Resources on Race and Ethnicity

Kivel, Paul. Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 1996. [Suggested by Michelle Kelly]

Uprooting Racism was honored as the 1996 Outstanding Book on Human Rights in North America. It is a fine introductory text to get people thinking about the concept of racism and what we can do in our own lives to enact change. The text deconstructs stereotypes about marginalized groups in our society, addresses issues related to White privilege and what it means to be an ally, affirmative action, religion, education, police and more. The book is educative without being shaming or blaming. It helps readers understand the concept of institutionalized racism and what that might look/sound like in different public institutions and policies. Exercises, questions and assessments are included. The questions are thought-provoking and challenge the reader to examine his or her assumptions about race and race-related issues. The writing is straightforward and accessible and the chapters are short and to the point making this a highly readable and engaging text. It's a great text for fostering discussion with all the questions and exercises presented. Main topics include

• What Color is White?
• The Dynamics of Racism
• Being Allies
• The Effects of History
• Fighting Institutional Racism
• Democratic, Anti-Racist Multiculturalism

[Reviewed by Michelle Kelly]

McIntosh, Peggy. (1988). White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies. Working Paper No. 189. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College, Center for Research on Women, 1988. (Article, 19 pp.) [Suggested by Michelle Kelly]

Mcintosh's article is a foundational piece in the study of Whiteness. She offers a personal account of coming to terms with her own Whiteness through her work in Women's Studies. That is, a woman who recognizes male privilege in our society, she came to understand that her own invisibility of White privilege to Whites was probably similar to the invisibility many males experience related to White privilege and a review of the many places in her life where she experiences White privilege, such as "I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed," or "I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented." After a discussion of her recognition of White privilege and how it negatively impacts all people—including Whites, she draws parallels to the notion of heterosexist privilege. This article begins to uncover the idea of White privilege, and is an excellent introduction to the topic because of its personal rather than theoretical orientation. It is considered by many who study the topic of White privilege to be a "classic." [Reviewed by Michelle Kelly]