Center for the Study of White American Culture, Inc.

[Kind of Blue]

Came across this the other day, http://www.euroamerican.org based in New Jersey. It seems chockful of good information, especially their blog http://www.euroamerican.org/wordpress

"The Center for the Study of White American Culture (CSWAC) was founded in April 1995 by Jeff Hitchcock and Charley Flint, an interracial couple with a lifelong interest in matters of racial justice and equity. The founders continue to serve the organization. Jeff is Executive Director and Charley is President of the Board of Trustees. Shortly after its founding CSWAC incorporated as a nonprofit and applied to the IRS for 501(c)3 status which it obtained and continues to hold.

The founders envisioned an organization that would raise consciousness about the role whiteness and white American culture occupy in the racial structure of United States society. In 1995 this topic was not discussed in mainstream public settings. In 1996 CSWAC organized the National Conference on Whiteness, the first event of its kind ever held. That same year we launched www.euroamerican.org, the first outpost of white-identified anti-racist advocacy on the internet which, even then, had already seen the appearance of several white supremacist sites.

Today conferences on whiteness and white privilege are more common, and the white anti-racist presence on the internet has grown substantially. CSWAC welcomes this growth, and continues to contribute leading ideas and works. In 2010 we published the book Accountability and White Anti-racist Organizing, the first book to delve into this crucial topic for racial justice advocates in depth.

White culture forms the central values of our society, and yet is often treated as invisible, normal, and outside the discussion of race. If, as a nation, we are to develop a truly multiracial society centered on multiracial values, we need to discuss whiteness and white culture along with other racial and cultural groups. White people need to think about how white culture and values can find expression in non-dominant and non-oppressive ways."

[MADem]

1. Both links failed--is this the Onion? EDIT.....

I kept googling and found this that worked....

http://www.euroamerican.org/wordpress/?p=54


The name of the organization is ripe for misinterpretation and mockery. They seem to want to be helpful though.

[Kind of Blue]

2. LOL! I have both sites up now.

I'm sorry about that. But I'll see what happened to way I copied/pasted.

[Kind of Blue]

3. Please try again. I had a period and comma as

part of the links. Thanks.

[MADem]

4. OK!

As I said above in my edit, I think they are sincere--the name is kinda crazy at least at this point in our history. One day it'll probably work just fine!

[Kind of Blue]

5. Well, it doesn't sound crazy to me.

But I do understand what you mean when supremacy is considered the universal and not just as particulate as any other group.

[MADem]

7. I was talking about the NAME being crazy--it sounds either like an Onion joke, or a White Supremacy

outfit.

I only gave the site a quick look--it looks like they're trying.

[Kind of Blue]

10. Yeah, seems they've been trying for while now.

Maybe I'm missing your point that I think I understood. Years ago, when we were being labled Afro-centric and the name meaning a ridiculous attempt to rewrite history, our immediate reaction was euro-centricism that's full of lies is apt and a true counter. So the name does not sound crazy to me because I've witnessed the ongoing evolution from euro-centric to european american and white american, as not the universal and correctly labeled like every other group of people, same as I've seen the evolution of negro to black American to African-American.

Seriously though, what am I missing here except for it just sounds crazy to you, while to me it's part of a process to stop whiteness as being the default height of humanity?

[MADem]

11. It still is the default--not for too much longer, though!

That's why it sounds a bit "off" to my ear, like those right wing sites that cry about the poor downtrodden caucasian man and how he never gets a fair shake. Either that, or those parody sites that make light of the same kinds of memes.

I realize after looking at their pages that this isn't their intent but at first blush that is how it comes across. Once you look at the pages you see that their focus is different.

[Kind of Blue]

12. Okay, got it! Just different life perspectives.

I missed your meaning because I've never been to those sites and the link was from a white friend of mine who's always trying to educate others.
Wish I had a lightbulb over my head smilie

[Number23]

13. I had the same reaction! The name of that group has got to go

The methods and goals seem fair and good but the name is beyond bad.

For alot of people of color, every day of every year is the study of American whiteness.

[Kind of Blue]

14. Damn, the name went right above my head

as anything other than white people trying to evolve with input from POC.

I can't even think about looking for the names of supremacist groups but I'll surely pay attention to what you and MADem mean!

[Starry Messenger]

6. I first heard the word whiteness my first year of grad school.

1997. I freaked out thinking the person was celebrating white supremacy.

It took a long time to orient my brain around what she was saying...we whites are so steeped in thinking that white is the default and everybody else is "ethnic." It's funny/odd remembering the shock of fear I felt about thinking about it. The conditioning starts early and goes deep.

The first rule of white culture is we don't talk about white culture, it seems.

[Kind of Blue]

8. Constantly working thru the conditioning.

In that regard, I do the same thing and I'm just glad that we're on humanity's side, Starry Messenger

[Starry Messenger]

9. Lifelong learning!

It's the best kind of continuing education.

[JustAnotherGen]

15. It actually seems

Like a good idea. Go figure!

[Kind of Blue]

16. I know, right?!?

I did notice though that the link address is different from the page title, so maybe they're on to changing their name. Either way they name themselves, I see now that the stigma of both is initially hard to overcome.