Author To Give Workshop Presentation On Systemic Racism

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wsjmnewsgeneric-26

By Doug Cunningham

“Waking Up White” author Debby Irving is doing a workshop presentation on systemic racism Thursday from 1-4 p.m. at the Hilton garden Inn, 1300 Cinema Way in Benton Harbor. It’s part of the “Community Grand Rounds” program.

She says she spent decades unconsciously reaffirming harmful outdated racial patterns and stereotypes instead of questioning them. She says white privilege – the absence of being a victim of racism – can often make white people blind to systemic racism.

“If we think of a system of racism there are people – black and brown people – who are being discriminated by the system’s racism in this country. But you can’t have one group being discriminated and the other group just having a neutral experience. So discrimination is getting the short end of the stick.Privilege is being on the long end of the stick.”

She says white privilege is real but often goes unnoticed by white people who don’t fully comprehend the extent of systemic racism.

“Most people who are experiencing white privilege have no idea they’re experiencing it because they really don’t know the depths of discrimination historically or currently in our society.”

Irving encourages white people like herself not to remain silent in the face of racism.