Race row, indeed
My esteemed libertarian colleague Rob McColley, in an otherwise fine column about cameras and Big Brother, felt the need to talk some smack about cultural houses. I have some real affection for Rob, as we share the same suspicion that people in power are a bunch of bozos. We also share a snarky sense of humor used in the service of making larger points. But I fear he went over the line yesterday.
He was looking for video cameras near the scene of a recent crime, and referred to the University of Illinois cultural houses (such as La Casa Cultural Latina, the African American Cultural Center, the Native American House, etc) as "Race Row," saying:
"This is a street of buildings designed to remind minorities that they're different. It also helps them stay different, and reminds them of their inherent differences."
The underlying message is that cultural houses aid in divisiveness. If only people didn't acknowledge their differences, we'd all be the same.
But coming from a white person, this is inevitably interpreted (whether it is meant this way or not), as "if only those minorities weren't so different, they'd be just like the rest of us white people." It's a way of blaming minorities for their historical exclusion from mainstream society.
I've noticed that whenever white people say "I don't notice race," or "I treat everyone the same" or "I think everyone should be treated the same," what they are really saying is "I think everyone should be white," or "I treat everyone as if they had grown up with the privileges and power of an average middle-class white person." There's often no recognition that the experience of being white in America is very different from the experience of being a minority.
One of the reasons races and cultures are not the same is that different races and cultures are treated differently by the mainstream culture. Growing up black or Asian or Latino or Native American means you've had different experiences because the majority white culture has treated you differently. Look no further than the case of Toto Kaiyewu, the black man shot and killed by police last spring, which all started because white people in Villa Grove were nervous about a black man stopped at a convenience store.
Another example: I've been mentoring a kid in Urbana for that last five years, who is now a sophomore at Urbana High School. This past school year, he was ticketed at 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, for literally crossing the street. The street was the 300 block of E. Eureka St, which if you follow the link, you'll note is actually a dead-end with zero through traffic. So, essentially, he gets a $75 fine for being black and outside at 11:30 p.m. Imagine the stink if a white Centennial kid got ticketed for crossing the street in Cherry Hills or Ironwood. Or even Green Street or University Ave. for that matter.
But it's not just small injustices that make the minority experience different. It's that being a minority means that you must always carry your racial and cultural identities with you. It is how people in the majority culture see you, and it means you are constantly a representative of your race and culture. White people often complain when they have to "deal with" race on a regular basis. The irony is that one of the privileges of being white and in the majority is that you don't really have to deal with race if you don't want to. You can surround yourself with people who are like you, and not have to wonder whether people react negatively to you because of your skin color or culture. People of color almost never have that privilege in this country.
So, if you attend the University of Illinois as a person of color, and are tired of representing your race or culture to all the white people around you, it is good to take a break from it and be around people who understand you. If you are tired of having stereotypes constantly applied to you, it is good to be with people who share your culture and experiences. And one good way to do this is to go to a cultural house where your culture is celebrated and understood, rather than demeaned or ridiculed. It is quite the opposite of a place designed to remind you that you are different. It is a place of refuge designed to give you the energy you need to be a healthy member of society in a majority culture that is not your own.
One of the healthy things white people can do foster racial and cultural unity is seek to understand the experiences of those in cultural minorities. And the least we can do is let them enjoy the privilege of being around others who share their culture without telling them they aren't white enough when they do this.
24 comments
Luke
Rob is not a Libertarian, at least according to his campaign platform. He wanted to force his neighbors to behave a certain way, which is not something that any Libertarian could get behind
.
(I can speak with some credibility as to what a libertarian is, since I was treasurer of the local Libertarian Party chapter back in Virginia. I’ve since softened up quite a bit in my philosphy and become much Liberal/Green in my opinions. Still, I have have a soft spot for the Libertarian philosophy, and I still think that actual libertarians (unlike Rob) are an underrepresented viewpoint in this nation’s political discourse.)
OK, I’m done jerking my knee.
