Race and Ethnicity Commons^™

Indoctrination Into Hate: The Development Of Racial Neuroses Resulting From Racist Socialization Under White Supremacy, Aliya Kathryn Benabderrazak

Haslam Scholars Projects

Racial-ethnic socialization is critical to our unique and individual conceptualization of reality. This socialization occurs explicitly and implicitly across the lifespan and has significant implications for one’s behavior, social relationships, and ideological beliefs. Two of the most notable and impactful spheres in which racial-ethnic socialization occurs are within the family unit and schooling contexts. The treatment and teachings within these two spaces shape our social and psychological development. The first part of my project considers the neurosis of Whiteness as a psychological consequence of racist socialization within school settings and primarily White communities—as a macro example of the family unit—to …

Revisiting The Complexity Of Racial Understandings And Subjective Experiences Of Race Among Students Of Color In Stem Higher Education: Toward A Racial Reappraisal Framework, Elvira Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Despite significant investment in expanding post-secondary access and success for racially minori­tized populations within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, persistent educational disparities remain. While the literature has importantly identified and described the myri­ad ways in which students of color experience exclusion within STEM fields on the basis of race (and, perhaps, other social identity statuses), this area of scholarship is not always theoretically grounded in an understanding of racial hierarchies, processes of racialization, or theories of race and racism. That is, despite the abundant literature on students of color in STEM, there is comparatively limited theo­retical attention to …

Black Lives Matter In Teaching English As A Second Language!, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

The Winter 2020 issue of theIllinois Reading Council Journal published a special issue focusing on “action for equity,” with thoughtful articles and abundant family and classroom resources. This issue of the “wELLcome”column, which is dedicated to topics regarding English language learners (ELLs), continues in that same vein. In this issue, we place the spotlight on ELLs of African descent, their teachers, and their schools.

Umaine Office For Diversity And Inclusion Stop Aapi Hate. Reject White Supremacy Email, University Of Maine Office For Diversity And Inclusion

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Email from the UMaine Office for Diversity and Inclusion with various details of the Office's work and violent and discriminatory acts leveled against Asian people in America.

The Double Standard: Protest Coverage And Racial Bias Webpage, University Of Maine Clement And Linda Mcgillicuddy Humanities Center

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Screenshot of a webpage for the event "The Double Standard: Protest Coverage and Racial Bias" which featured McGillicuddy Humanities Center Fellow Leela Stockley presenting her research on racial bias in the media in relation to recent Black Lives Matter protests as part of Black History Month.

The Atlantic Black Box: Reckoning With New England’S Complicity In The Slave Trade Event, University Of Maine Clement And Linda Mcgillicuddy Humanities Center

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Screenshot of a webpage for the event "The Atlantic Black Box: Reckoning with New England’s Complicity in the Slave Trade" which featured a presentation on the Atlantic Black Box, a public history project that empowers communities throughout New England to take up the critical work of researching and reckoning with the region’s complicity in the slave trade and the broader slave economy. The two presenters were Dr. Meadow Dibble and Dr. Kate McMahon.

Tarred And Feathered: Umaine’S Hidden Connection To The Red Summer Of 1919 Event, University Of Maine Clement And Linda Mcgillicuddy Humanities Center

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Screenshot of a webpage for the event "Tarred and Feathered: UMaine’s Hidden Connection to the Red Summer of 1919" which featured a talk from Karen Sieber, Humanities Specialist at the McGillicuddy Humanities Center. The event was co-sponsored by the McGillicuddy Humanities Center and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Editorial: The Humanity Of Marginalized Communities Is Not Up For Political Debate, Nate Poole

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, one of the three Louisville police officers that shot and killed Breonna Taylor while raiding her apartment in March was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment of Taylor’s neighbors, but not the shooting of Taylor herself. The grand jury decision quickly reignited Black Lives Matter protests and outrage in Louisville and across the U.S., and rightfully so. Kentucky law describes the charge against Officer Brett Hankinson as “extreme indifference to the value of human life.” Woefully misplaced as it is, Officer Hankinson should not be the only recipient of this indictment. Rather, the entire …

Discussion Questions For Teaching While Black, Pamela Lewis

Education

These discussion questions accompany Teaching While Black: A New Voice on Race and Education in New York City.

Lecturer Discusses 'White Privilege', Angela Flandaca

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Article from the University of Maine student newspaper The Maine Campus on University of Maine lecturer Tim Wise's thoughts on 'white privilege'.

