THE PRIVILEGE INSTITUTE
PROJECTS / RESOURCES
Understanding & Dismantling Privilege
The Official Journal of The Privilege Institute
Over the past few years, organizers of the White Privilege Conference and the faculty and staff of the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion have been vetting ways to share more widely and authentically the research and practices that inform and define the Annual White Privilege Conference. Through these discussions, we developed the genesis for The Journal for Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, an on-line, open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to providing a venue for social justice scholars, educators, activists and practitioners to share their work with a wide-ranging audience.
This journal is another extension of the mission and goals of the WPC and the Matrix Center. The journal will provide a forum for extending the dialogues, strategies, and ideas fostered by the WPC with a wider audience throughout the year, and provide a space for publishing work that advances social justice for an interdisciplinary audience.
The journal will be published one to two times a year, depending upon submissions and volunteers. We need your help! Please become a reviewer for the journal, by submitting a reviewer form, and consider submitting your work for review and possible inclusion. We invite you to join us in Understanding and Dismantling Privilege:www.wpcjournal.com
Submissions accepted on a rolling basis for the following sections:
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Research
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Tools and Strategies
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Creative Work and Self-reflection
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Youth Voices
Click here for submission info and to become a reviewer
The most recent version can be found at: www.wpcjournal.com
What is White Privilege?
Simply put, White privilege is the societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances. The Privilege Institute looks at White Privilege intersectionally, in the Context of Various Systems of Privilege. Here are some examples from our past speakers and co-conspirators:
“Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they’ve done or failed to do. Access to privilege doesn’t determine one’s outcomes, but it is definitely an asset that makes it more likely that whatever talent, ability, and aspirations a person with privilege has will result in something positive for them.” ~ Peggy McIntosh
“White Privilege is the other side of racism. Unless we name it, we are in danger of wallowing in guilt or moral outrage with no idea of how to move beyond them. It is often easier to deplore racism and its effects than to take responsibility for the privileges some of us receive as a result of it… once we understand how white privilege operates, we can begin addressing it on an individual and institutional basis.” ~ Paula Rothenberg
"I can completely understand why broke white folks get pissed when the word 'privilege' is thrown around...I was constantly discriminated against because of my poverty and those wounds still run very deep...[But] The concept of intersectionality recognizes that people can be privileged in some ways and definitely not in others." ~Gina Crosley-Corcoran
“Whites need to acknowledge and work through the negative historical implications of ‘Whiteness’ and create for ourselves a transformed identity as White people committed to equity and social change...To teach my White students and my own children...that there are different ways of being White, and that they have a choice as White people to become champions of justice and social healing.” ~ Gary Howard
“The most powerful message that continues to reverberate through my head and heart is that of looking at the future and eliminating systems of oppression through the lens of possibility and hope.” ~Educator commenting on WPC 7
Examples of Privilege
Being able to…
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assume that most of the people you or your children study in history classes and textbooks will be of the same race, gender, or sexual orientation as you are
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assume that your failures will not be attributed to your race, or your gender
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not have to think about your race, or your gender, or your sexual orientation, or disabilities, on a daily basis...
To learn more about privilege, we recommend:
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Privilege, Power and Difference, by Allan Johnson
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Privilege: A Reader, edited by Michael S. Kimmel and Abby L. Ferber
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White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism, by Paul Rothenberg
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Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person, by Gina Crosley-Corcoran
Coffee With the Founder
Join the Founder/Executive Director of The Privilege Institute & annual White Privilege Conference, Dr. Eddie Moore J., for coffee and conversation with past Keynotes, Presenters & co-conspirators from the annual conference, now in its 21st year.
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge ©
Have you ever made a successful change in your life? Perhaps you wanted to exercise more, eat less, or change jobs? Think about the time and attention you dedicated to the process. A lot, right? Change is hard. Creating effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of power, privilege, supremacy and leadership is like any lifestyle change. The good news is, there’s an abundance of resources just waiting to empower you to be a more effective player in the quest for equity and justice. Please use this plan just as it is, or adapt it to a sector, an ethnic/racial group, or interest area. *
Click on the link below to learn more about the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge and start today!
Recommended Resource List
The Privilege Institute provides a multitude of resources to assist in furthering awareness, knowledge, and skills in the field of diversity, power, privilege, and equitable leadership. Our resources consist of a variety of formats including books, websites, articles, videos, blogs and additional ways to expand and enhance learning opportunities.
