The seventh annual White Privilege Conference will take place April 26
through 29 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
The conference, referred to as WPC7, provides a forum for critical
discussion about systems of privilege and oppression. This year’s
conference theme is “Youth: A Call to Action.”
The workshops, presentations and institutes are designed to be engaging,
informative and practical. Conference participants and presenters
include corporate and nonprofit personnel, students, educators,
activists, musicians and artists.
Eddie Moore Jr., director of diversity at The Bush School in Seattle,
founded the conference in 1999.
“This is not a ‘beat up on white people’ conference,” Moore said. “It’s
about challenging society to recognize and dismantle systems of white
privilege, white supremacy and oppression.”
According to scholars such as Peggy McIntosh, associate director of the
Wellesley College Center for Research on Women in Massachusetts, white
privilege is an invisible package of unearned assets that yields special
advantages and opportunities.
Many people are unaware of the existence of white privilege, Moore said.
“America was founded by white people for white people,” he said. “Even
though things have changed, there still is a need to bring equity and
justice to the systems and institutions that started up over 300 years
ago.”
Privilege isn’t dispersed on race alone, he said, noting the impact of
gender, religion, language, sexual orientation, body image and economic
issues.
More than 500 participants are expected to attend WPC7. Highlights
include:
* “Activists Generation: How Youth & Their Allies Can Achieve
Social Change,” a presentation by Iris Jacob, a St. Louis resident and
author of the book My Sisters’ Voices: Teenage Girls of Color Speak
Out
* “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome,” a lecture by Joy DeGruy Leary,
author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring
Injury and Healing
* “Disasters, Natural and Otherwise: What Hurricane Katrina Tells
Us About Race, Class and Privilege in the U.S.,” a presentation by
author and activist Tim Wise
* Performance by Tommy the Clown and the Hip Hop Clowns from the
acclaimed documentary Rize.
Amana Hanks and Mary Ferguson, of the St. Louis Teacher Enhancement
Partnership at UMSL, were instrumental in bringing this year’s
conference to the St. Louis area and are serving as co-chairs. The first
six conferences were held in Iowa.
Visit www.whiteprivilegeconference.com for a complete list of
activities, costs and registration information. Call (314) 516-4889 or
e-mail hanksa@umsl.edu for more information.