Culture Is Powerful

I've mentioned before I'm part of an initiative for my library bringing high school students together to explore issues of race and racism. I shared a bit of that work earlier this year in What Was the Middle Part, Again? An offshoot of that is similar involvement with a community group. Last week I was part of a subgroup that offered a virtual discussion for the rest. My role was to give a brief introduction and create a list of resources as follow-up reading. I'll share my slides with script and the annotated bibliography.

Hello. I'm [Degolar].

When we started planning this event a couple of months ago, we decided we wanted to dig in to one or more of the chapters of the workbook we were given at the end of our REI training. We settled on chapter 10 about the same time that circumstances in the world started drastically changing, so we decided to consider it through the lens given us by those circumstances. The paragraph on the slide captures why the chapter is relevant at this particular moment.

I'd also add the sentence that directly precedes what is on the slide: "Culture is powerful precisely because it is so present and at the same time so very difficult to name or identify." We are constantly inundated with messages about who we should aspire to be, what is normal and good and valuable. The messages are explicit and implicit, and hard to identify because they are so ubiquitous. At the core of those messages is that white is normal. Both white in appearance, and also in standards of behavior, of customs for interacting with others, of morality, of meaningfulness; standards that come from one narrow determination of whiteness that imbues the culture. And included in the messages is the belief that any deviation from that implied definition of white is wrong. Is inferior, insignificant, and undesirable.

On the left side of this slide are the characteristics of white supremacy culture as defined in chapter 10 of the REI workbook. As you take a moment to peruse them, I'll attempt to quickly paraphrase.

White supremacy culture creates an inherently passive-aggressive dynamic for relating to others. It starts with standards of perfection, and all personal worth is determined against those standards. What gets attention is failure to meet those standards. The focus goes on what is wrong, with no appreciation for the learning process or growth; everything that is not exactly perfect is seen as having little to no value and is criticized.

All things must immediately work toward the pursuit of perfection with no allowance for anything that might be seen as idleness, including reflection, connection, and inclusion. All that matters is results, the accomplishment of goals that can be measured; no value is attached to process, quality, or intangibles. The goal is constant continuous growth, to get bigger, to have more.

There is always a right way, and only one right way, so difference is wrong. That right way is objectively right, determined by linear logic without emotion, and universally applicable to all people and situations. This leaves no room for nuance, complexity, ambiguity, or middle ground; something is good and right or it is not.

The most authoritative form of communication is written; something written trumps other claims. Everything of value needs to be documented in writing.

There is a clear, hierarchical power structure. Power is limited and needs to be protected and defended. Those with power are right and get to make the decisions. Conflict is a threat to power, and thus bad. Criticism is a threat to power, and thus bad. What is right has already been determined and should not be questioned. Anything that distracts from focus on the singular, narrow ideals of objective perfection is wrong and should be avoided, because that calls into question the personal worth of those struggling to attain perfection. Making them question their rightness in any way is wrong. Personal worth, responsibility, and accountability are all determined on an individual basis; everyone is individually measured against the standards of perfection.

On the right side of the slide is a list of facts that show how our current reality is in conflict with the system of white supremacy culture. Blacks and people of color deviate from that culture's standards of perfection, both in appearance and culture, their various heritages and what has emerged from them. Because of this, they have been made to suffer in myriad ways, through history to the current moment. The reality created by white supremacy culture has made them disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and they are suffering infection and death in far higher numbers than whites.

They are subject to what can be called pre-existing conditions.
 - Higher levels of poverty and all that comes with it
 - More exposure to toxic environments
 - More homes in food deserts
 - Chronic stress from discrimination
 - Less access to healthcare
 - Bias in the healthcare system
 - Systematic exclusion from jobs with "work from home" options
 - Limited access to housing options
 - Limited access to transportation
The list could go on, as that merely scratches the surface.

Our hope for the rest of our time tonight is for us to discuss the collision of these two columns and the repercussions that result. So, with that attempt at a brief introduction, I'll turn things over to [others] for directions about how we'll begin to do that.


From the Workbook:

Annotated Bibliography

Two Featured Articles:

Fifty percent of people testing positive for coronavirus in Kansas City are black
The Kansas City Star, 4/12
“In Kansas City, black residents make up 50% of the people testing positive for the virus, health department director Rex Archer said this week. That’s despite black people making up only 30% of the population. In Johnson County, 13% of the people testing positive are black, while only about 5% of the population is black, according to local health officials. In Wyandotte County, the coronavirus has ravaged predominantly black church congregations, claiming two lives and leaving others hospitalized.” The article considers causes and consequences of these and related statistics.

