White Privilege Conference, 2012
Date: Mar 28, 2012 - Mar 31, 2012
Location: Albuquerque Convention Center
The 13th annual White Privilege Conference is in Albuquerque March 28-March 31!
Last year, more than 60 Quakers from 5 yearly meetings participated, including 100% of those Friends who attended in 2010. Already more than a dozen Friends who attended WPC12 in Minneapolis are planning to travel to WPC13 in Albuquerque, and work is going on to plan another FGC-sponsored Quaker group! Participants in that group receive a heavy discount:
ITEM 2012 REGULAR FEES 2012 FGC GROUP FEES
Conference registration $350 $160 for Friends All-day institutes $125 $100 for Friends Shabbat dinner $40 non-negotiable
Pre-Registration for the Quaker group is now open. To be included in this Quaker group, click here to pre-register before February 13th. This pre-registration and discount is only for members of the Quaker community. Everyone else should register directly through WPC's website.
For members of the Quaker community to qualify for FGC's group discount, you MUST pre-register with FGC first. Once you pre-register, you will be sent a discount code to be used in the WPC registration. If you register through WPC's website first, you will NOT be eligible for the FGC discount. The deadline for registering with FGC is February 13, 2012
Local Friends will provide hospitality for those for whom it would make a financial difference for them to be able to attend WPC, on a first come, first serve basis, as well as help arrange for transportation to and from the Convention Center each day.
Here are some highlights about the WPC:
- Daily plenary sessions and keynote speakers.
- Workshop sessions each day.
- Caucuses to debrief: White caucus; People of Color caucus; GLBTQ caucus.
- Films followed by discussion.
- Pre-conference all-day institutes and all-day institutes on the final day of the conference.
- Merchandise and books for sale, including steep discounts on DVDs.
FAQs about the White Privilege Conference
1. When and where is the WPC? How do I get more information?
This year's White Privilege Conference (WPC13) will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The regular conference is March 29-31, 2012 with some institutes held the day before, on March 28th. See the schedule here.
2. How is the WPC different from other workshops about anti-racism work?
This conference looks at the flip side of racism: the unearned privilege that comes from being White and of being of European descent. The WPC is one of the few places where White people concerned about racism can look at dismantling and demystifying White privilege by learning from other White people. As author Peggy McIntosh says, "Describing white privilege makes one newly accountable." People of color who also participate are there to support us in our work, to be witnesses and allies, and to learn about and undo their own internalized racism.
3. Is this a conference for White supremacists?
No. Instead, the WPC actively engages White people and people of color who wish to dismantle a system that historically has given unfair advantage to people whose skin is white. The WPC also helps people of European descent address internalized privilege and internalized superiority.
4. What does "White privilege" mean?
White privilege has been defined as a system of unfair advantage based on the color of a person's skin. It is "unearned power conferred systemically" (cf. Peggy McIntosh's Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack). It is the "web of institutional and cultural preferential treatment" that exempt White people or people of European descent from racial oppression (cf. "What Is White Privilege?" pdf from cwsworkshop.org)
5. I get uncomfortable talking about this stuff. Why should I put myself through it?
Many White people get uncomfortable when talking about White privilege or racism. Being uncomfortable might indicate a readiness to learn more so that we begin to see and understand the invisible forces, systems, and mechanisms that have silently taught us to be uncomfortable, to not talk about certain topics. To face our discomfort and put ourselves in uncomfortable conversations about racism and privilege can be the beginning of dismantling oppressive systems--systems that give some people advantages and other people disadvantages based on skin color.
6. Is the conference going to make me feel guilty or ashamed of being White?
Everyone reacts differently to the conference. For those Quakers who attended as a group in 2010 and 2011, we learned how to view the systems in play that silently train White people and people of color to feel guilty, ashamed, or afraid. Many of us left the conference feeling empowered and better equipped to be allies in our own communities and to speak up in our families where unearned privilege plays out. There are opportunities throughout the conference to ask about what to do when guilt or shame creeps in.
7. I'm a person of color. Can people of color attend the conference?
Yes! People of color are welcome to participate in the conference. There are opportunities for people of color to gather in their own caucus to debrief; many presenters are people of color. Attenders who are people of color are integrated fully into the workshops and discussions. In 2010, there were more than 125 people of color, including Native Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans. See Why do people of color attend the White Privilege Conference?
8. I feel clueless about White privilege. Should I go to the conference anyway?
If you are curious and feeling open to learn, yes, consider coming to the conference. In the past, workshops were all identified as being beginning, intermediate, or advanced. But you don't have to participate only in one "track." Descriptions of workshops and institutes will be forthcoming.
9. Won't people of color be tokenized? How are they integrated into the conference?
There's always a chance of anyone being tokenized or marginalized. But those of us who have attended past conferences experienced people of color as full participants. They asked questions, challenged other participants, led workshops, delivered keynote addresses, showed fillms, led discussions, and supported their fellow White conference participants. The founder of the conference, Eddie Moore, is an African American male, and he has openly talked about the importance of continuing to draw on his experience and leadership as an African American man.
10. Why is there a group of Quakers being organized? Is this a Quaker event; is FGC sponsoring the conference?
The WPC is NOT a Quaker event, and FGC isn't a sponsor for WPC13. But Quakers are working with FGC to organize a large group for the 2012 conference because of the tremendous positive impact the conference has had on those Friends who have attended in the past. In addition, because a large group will receive a large discount for registration, it makes sense to draw on FGC's infrastructure to get the word out about the conference and the reduced registration rates. FGC commits itself to look at issues of race and racism among Friends and to "transform our awareness so that our corporate and individual attitudes and actions fully value and encompass the blessed diversity of our human family." (Minute of Purpose 2009)
For more information about WPC, see their website.
For further information contact:
Vanessa Julye Pelican Lee
215-561-1700 ext.3006 pelicanlee4@gmail.com
ministryonracism@fgcquaker.org
For more information:
