Karen,

Your words have been received well by me, thank you for posting this incredibly important reminder and reflection. I agree with most you say here. I do not put class over race or race over class or sexism above capital or capital above sexism etc etc in importance or as root cause. They are so related, unfortunately, and so dependent on each existing in order to perpetuate the other that I just cannot say one is more a problem or cause then another. That being said, all other things  being equal, you are right on the mark! The only added unfortunate complication I would have to draw attention to is the way we raise our children in this and other countries, that is, the extreme amounts of child abuse, violence, humiliation, and what we implicitly and explicitly teach our children about violence, money, race, class, women and on and on. The statistics on child abuse in PA alone are horrific. As Alice Miller and others have proven repeatedly, humiliating a child or doing any form of violence most often if not always leads to those children becoming adults who either are also violent outwardly or who find indirect ways to abuse others. In this this, I truly feel Ms. Reily, the author of the CHE brainstorm(s), has found yet another way to abuse individuals in her adult life. Education, as I'm sure you'll agree, is key here, but education about child rearing is also related to the class-race-sex issues as well. 
 
Christina 

Christina Rawls, ABD
Department of Philosophy
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
[log in to unmask] 

________________________________________
From: Feminist ethics and social theory [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of karen henninger [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 11:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Why we should eliminate Black Studies...

