I'm white

Ok, big time confession...

Are you ready? You sure?

I'm white. Caucasian. A WASP. You may have guessed that from the whole "turning pink" thing yesterday. But, just to confirm, I am very white. There's no olive undertone to me. I do have brown eyes, so it's not like I'm Nordic looking. Actually I look like what I am--a white girl from Anglo-semi-Celtic (but nowhere out of the British Isles) stock who grew up in the South. My family is from South Georgia and England.

As I was growing up in Atlanta, white people of certain ideologies worked hard to prove they weren't racists. I went to a mostly African-American high school. Before you get too excited about my diverse upbringing, I should also note that the school used what was called "leveling." I was in Level 1, which was all white kids and one black guy. Level two was about half white and half black. Levels three and four, all black. Coincidence? You decide.

I went to a middling private college in the Northeast. Mostly white people.

I did graduate work at UCLA. Mostly white people.

I don't pretend that my sexuality actually makes me understand the experience of ethnic minorities in the United States. It's not the same thing. I work in academia, my honey works for a GLBT publishing company. Being lesbians in either context=not a big deal.

I am both humble and proud of growing up in the New South, proud of the changes that were made in the Civil Rights movement by Southerners, both black and white. Like any good folklorist, I approach any person, regardless of their cultural background as someone from whom I can learn things.

So, I had to have a meeting earlier this week with two of the ethnic studies departments on campus. I had put it off and put it off. Then I called the very sensible Associate Dean and told him the problem. He said we needed to meet with them. I said I'd rather bury my head in the sand. He said to call them.

Here's how the meeting went:

Me: The state standards are x for y course. Does your course include x?

Ethnic Studies Department 1: Yes, though from a ethnic studies perspective.

Me: Great! Can you take the x list and share them with your faculty?

Them: Sure, we'll make it part of the common syllabus.

Me: Great!

One down, one to go.

Me: (to Ethnic Studies Department 2): How about you?

ESD2: Maybe

Me: Ok, well here are three options... (you don't want to know them: boring). Can you present to your faculty and discuss?

ESD2: Sure.

Me: Oh and we could do this really nice thing for you, if we can't fix the y course problem.

ESD2: Ok

So, last night I get cc'ed on an e-mail from one of ESD2's faculty. (He called me Ms. Sporksforall in the e-mail... Honey said I should just e-mail back and say, that's Dr. Sporksforall, thank you very much! Which I totally should have done, using sporksforall instead of my name.)

Anyway, here's to let everyone know that Dr. Sporksforall is a racist. I don't care at all about the history of oppression of ethnic minorities. I am totally responsible for the white bias in government standards.

Aren't you all glad to know how powerful I am?

I was good and calm and sent a message to ESD2's chair in a calm a judicious tone. But there the e-mail sits, in my inbox. There may be little flames coming out of it.

I had a dream the other night that there were wrapped Chipotle burritos in bed with me to ward off heartburn. Last night, Honey and I had Chipotle. She asked if I'd like her to put my burrito on my pillow for protection.

Chipotle burritos can't protect me from heartburn (and may, indeed, cause it). What can protect the white girl from charges of racism? I dunno, but I'm guessing burritos won't help there either.