STICKS & STONES

STICKS & STONES

Sisco Symposium Webinar Series 2020 - 2021 Program Year

October 20, 2020 | Webinar #1 of 4

Unpacking the Language of

Racism

Moderator: Dr. Kristy Morgan Presenters: Dr. Sheila Caldwell & Mrs. Hasana Pennant Sisco

------------------- Unpacking the Language of Racism

Presented By:


“Sticks and Stones

May Break my

Bones, but Words

will Never hurt me.”

First published, 1872 Christian Recorder, AME Church

Do we really believe that?

How do we think about

words,

phrases,

language?


Words

Phrases

Language

Let’s take a look at some of these:

• what do they mean….

• share examples of how are

they used….

• the impact they have….

• how should we as People of

Faith respond….

Prejudice

Whiteness White privilege

Micro-aggression

Micro-invalidation

Justice

Reconciliation

Equity vs Equality

Systemic racism

Code switch

Color blind

Bias – implicit/explicit

White supremacy

Structural Racism

Racial battle fatigue

Stereotype threats Cultural Racism

Multicultural

White gaze

Micro-insults Micro-affirmation


Words, Phrases, Language


What do they mean…

Racism: Racism is the local and global power system and dynamic, structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as white, whether consciously or subconsciously determined, which consists of patterns of perception, logic, symbol formation, thought, speech, action and emotional response, as conducted simultaneously in all areas of people activity: Economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war (Cress-Welsing, 2009). White supremacy: The conviction that white people are superior to other races. This belief system is embedded in a social system in which white people enjoy structural advantage over other ethnic groups. Whiteness: An identity or perception of identity that grants advantages in society such as higher self-worth, visibility, positive expectations, psychological freedom from the tether of race, sense of belonging and a sense of entitlement (DiAngelo, 2018). White Privilege: Unearned advantages and assets in society that benefit white people over people of the global majority. The concept also implies the right to assume one’s own experiences as the norm as others as exceptional.


Racism

White Supremacy

Whiteness

White Privilege

Split into Small Groups/Breakrooms

for Discussion

• Share some personal

examples

• Discuss your lived reality

and experiences

• Notate one or two

comments from your

group in the Chat

• Approx. 4- 5 min



Systemic Racism: Modes of operation designed to advantage cultures associated with whiteness while negating identity development, personal agency and power systems among communities of color. Cultural Racism: How the dominant culture defines reality to advantage and oppress People of Color. Use cultural differences to overtly and covertly assign value and normality to white people and whiteness in order to rationalize the unequal status and degrading treatment of People and Communities of Color. Individual Racism: Beliefs, speech, symbols and actions of individuals that support and/or perpetuate racism in overt or subtle ways. Racial Battle Fatigue: The social and psychological stress developed from the burden of a lifetime of blatant racism and microaggressions (Smith, 2003).


Systemic Racism

Cultural Racism

Individual Racism

Racial Battle Fatigue


for Discussion


examples


and experiences


comments from your

group in the Chat




Prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Bias (Implicit/Explicit): Unreasoned or unfair distortion or judgement in favor or against a person or group. Code Switch: The modification of behavior, appearance and mannerisms to assimilate or adapt to different sociocultural norms. Colorblind: The idea of a color blind society, while well intentioned, leaves people without the language to discuss race and examine their own bias. Color blindness relies on the concept that race-based differences don't matter, and ignores the realities of systemic racism. Stereotype Threat: Anxiety arising from a person’s awareness of a negative stereotype about a group they belong to.


Prejudice

Bias (Implicit/Explicit)

Code Switch

Colorblind

Stereotype Threat


for Discussion • Share some personal

examples


and experiences


comments from your

group in the Chat




Micro aggressions: a comment or action that negatively targets a marginalized group of people. A microaggression can be intentional or accidental. It is a form of discrimination. Micro invalidations: when a person’s comments which undermine subtly exclude, negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings, work or experiential reality of a certain group of people. Micro insults: a comment or action that is unintentionally discriminatory. Micro assaults: is when a person intentionally behaves in a discriminatory way while not intending to be offensive. Micro affirmations: small acts that acknowledges another person’s value and/or contributions. These acts can positively impact people and combat unconscious bias.


Micro aggressions

Micro invalidations

Micro insults

Micro assaults

Micro affirmations


for Discussion • Share some personal

examples


and experiences


comments from your

group in the Chat




Equity vs Equality: Equity is providing various levels of opportunities, resources and support depending on specific needs or abilities while equality is providing the same level of opportunities to all members of society without acknowledging historical inequities and wrongs. Justice: The quality of acting right, making right and doing right in our shared life and experiences. Reconciliation: The restoration of relationships when the responsible party acknowledge and discuss the nature and impact of wrongs that were done, and a willingness to be accountable and make amends, sometimes in the form of money and economic support for the injured party.


Equality vs Equity vs Liberation

Paradigm Shift: Act Right/Make Right /Do Right


Equity vs Equality

Justice

Reconciliation


for Discussion


examples


and experiences


comments from your

group in the Chat



Free Speech vs.

Hate Speech

• Free Speech is the right to speak and share

ideas freely. It can be unconstrained by the

disciplines of reason and objectivity and

sound evidence. It does not require

accuracy.

• Hate Speech is any kind of

communication in speech, writing or

behavior that attacks or uses

discriminatory language with reference to

a person or group on the basis of who they

are with respect to religion, ethnicity,

nationality, race, color, gender or other

identity factors.


Words

Phrases

Language

What has been the IMPACT on

ALL of us…

• Low Self Esteem

• Higher levels of Depression

• False feelings of Inferiority

…feelings of Superiority

• Feeling Invisible

• Feeling Isolated


IMPACT Specifically on

White Americans?

• Anxiety

• Low Self Esteem

• Isolation (Relationships)

• Social Exclusion

• Higher levels of Depression

• Higher level of Suicide Rates

• False sense of Superiority

• Imposter Syndrome

IMPACT Specifically on

People of The Global Majority

• Low Self Esteem

• Psychological Disruptions

• Elevated Blood Pressure/Heart Disease

/Kidney Disease

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• False sense of Inferiority

• Imposter Syndrome

• Survivors Guilt


What does the Word of God Say….

• ‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.’ - Proverbs 16:24

• ‘For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ - Matt 12:34b

• ‘The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.’ - Proverbs 15:4

• ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.’ -1 Thes 5:11

• ‘Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone’. -1 Thes 5:13b – 14

• ‘Mourn with those who mourn…’ Matt 5:1-6 – the Beatitudes/Sermon on the Mount

• ‘What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’. - Micah 6:8

• ‘From one man, God made all the nations that they should inhabit the whole earth’. - Acts 17:26

• ‘…From every tribe and tongue, and nation and people..’ Rev 5:9c


How Should we

as People of Faith

Respond…

• Defend the weak…

• Mourn with those who mourn…

• Seek to work across racial lines…

• Don’t stand by when you see injustice….

• Once you become awaken/aware –

neutrality is no longer an option

• Keep your eyes open -

wherever/whenever you see it …speak

up and against it

• At work, school , neighborhood, etc.


Merely Tolerate

Sincerely Appreciate

VS.

STICKS & STONES

Sisco Symposium Webinar Series 2020 - 2021 Program Year

Thank you for participating!

Unpacking the Language of Racism

The Rodney K. Sisco Symposium is a 501(c)3 Organization established in 2019.

STICKS & STONES

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