Social Distancing Is a Privilege
The New York Times, 4/5
“This virus behaves like others, screeching like a heat-seeking missile toward the most vulnerable in society. And this happens not because it prefers them, but because they are more exposed, more fragile and more ill. What the vulnerable portion of society looks like varies from country to country, but in America, that vulnerability is highly intersected with race and poverty. . . . Staying at home is a privilege. Social distancing is a privilege. The people who can’t must make terrible choices: Stay home and risk starvation or go to work and risk contagion.”

Further Reading:

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded: a Timeline
The New York Times, 4/14
A detailed accounting of major events and milestones in the development of the current situation, starting with “Chinese authorities treated dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause” on Dec. 31.

The Racial Time Bomb in the Covid-19 Crisis
The New York Times, 4/1
“Pre-existing health conditions leave one group particularly vulnerable.” A prescient article from columnist Charles Blow, who saw clearly what was to come.

Early Data Shows African Americans Have Contracted and Died of Coronavirus at an Alarming Rate
ProPublica, 4/3
“No, the coronavirus is not an “equalizer.” Black people are being infected and dying at higher rates. Here’s what Milwaukee is doing about it — and why governments need to start releasing data on the race of COVID-19 patients.”

Black Americans Face Alarming Rates of Coronavirus Infection in Some States
The New York Times, 4/7 (updated 4/14)
An examination into the racial dynamics of infections as data from across the country began emerging.

Kansas City Black Leaders Say COVID-19 Disparities Reflect Deep Inequities
KCUR, 4/14
"Disparities reveal inequality in work requirements, transportation, as well as the cost and availability of quality health care." Includes interviews with a variety of local figures as they consider the causes of the disparities and what it means.

Black Men In Kansas City Are Thinking Twice About Wearing Protective Masks In Public
KCUR, 4/14
Audio recording from Up to Date. “In parts of the country, black men wearing masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus have been asked to remove the face coverings or leave the stores. A local father related what goes through his mind before deciding whether or not to don a mask.”

Stop Blaming Black People for Dying of the Coronavirus
The Atlantic, 4/14
Takes on the many different theories, opinions, and commentators implying that black people are responsible for the conditions that have made them more susceptible to the ravages of Covid-19, making clear that the cause is systemic racism.

Why Coronavirus Is Killing African-Americans More Than Others
The New York Times, 4/14
"Federal officials have tied these disparities to individual behavior . . . In truth, black susceptibility to infection and death in the coronavirus pandemic has everything to do with the racial character of inequality in the United States."

The Black Plague: The Effect of the Coronavirus on America's Black Communities
The New Yorker, 4/16
A complex and comprehensive discussion of the reasons black Americans are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and what effective next steps might be. Lengthier and more detailed than many similar articles.

Hospitals in minority communities have long struggled -- and then came Covid-19
CNN, 4/17
Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO is one of three featured hospitals. Includes interviews with staff about conditions and patient experiences.

How to Challenge White Supremacy Through Rest
4/17
"The following are six takeaways from SHIFT’s webinar: Challenging White Supremacy through Rest." 1. “Race and Capitalism are Conjoined Twins” — Kendi. 2. White Supremacist Culture is the exploitation and labor of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. 3. White Supremacist Work Culture is not just external, but internal. 4. “Rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy.” — The Nap Ministry. 5. Create a Community Care Culture that Centers Rest. 6. Breathe.

Black Kansans At Least 7 Times More Likely To Die From Coronavirus Than White Kansans
KCUR, 4/23
"Black Kansans are three times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than white people, and more than seven times more likely to die from the virus. Latinos are also about three times as likely to test positive for COVID-19." Discusses many of the factors that have contributed to these numbers.

Job or Health? Restarting the Economy Threatens to Worsen Economic Inequality
The New York Times, 4/27
"Efforts to quickly restart economic activity risk further dividing Americans into two major groups along socioeconomic lines: one that has the power to control its exposure to the coronavirus outbreak and another that is forced to choose between potential sickness or financial devastation. . . . That disempowered group is heavily black and Latino, though it includes lower-income white workers as well."

Many Wealthy Parents Won’t Send Kids Back to School This Fall. That’s a Disaster Waiting to Happen.
Mother Jones, 4/28
More affluent families, which are disproportionately white, may choose to keep their children out of public schools for the coming year, which would mean less finanacial support for the schools and less racial integration. It would amplify the unequal spread of infection and stereotypes that blacks and people of color are more susceptible. It could also keep away quality teachers.

Map of COVID-19 in Kansas
Kansas Department of Health and Sciences, updated regularly
Includes racial data

COVID-19 Outbreak
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, updated regularly
Includes racial data

Cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the U.S.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Includes racial data

COVID-19: Journalists of Color Racial Equity Focused Articles
Equity Matters, updated regularly
A Google Document compiling recent articles.