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Whiteness Paper 2. - White Men and the Denial of Racism
White Men and the Denial of Racism
by Cooper Thompson
Whiteness Paper No. 2
October 1997
ABSTRACT
Drawing upon personal experience and contemporary experiences described in print, the author looks at the mindset of white men. He suggests that there is a continuum that he names "denial of racism" that ranges from "angry white men" to liberal and progressive white males. Himself a white man, the author proceeds to describe eleven common issues raised by white men. Then issue by issue he debunks some of the mythical and fanciful thinking underlying each. Issues include "Why do we have to keep talking about racism?", "What privilege?", and "What happened to 'the best man wins?'" The counter-arguments raised by the author supply material for discussion of each issue. Several of the issues and rebuttals concern the role of Affirmative Action. The author illustrates new ways in which the role of Affirmative Action can be discussed in a thoughtful and informed manner. He ends by calling for more white men to speak out on racism, and offers examples, with commendations, of white men who have done so.
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With this purchase of an article from The WHITENESS PAPERS series you are entitled to make 30 photocopies for distribution to classes, training groups, or people in an organization. You may not resell the article or include it in any published work without express permission of the copyright holder.
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