Blackboard Jungle 11 Symposium
The University: A sanctuary or an Arena? Fostering Inclusive and Difficult Conversations
March 22 and March 23, 2018

What Does Whiteness Mean at a Predominantly White Institution?

The workshop is for those individuals who are looking to continue the exploration of the concept of whiteness as an individual identity. This workshop intends to be centered on conversation and honest inquiry and not responding to debates on the core presumption that white privilege is a legitimate concept as we view current campus dynamics. Individuals open to exploring whiteness as racial identity, or those honestly curious about the notion, but in need of fundamental terms will find a receptive learning environment to engage that inquiry.

Some of the questions we will answer together are: What does it mean to identify as white in a predominantly white environment? How does white racial identity intersect with additional identities to complicate understandings of one another? How do we attempt to actively create avenues for racial justice in a complex and racialized environment?

Speakers: Dr. Sherwood Smith and Annie Valentine

Host: Alan Maynard