What is your ethnic background?
According to Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, many White people never really considered their own racial and ethnic group membership. For them, “whiteness” was simply the unexamined norm. Because they represent the societal norm, Whites can easily reach adulthood without thinking much about their racial group. On the other hand, active exploration of what it means to be Black is an almost universal experience for Black adolescents due to the encounters with racism they commonly encounter.
This presentation examines the process of identity development specifically linked to an understanding of what it means to be White in a race-conscious society. When the individual goes through experiences that trigger active exploration of what it means to be White, a process of identity development begins to unfold. This presentation discusses how White people can achieve a healthy sense of White identity.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, learners will be able to
- Compare what it means to be White and Black in Western society by focusing on
the impact of racism on one’s perception of self and identity. - Reflect critically on their own journey of developing a racial identity.
- Make steps towards developing an anti-racist White identity.