Okay. I want to make a few comments here. I rarely post to this list because of 'my' classism.
So…first off, I make no comment about Where this article was published and those relationships  because I feel unqualified to talk about the Chronicle because I know little of that paper.Second, what I am about to say, in no way, discounts anyone else's responses to this. I feel each person is entitled to their own and those responses deserve respect.And also, I have to confess that I didn't read all the responses in the messages because I was busy this week, saw all the messages and had taken so little timewith this, beyond reading the article itself, that I didn't realize what the discussion was. I read some of the replies.
I feel that this article opens a pandora's box and there is no way I can say all of what I think is necessary to sayabout it in a few paragraphs, so I will make a few points. I know that what I say is only a beginning that deserves further attention and revisions and more explanations.
For me, based on NOT knowing anything about the writer but on my own experiences in life, I would say that the writing isbringing up the issue of class. In my first guesses, that is what I see. And I have to say, for all the criticism about the writing,I understand how someone with a background has to struggle to just get the most basics of one's ideas in writing and published,let alone write it in a way that is 'eloquent' and 'understood'. It comes out raw and harsh. What I am saying is that a disadvantaged person isdisadvantaged in not having a place of knowledge production for one's own social group.  Racism is a part of this article.  No doubt about it. I just feel morequalified to discuss class than race and honestly, we hear so much more about race than class. Class is easily ignored while it is blaring at us as the problem.
Professionalism requires people to live, act, write and breathe in certain ways and while I even understand it's useful purpose, Ialso understand the deficiences and social problematic dynamics of  'professionalism' that breed negative results like lack of authenticity. Professionalism is certainly a part of classism, and when one is froma less advantaged background, one is very aware how it operates and it does operate to exclude people in the same way sexism, ageism etc. does.
Don't interpret my points as agreeing with the author or being anti-professionalism or anti-anyone.I'm shooting for being fully human and wanting a world in which being fully human, in any manifestation that occurs, is tolerated and accepted,minus the harm of each other, of course.
 I'm simply not reacting with emotions and I'm at a point, insome cases, of understanding and knowing the realities of classism and working on effective strategies.
Another point I want to make is that the responses I see widespread both in media and off media to someone's racism and ignorance is as disturbing to me as the problem itself.Same with classism. We are living largely in denial and total misunderstanding about the issues. We all can afford to learn and change for the better.
Again, I understand the emotions involved, count them as well as the reasons and logic about it. The problem is what responseswill help and effectively solve the problem? Alienation and lack of understanding in groups with an embedded system that causes opposing interests and conflicts IS the problem and often the way people discuss it and react doesn't help but produces more alienation. It produces more people taking a firm stand for their position unwilling to hear or listen but shoring up their own beliefs. Both sides do this.
Beliefs are often remain unmoved by evidence and fact. If they were, they aren't beliefs. A belief is something that one has or chooses DESPITE evidence.So it's quite often wasted effort to throw around facts. Dealing with someone's beliefs requires understanding the emotions, the investments one hasto holding onto a belief. Often it's about one not willing to give up and lose something important in their lives. The world forces many of to change in ways we don't want to or don't like. Sometimes the emotions involved have nothing to do with facts. Worse, the conversationsand interactions often only muddy reality. What is discussed becomes pivotal and when social powers are involved, sometimes death ofthe powerless is the result. Sometimes what we see and hear from others can be tolerated so much more when we realize what that personis attempting to defend in their own lives.
The topic is so tender, so fully charged and with classism - thoroughly misunderstood - to where we all need to learn and think. I especiallytry to keep in mind future generations.
I can't imagine nor have understanding how one must experience racism and classism at the same time. I am struggling with just sexism and classism (and ageism) so there's much to learn. I come to this from experienceand that experience is mostly about facing my own realities, my own problems and being willing to lose it all to dowhat I believe in. It is this experience of  'losing' it all... that helps me to understand what is involved in actually creatingsignificant change in this society. No one is free of it. There are many willing to work for change but the ideas ofwhat to do for that doesn't include risking loss, in fact, social change, in some places, is so wrapped in status quo and profitabilitythat it blinds those who are involved.
But I will say this….there are certain ways to deal with a topic that is charged, in which everyone is emotionally invested,and disagrees and is needing and wanting change from other people. Those certain ways of acting bring certain results.
In my experience, if I really want some significant change for the better, in such a situation, it is best to do NOTHING first.It is best to cool down, handle one's own reactions in a space of emotional safety apart from those who are harming each other.If one is feeling attacked, it is productive to step back and make sure what the relationship is first. So few take the time.Battles go on and on. I've seen some battles recently that have a 500 year history. That fact alone should give pause.
It is sometimes best not to cause more harm. It is best to develop an understanding first and that at some point, it's not so important aboutwho is 'right' or 'wrong' because right and wrong is SO dependent on location, facts, variables in the environment and in a world where billions of peoplehave different locations and situations, we can't possibly know what is 'right' and 'wrong' across the spectrum for everyone. That is delusional, at best.
One of the worst things about male and white supremacy is all the divisions of humanity that come from it thatare in a hierarchy built on the false assumptions about one's power over the world and what power one has in the relationship among people, especially in the 'knowing' of the world and powers of knowledge production. It is this that must be considered at times.
Classism has many dimensions, but I would say the largest is the chasm of those who have power and social statusand acceptability to produce knowledge and those who do not. And the complicity in that system and how it operates, frankly, kills.We have a system that advantages certain groups to produce knowledge, control other's lives without any substantial connection to 'other'  and within that system there is absolute foundations archaic…. that are white male supremacist ideas.In my view, it is those ideas that are part of the reactions to this unclassed person's writing. But I am going to wager that this person was pulling herself up from her own bootstraps to say what she did.We may not like it. We may totally find it offensive, but sometimes that's not the most important point.Sometimes it's looking beyond the writing to the context to get the larger picture before we mistakenly prejudgesomeone else's words. We are especially inclined to prejudice and stereotyping if we don't stop to pause.We have a system that forces us to interact with total strangers in which we must make prejudgmentson people with very limited timeframes with very little information.
I know that no one can read these words I write 'in a proper context' of my own life, butwill supplant their knowledge to fill in lack of mine to read a few paragraphs. It's requiredby our technologies.
Point is we all have room to consider options.
I relate this experience of denial of racism and ignorance of classism  as similar and paralleling myexperience with fundamental Christianity years ago. What I learned is that is absolutely wasted timeto talk about the Bible when one believes so differently about the physical object itself. Some of these conversations with someone who simply refuses to move out of their own beliefs are part of the problem itself.What I learned is how I can deal with someone with that belief in the same way as the Protestants had todeal with Catholicism because the Catholics were not going to stop. William Penn seemed to have the solution and I live in Pa….and I try to consider how I will keep America from becoming anotherwar ridden territory. It's about harm, violence and power. It's not about different beliefs. However,it does require a change in power.I could go on…I hope these words are received well and used well.
________________________________
> Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 14:50:15 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Why we should eliminate Black Studies...
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> I agree and am on board to write an individual and/or collective
> response to the Chronicle. The piece was incredibly disturbing, but not
> surprising. We are still a highly racist nation, among other things, as
> probably everyone on this list is aware of. I feel someone should send
> Ms. Riley a free copy of George Yancy's work Black Bodies/White
> Gazes... (or any of his edited volumes) at the very least, requesting
> that she retract the piece she just wrote after she reads Yancy's work
> or related.
>
> Christina
>
> Christina Rawls, ABD
> Department of Philosophy
> Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ________________________________
> From: Feminist ethics and social theory [[log in to unmask]] on
> behalf of Kimberly Kay Hoang [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 9:00 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Why we should eliminate Black Studies...
>
> Dear Shay and all,
>
> I found this piece to be incredibly disturbing! First of all, Naomi
> Schaefer Riley (the author of the Chronicle piece Kimberly referenced
> in the previous email) is a former editor for the Wall Street Journal
> and does not have any post-undergraduate training.  I think it's
> important to challenge the Chronicle of Higher Education for providing
> a space for such an unprofessional, unethical, anti-intellectual attack
> masquerading as journalism.  The Chronicle should be ashamed and we
> should demand answers from the editors.
>
> I also do not understand why Black studies or ethnic studies are always
> under attack. There are several scholars who have published great work
> housed in departments all across the country. Both of the scholars
> listed in that article are Ford Foundation Fellows and Faculty at
> Northwestern University. Those accolades do not come from producing
> terrible dissertations! IN ADDITION, one does not have to look far to
> see terrible dissertations across all disciplines that are not blasted
> on the chronicle.
>
> Kimberly
>
> Kimberly Kay Hoang, Ph.D.
> Postdoctoral Fellow
> Program in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities
> Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality
> Kinder Institute for Urban Research
> Rice University
> MS 38
> P.O. Box 1892
> Houston, Texas 77251
> 713-348-3238 (phone)
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> (email)
>
> On May 2, 2012, at 5:26 PM, Shay Welch wrote:
>
> http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/the-most-persuasive-case-for-eliminating-black-studies-just-read-the-dissertations/46346
>
> --
> All my best,
> Shay Welch
> Assistant Professor of Philosophy
> Spelman College
>
>
>
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> Kimberly Kay Hoang, PhD Candidate
> University of California, Berkeley
> Department of Sociology
> 410 Barrows Hall
> Berkeley, CA 94720
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> US Office Phone: 713.348.3238
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