Editorial: Diversifying Hollywood Is In The Hands Of The Consumers, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

“Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films," Bong Joon-Ho said, calling out the cultural shortsightedness that plagues Hollywood, in his 2020 Golden Globe acceptance speech for his film "Parasite." His words rang true for minorities everywhere, who sat through yet another award show celebrating predominantly white men.

Navigating The Silences: Social Worker Discourses Around Race, Cherie Bridges Patrick

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This thesis explored social worker discourses to learn what they could reveal about professional workplace practices and experiences with race and racism. The study traced the subtle and elusive racism often found in everyday professional conversations that are not considered racist by dominant consensus. Using tools of thematic and critical discourse analysis (CDA), and van Dijk’s (1993, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011) general theory of racism and denial (1992, 2008), data from 14 semistructured interviews and one focus group with a racially diverse group of social workers was analyzed in two ways. First, thematic analysis offered a horizontal or flat exploration …

A New Paradigm For Improving Race Relations, Teresa Reed

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Racial Considerations In The Language Used Around Mass Shootings Are Vital, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Gun Violence Archive has logged 385 mass shootings across the U.S. as of Dec. 1, 2019. Just ��ve days later, on the morning of Dec. 6, another shooting was added to that list, when three were fatally shot and eight injured in the shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

End Racism Protest' Is Held On The Umaine Mall, Charles Cramer

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Students, faculty and community members from across the Orono area gathered on Monday to protest online comments made three weeks earlier about Columbus Day and Indigenous American peoples by members of the University of Maine College Republicans (UMCR). The comments in question were initially uploaded to the UMCR’s Facebook page on Oct. 5 and were addressed in an email on Oct. 7 by both UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Robert Dana. The email from Ferrini-Mundy and Dana denied that the posts were representative of UMaine’s values, but chose to maintain their …

The Protective Influence Of Self-Compassion Against Internalized Racism Among African Americans, Alexandra Emery

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Racist experiences and internalized racism may lead to poorer mental health outcomes for African Americans born and socialized in the United States (Graham, West, Martinez & Roemer, 2016; Mouzon & McLean, 2017). Self-compassion has been shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes, but limited research exists with respect to African Americans specifically (Lockard, Hayes, Neff and Locke, 2014). The present study explored whether self-compassion could serve as a protective factor between the relations of internalized racism and racist experiences, and the negative mental health outcomes of anxiety, depression, and stress among (N = 230) African American adults. To …

Hateful Rhetoric And Online Platforms Foster Environments Where Hate Can Grow In The United States, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has released a report that the number of hate groups in the United States has risen for the fourth year in a row. The United States is now home to 1,020 hate groups, including neo-Nazis, white supremacists, black nationalists, neo-confederates and the Ku Klux Klan. Proliferation of racist, xenophobic and generally violent political rhetoric from specific leaders of our country and the ability to recruit members, organize events and raise money on online platforms have contributed to the violent attitudes of the United States that fail to reject and even fosters the rise of …

Editorial : Desensitization To Tragedy, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Amidst the midterm elections, the never-ending battle between the president and the press, and the raging wildfires in California, the tragedy that repeatedly strikes our nation has found its way back into our headlines once again. Mass shootings at the Pittsburg synagogue, Florida yoga studio and Thousand Oaks all happened in the span of 11 days. Despite the horrific levels of these tragedies, the cycle remains the same: they occur, we talk about them for a week and then we move on.

Tragedy In Pittsburgh Brings Community Together, Emily Turner

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Many members of the local community came together throughout the week to show support for members of the Jewish community in light of the shooting that took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Oct. 27, 2018. On Oct. 29 there was a candlelight vigil held on the steps of the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of Maine in remembrance of the 11 victims who lost their lives. Professor Amy Fried spoke of her family’s experience of anti-Semitism in Europe and how historically America has been welcoming to the Jewish community. Because of this …

Can Tenure Be Abused?, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

In any higher education establishment, academic freedom is of great importance. The security provided to professors by academic tenure ensures that faculty are protected from termination because of their speech, research findings or political reasons. Without this security, academic progress could be stifled. But can this privilege and security be abused?

Racism In Our Backyard, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Maine can be quiet. Humble. Secluded. Lost in the upper northern woods of New England, the large state can feel separated from the rest of the nation. Problems and politics are diluted by the rocky shores of Acadia, the dense enclosures of forests and the strong sense of community. This is “Vacationland” after all. So when a small, rural Maine community is thrust under the bright light of the national media spotlight, it tends to burn. Jackman, Maine is one of those small communities. Recently featured on media outlets including The Washington Post, CNN and USA Today, the story of …

Are You Supporting White Supremacy?, Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt

Faculty Publications

Dr. Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, professor of English at Linfield College, provides an opinion piece in the form of a checklist of 15 “troubles” she has identified to help others in academe recognize (un)conscious contributions to white supremacy.

