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A Reader Responds
A reader’s response to the “Do Your Work”
article.
Thank you for your contributions to the H&H
newsletter. I feel more connected to the community
with the monthly updates and I really appreciate
your energy and work. I write in response to your
article on doing individuals work on racism. As a
member of the WW community I find it difficult to
read this without pointing out that if the goal is
increased diversity then the later section “list and
change the subject to racism and state what white
people need to do? Try on these suggestions. If a
white person wants to do her/his work on racism s/he
needs to:
- Be aware of how much we are not aware.
- Have the willingness and courage to go looking
for that which we are not aware.
- Read about the history of African Americans and
other people of color, especially of beatings, lynchings, Jim Crow laws and the continuing impact
today.”
In my judgment, the ‘we’s need to be either
“I”s or ‘they’s. If the goal is to have a
greater diversity of people want to feel part of the
community, then I feel it is important to not rule
out that the people reading the piece might not be
white.
These are my thoughts. My intention is to
communicate the discomfort and exclusion that I felt
when I read your piece. I am judged everyday by the
way I look and for the color of my skin. I am very
glad that WW as community is striving for increased
diversity and my hope is that the community can
start by embracing the diversity that is already
here by not making assumptions that everybody
reading the newsletter is the same.
Anonymous
Dear Reader,
I goofed and made exclusionary statements in an
article on inclusion. I hear that the impact was
that you felt excluded even more by the wording that
made it seem that all readers are white.
That was not my intent and I see how it read exactly
as you said. I apologize and I will make reference
to this in the next newsletter. Thank you for
stepping forward and voicing your "ouch".
Louise Lovdahl
(WWTW October 1993 Delevan WI)
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