Toward a White Discourse on White Racism

Abstract

Few would disagree that racism continues to be a serious social problem. More problematic for many White academics is the judgment that the academy itself is racist. In this essay I argue that the judgment that the academy is racist is frequently misunderstood by us White academicians because our socially learned investment in individualism eclipses our awareness of our racial positionality. I conclude with suggestions on how we White academicians could, with less divisiveness, begin to address White racism within the academy.