose events like presentations, panels, films and workshops that address how whiteness is socially constructed, its historical origins and consequences, and strategies for dismantling white supremacy.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    5K views3 pages

    Whiteness History Month

    Uploaded by

    liz
    - Portland Community College is hosting a White​ ness History Month project from October 2016 to February 2017 to examine the social construction of whiteness and its role in perpetuating racism. - The project seeks to challenge the traditional narrative around race and racism through multidisciplinary educational events that explore how whiteness was formulated as an identity and how it became institutionalized. - Organizers are inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to propose events like presentations, panels, films and workshops that address how whiteness is socially constructed, its historical origins and consequences, and strategies for dismantling white supremacy.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Portland Community College

    An Invitation to Participate

    White
    ness
    History Month: Context, Consequences, and Change
    A project of the Cascade Diversity Council

    Its readily accepted that white history is taught, year-round, to the exclusion of minority histories. But the literal history
    of whiteness how and when and why what it means to be white was formulated is always neglected. The
    construction of the white identity is a brilliant piece of social engineering. Its origins and
    heritage should be examined in
    order to add a critical layer of complexity to a national conversation sorely lacking in nuance. (Daniels 2014:1)

    Background
    In the 1920s Dr. Carter G. Woodson and associates established Negro History Week. Woodson was
    centrally concerned with the mis-education of the American Negro and sought to challenge the master
    narrative of traditional history curriculum, promote multicultural education and diversity in school
    settings, and improve race relations (King & Brown 2014:25). By the 1970s Black History Month and
    other heritage months were nationally and internationally recognized. Yet, the history of whiteness has
    largely been unexamined (Daniels 2014).
    Whiteness is a socially and politically constructed behavior. It has a long history in European imperialism and
    epistemologies. Whiteness does not simply refer to skin color but an ideology based on beliefs, values, behaviors,
    habits and attitudes, which result in the unequal distribution of power and privilege based on skin color.
    Whiteness represents a position of power where the power holder defines social categories and realitythe
    master narrator. Whiteness originates racism. It is relational. White only exists in relation/opposition to other
    categories in the racial hierarchy produced by whiteness. Whiteness is a state of consciousness, often invisible,
    shaping how white people view themselves and others and thus perpetuating ignorance throughout
    communities. Cultural racism is founded in the belief that "whiteness is the universal . . . and allows one to think
    and speak as if Whiteness described and defined the world. The meaning of whiteness is historical and has shifted
    over time.

    Nearly ninety years after Woodsons global inspiration, colleges across the country continue to struggle
    to improve diversity, inclusion, and racial equity. At Portland Community College, evidence
    from hiring
    data, student-led research, surveys, focus groups, college-wide emails, and other sources have
    illuminated the underlying reality of whiteness embedded in the college climate. Portland Community
    Colleges strategic plan calls for intentional action to create a nationally renowned culture for
    diversity, equity, and inclusion.
    Description of Project
    White
    ness History Month Project, unlike heritage months, is
    not a celebratory endeavor,
    but an
    effort to change our campus climate and that of the larger Portland community. It is a response to a
    collegial call to teach the truth. The Project seeks to challenge the master narrative of race and racism
    through an exploration of the social construction of whiteness. Challenging the master narrative of
    traditional curriculum is a strategy within higher education that promotes multicultural education and
    equity.
    History Month (WHM) is a faculty- and staff-developed multidisciplinary educational project
    White
    ness
    designed to correct the mis-education about the making, maintenance, and consequences of racism.
    Grounded in critical race theory, WHM will engage the PCC community in an examination of the social
    construction of whiteness, its origins and heritage. WHM seeks to inspire innovative and practical
    solutions to community issues and social problems that stem from racism.

    Get Engaged! Check out the WHM Project website


    You are invited to contribute to WHM. We welcome a wide variety of educational formats including
    presentations, lectures, panel discussions, film and music analyses, workshops, plays, art, etc.
    Complete the application below and send to [email protected]. We will accept WHM proposals

    between October 30th and


    February 1st, 2016. Proposals will be reviewed for project alignment and
    clarity of purpose. Committee members will contact you to discuss your proposal, recommended
    resources, scheduling, materials, and other support.
    http://www.pcc.edu/about/diversity/cascade/whiteness-history-month.html

    Program Application
    Please check one of the following to describe your relationships to PCC:
    PCC Faculty/staff

    PCC
    Student

    Community

    Member

    External Contributor

    Today's Date:
    Name:
    Department(s)/
    Organization:
    Email:
    Phone #:

    WHM Learning Areas and Guiding Questions


    Please check the question(s) that most reflect the focus of your program /event /presentation:
    CONTEXT
    :

    CONSEQUENCES
    :

    What is whiteness and how is it socially


    constructed?
    In what ways has whiteness been
    institutionalized, imposed and internalized?
    In what ways does whiteness emerge from a
    legacy of imperialism, conquest, colonialism
    and the American enterprise?

    What are the legal, cultural, economic, social,


    environmental, educational, and /or
    intrapersonal consequences of whiteness?
    Who benefits from the consequences of
    whiteness? Who loses from whiteness? How?

    CHANGE:
    What motivates individuals, communities, and YOU to work for racial justice?
    What are alternatives to a culture of white supremacy?
    What have been and are current approaches and strategies to dismantling whiteness?
    What are the roles and responsibilities of white people in dismantling whiteness?
    What are the roles and responsibilities of people of color in dismantling whiteness?
    What is the historical legacy of multi-racial movements for racial justice? How can this legacy inform
    racial justice efforts today?
    WHM Invitation Application Page 2
    of 3

    Title:
    Describe how your program/event/presentation addresses the guiding question(s) you checked
    above.

    Please provide a 150-word description of your program.

    What are 1-3 learning outcomes for your specific program?

    Please propose a campus, date, and time in April for your program. (If you need assistance with
    room and/or equipment please do not hesitate to contact us.)

    Who is your intended audience (students, faculty, staff, administration, community)?

    What recommendations for learning resources (books, articles, videos) can you add to the WHM
    repository? (Share sources here w
    [email protected]
    Subject: WHM Repository
    )

    If you have any questions or concerns please list here.

    WHM Invitation Application Page 3


    of 3

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