This essay originally appeared as part of Conditionally Accepted, a career advice blog for Inside Higher Ed providing news, information, personal stories, and resources for scholars who are, at best, conditionally accepted in academe. Conditionally Accepted is an anti-racist, pro-feminist, pro-queer, anti-transphobic, anti-fatphobic, anti-ableist, anti-ageist, anti-classist, and anti-xenophobic online community.

Doug Allen Talks About Trump, One Year Later, Jack Barber

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, the Socialist and Marxist Studies Series held a lecture titled, “The Election of Trump: One Year Later,” in the Bangor room in the Memorial Union. The lecturers included Doug Allen, a University of Maine professor of philosophy; Kimberly Hammill of the Bangor Racial and Economic Justice Coalition; and Maia Dendinger, the statewide officer for the Socialist Party of Maine.

Do Not Silence People; Debate And Engage Them, Jonathan Petrie

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

During the protests of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, you may have seen Richard Spencer — notable alt-right, white nationalist leader — get punched in the face during an interview. In response, a lot of people shared the video praising the actions of the violent perpetrator, citing Spencer’s racist ideology as a means to justify violence. Here’s the issue. No matter how much you disagree with someone, you do not get to punch them. Violence does not solve this debate.

White Families And Racial Socialization: A Review, Sadie F. Strain

American Cultural Studies Capstone Research Papers

My paper brings forward research that aims to understand the role white parents play in racially socializing their children. Several studies have interrogated the way black and brown parents socialize their children, but there is far less research that attempts to understand the messages, both implicit and explicit, that white parents convey to their children about race throughout their childhoods. Color-conscious and color-blind ideologies, as well as raising children in more integrated schools, are common strategies employed by parents to aid their children in their understanding, or lack of understanding of racism, people of color, and white privilege. My hope …

An Indictment Of The System, Jonathan Petrie

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

This past week, the nation was hit by a shock wave. Donald Trump, the former host of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” was elected president of the United States. People are wondering, “how could this be?” This is a man who openly used race-baiting rhetoric, endorsed xenophobic policies, insulted disabled reporters and performed so many more ridiculous acts I probably could not fit them into this piece. So how could this guy have possibly won?

Whitewashing In Hollywood Silently Affects Our Children, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The reaction to the 2016 Oscars, which birthed the trending topic #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter, highlights a serious problem in our country — a lack of representation for non-white communities. Watching a movie in the 1950s is still somehow reminiscent of today. We have put an end to blackface, the practice of coloring a white person’s face with paint to fill the role of a historically non-white character without hiring an accurate representative. Yet major blockbuster films did not commonly hire non-white characters for major roles until just recently. Our movies now typically feature a white cast, with the exception of …

The Devil Of Hell's Kitchen : Social Constructions In The Best Of Us, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Cultural norms shape perceptions. This is an unavoidable truth, but one that is rarely acknowledged. It isn’t important whether that lack of acknowledgement is based on a general unawareness or willful ignorance or something else — but simply that it happens. The majority of the mainstream public is in the dark about many prejudices that seep into societal norms. One of the struggles many of us face is putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Majorities have trouble sympathizing with minorities or refuse to try. White people cannot be the target of racism, heterosexuals do not have to live with homophobia …

Of All Days: Critical Pedagogy Outside The Classroom, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A student at the author’s college pens a racist column on immigration for the school newspaper. Two departments, including the author’s, send campus-wide emails denouncing the rhetoric. A firestorm erupts, as much over the emails as over the op-ed. Years later, the student visits the author unannounced.

Constructing A Deconstruction: Reflections On Dismantling Racism, Bronwyn Cross-Denny, Ashleigh Betso, Emily Cusick, Caitlin Doyle, Mikaela Marbot, Shauna Santos-Dempsey

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The article is a reflective narrative regarding the work I do as an ally for change and social justice as a white woman. In my class on Human Diversity and Social Justice, I often discuss how I can use my white privilege to advance social justice to address racism. Several students who have taken the class offer their own reflections on taking the class. Relevant information from the literature is provided to ground the discussion and includes cultural competence, racism, white privilege, and racial identity development. Strategies for deconstructing racism are discussed.