SPCL 7922 Multicultural Counseling and Consultation (Elizalde-Utnick): Session 5 - Module 5: Racism, Racial Microaggressions, & White Privilege

Part 1 – Anti-Black Racism: Anti-Black racism is defined as the “system of beliefs and practices that attack, erode, and limit the humanity of Black people.” (Carruthers, 2018, p. 26). To really dismantle racism, we all need to look at our own behaviors. This exercise is just one step to help increase self-awareness.

Go to  https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/health/racial-microaggressions-examples-responses-wellness/index.html

and watch the five-minute CNN video. Reflect on the following questions and input your responses.

If you do not identify as Black or African American, please reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of microaggressions or covert forms of racism do you recognize in the videos?

2. Think of a time or an instance when you may have said or done something anti-Black.

3. Recall the incident and write about it in detail. What was the circumstance? When did it occur? Who was present? What was said/done?

4. Describe what you remember about how it felt at the time.

5. Reread your description and describe how it feels right now.

If you identify as Black or African American, please reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of microaggressions or covert forms of racism do you recognize in the videos?

2. Think of a time or an instance when you first experienced anti-Black sentiment.

3. Recall the incident and write about it in detail. What was the circumstance? When did it occur? Who was present? What was said/done?

4. Describe what you remember about how it felt at the time.

5. Reread your description and describe how it feels right now.

Part 2 – Anti-Asian Racism: Anti-Asian racism has been part of American history for many years, but awareness about it has increased dramatically during the pandemic due to the rise in hate crimes based on false and biased perceptions of COVID-19.

Watch the following seven-minute video:

Watch the following 10-minute video which highlights the work of Henry (referred to as Dr. Z in the video), a graduate of our School Psychology Program:

Reflect on the following questions and input your responses.

If you do not identify as Asian or Asian American, please reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of microaggressions or covert forms of racism do you recognize in the videos?

2. Think of a time or an instance when you may have said, done, or thought something anti-Asian.

3. Recall the incident and write about it in detail. What was the circumstance? When did it occur? Who was present? What was said/done?

4. Describe what you remember about how it felt at the time.

5. Reread your description and describe how it feels right now.

If you identify as Asian or Asian American, please reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of microaggressions or covert forms of racism do you recognize in the videos?

2. Think of a time or an instance when you first experienced anti-Asian sentiment.

3. Recall the incident and write about it in detail. What was the circumstance? When did it occur? Who was present? What was said/done?

4. Describe what you remember about how it felt at the time.

5. Reread your description and describe how it feels right now.

Activity: Watch videos from the Whiteness Project:

http://www.whitenessproject.org/millennials

1. Watch Connor’s video, and then reflect on the following questions: 

• What privileges does Connor talk about having because of his whiteness? 
• If Connor was a person of color, how might his life be different? How might people perceive him? 
• Why is Connor just now realizing how lucky he is to have a relatively spotless record? What does this tell us about the importance of talking about whiteness among ourselves and with students? What might happen as a result?

2. Next, watch the videos featuring Sarah, Leilani and Makenna, and then reflect on the following questions:

• What themes of “colorblindness” come up in each of the videos? 
• Do you or colleagues you know espouse this view that colorblindness contributes to racial harmony in the classroom? 
• How might this colorblindness isolate or hurt students of color? 
• How is colorblindness a form of white privilege? How does it further instill the “power of normal”? 

3.  Reflect on this overarching question: How can talking about whiteness help deconstruct “the power of normal” discussed in “What is White Privilege, Really?” If the people in these videos had discussed their whiteness from a young age, consider how their responses might have changed.  

4. Take a moment to reflect. Free write for a few minutes about your own experience with whiteness and white privilege, and how that can inform the ways educators can handle topics of race in the classroom.