White Mind, Part II

This piece appears in my column, "The Illustrator's Perspective" in the current issue of the Bulletin of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators:

Part I defined White Mind as the unconscious patterns of thought and behavior resulting from socialization as a white American, and one of the causes for the low representation of people of color in all aspects of the children’s book field today. Part II offers ways to make White Mind conscious and change resulting behaviors. (I directly address white readers here, though I hope it's provocative for all.)

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I remember an exercise from college drawing classes in which we first viewed a still life as volume, then line, and finally, as white space. For the first time, I saw, then drew, the shape of the space around the objects, which had been invisible to me until my attention was drawn to it.

White Mind can be hidden in plain sight, too, and trying to catch a glimpse of its presence can be like tracking a ghost. Here are some ways to gather clues, learn its tricks, and get your own mind back:

Explore what happened to you.

1. Learn about racial identity development. In Beverly Daniel Tatum’s book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, she posits that identity is formed by what is “made salient,” the mirrors that are held up for us when we are young. Racial identity therefore develops differently for different groups. For instance, people of color tend to have racialized identities; white people, as the majority, don’t.
2. Study the invisible “pass” that comes with white skin, as described in Peggy McIntosh’s seminal essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”
3. Tell your own story of growing up white. Investigating and expressing the truth of your experience around race is a significant beginning and can be a lifelong journey. What were your mirrors?
4. Look for clues and identify patterns. What did adults around you say and how did they behave in relation to race when you were a child? What ideas did you internalize as a result? How do these unconscious ideas affect your behaviors?

Change the Script.

1. Connect across racial difference in ways that stretch you. Work to overcome the conditioning of white centrality. Choose books and blogs (see Mitali Perkins, Amy Bowllan, The Brown Bookshelf, Neesha Meminger, Zetta Elliott and many others), movies and other materials to expose yourself to non-white voices and viewpoints. Make friends across race and culture. Step outside of your comfort zone; discomfort can be growth pains. Ask questions, but do your own homework; don’t expect people of color to educate you.
2. Let go of defensiveness so you can listen deeply. Unconscious white bias is not your fault; you can take responsibility for it without needing to protect yourself. Don’t waste time justifying your intention; it’s the impact of words and actions that is critical. Trust people of color as the experts about their own experience. Become an ally.

Change the World.

1. Diversify your cast of characters. Once your own world gets more colorful, that will flow naturally into your words and images. Many people of color have requested that white writers not appropriate cultural material and experiences, but we can and should fill our book worlds with all kinds of kids. When portraying a group you’re not part of, get feedback from someone who can see what you can’t.
2. Create a demand for books by and about people of color, like those in Elizabeth Bluemle’s “A World Full of Color,” at Library Thing. Request them from libraries, donate them to schools, and purchase them for yourself and as gifts. Ask five friends to do the same. Host writers and illustrators of color for school visits, workshops and conferences.
3. Nurture the next generation of diverse storytellers. Offer to present at underserved schools, for a discount or as a donation. Mentor beginning writers and illustrators of color. Introduce them to your editors and agents.

A Zulu phrase that describes our destination: Simunye! We are one.

Trying

In response to the ongoing discussion on racial representation in children's books, I'm continuing to reflect directly (beginning with this post) on the topic of white socialization and racial identity (especially the unconscious parts), for clues about how we got to this point and how we might move forward.

White people need to talk more about the topic of race - with other white people.

We can examine the messages we got (or didn't get), express the thoughts we have (but don't dare say), admit the mistakes we've made (or are making), and be candid about our ignorance and fears. All these attempts give us practice getting comfortable with a topic that many of us were raised to avoid.

It can feel awkward and artificial; as in learning any new language, some of the attempts we make may seem silly or forced. But the alternative is to continue to demand that people of color deal with race in a way that keeps us comfortable, mostly by not calling attention to it. (And I have doubts about the depth of that comfort. In my experience, many white people carry deep anxiety about race just below the surface, but the fear that we'll be exposed keeps us from daring to address it.)

Refusing to directly address race is one more way of insisting on a white world view. One of the reasons white people are uncomfortable with a lot of race talk is because most of us didn't grow up racialized, so it feels unfamiliar or difficult or even dangerous (how soon before I put my foot in my mouth and say something that appears racist?). But when we object to that frame, when we complain about people playing the "race card," when we talk about not "seeing" race, we're once again imposing white privilege (see this quote).

In this country, just about everyone else's identity is racialized - to a great degree, by the white majority. For most Americans of color, race consciousness is a daily, unavoidable fact of life. White people are the only ones who have the option of thinking about race or not; choosing remedial racialization is one way of stepping away from white privilege.

Here's a vision of what it can look like when white people get comfortable with the topic of race: transracial adoption expert John Raible's "Checklist for Allies Against Racism."

We can't get to the beloved community - to "just human" - by ignoring all the stuff that's in our way and pretending it's not there. We can begin the journey at any moment, shedding the accumulated baggage so that we can experience true community.