I think the true answer to these kinds of issues on a personal level is to be friendly to everyone you meet, while not trying to pretend that everyone is the same. I’ve had a lot of wonderful late night discussions in the labs with friends who have dramatically different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and we all come away better and more enlightened friends at the end. I’m not sure what to do about the fellow who got a ticket for “jaywalking” across a cul de sac, though—judges are supposed to act as a check-and-balance on law enforcement and, if they’re not doing that, maybe they should be replaced…
Melissa
Thanks for writing this. These cultural houses enrich life for both students and faculty at the U of I in so many ways, I couldn’t even begin to name them. You’ve done a great job of listing some of the reasons why they matter to our local community. But I’d also like to add that the programs housed within La Casa Cultural Latina, the African American Cultural Center, and the Native American House are a primary reason why our university is able to remain competitive on a national level. These programs, over the last decade, have attracted some of the leading scholars and artists in their respective fields to come to U of I—they would not otherwise have done so. These houses are not just symbolic—there is very real and important teaching and research, which happens inside of them. Rob, and others who feel like he does, should walk inside these houses before they judge. As a graduate student, I have been inside, many times, and am extremely grateful for what I have learned as a result.
A question for the staff at SmilePolitely: Are Dan’s opinions about the nature of cultural houses his own, and do they also reflect the opinions of the editorial board and Smile Politely on the whole?
Sorry, disregard my above comment. It’s hard to tell sometimes who’s an editor, and who’s just a regular contributor around here. Mea culpa!
For the record, anything I write under my own name is my own opinion. Anything under the “Smile Politely Editors” name has the blessing of the editors at large.
Dan,
I think Jay-Z’s #3 question is a good one - despite his retraction.
Rob, writing under his own name, got a disavowal note from the editorial staff at the end of his column. (He got this despite the fact that, like your column, it was very clear that his column was his own opinion and not that of SP at large.)
Rob wrote some things that, doubtless, make folks uncomfortable. But that could be said of a whole heap of things written on SP (mostly - ahem - by Rob). I wonder at what point the editorial board thinks it warranted to let everyone know, in case they weren’t sure, that they didn’t agree with the opinions of a columnist.
And, if you ever wonder who’s an editor and who’s not, you can always click the “About” tab at the top of the page. Thanks for bringing it up, Jay-Z, because some of those are out of date. We’ll get right on it, which is to say, I’ll email the webmaster and ask him to do it.
Dan’s point is well-taken, though, because we’re individual humans with different opinions, and generally, what one of us says shouldn’t be extended to the whole editor group or whole website, disclaimer or no. For example, I really like unicorns, and I’d hate for Dan or Smile Politely to have their reputation sullied by extension.
BelleNoelle
That whole article was a giant bowl of What the fuck? Anyway..hi Dan, I want to be your friend. I don’t read often enough but this isn’t the first time I’ve read an article or comment of yours that dosen’t have me nodding in the affirmative. Rob’s stuff? Ummm..not so much.
You’re cherry-picking another writer’s material for your own agenda.
I’ve taken free salsa classes at La Casa and am grateful for it.
Yet, I agree with Rob that these houses are meant to remind minorities (and by extension, the public) of our differences.
Without guessing Rob’s thought-process or vantage point based on the color of his skin, how can such a statement cross ‘the’...or any line?
Fantastic piece, Dan. In general, its very easy to decry cultural houses as being despotic if you’ve (a) never stepped foot into one and/or (b) never experienced how intimidating it can be to attend a predominantly white, upper class university as a minority. In truth, cultural houses can be a safe haven for the populations that they explicitly work with while serving as emissaries for those populations to the community at large. The easy thing to do is to criticize them. The harder thing to do is to engage with them. If you’re curious, intimidated or skeptical of these places, then challenge yourself by going there and learning something new. And if the thought of this causes you some discomfort, don’t be afraid. That’s just how empathy feels in its beginning stages.
I wouldn’t look to the Libertarian Party as the exemplar of libertarian values.
I want to force people to behave in a certain way, yes: I want them to obey those laws designed to protect me and others from them.
Whether it’s their noises, their pets or their feces—I’m happy for them to do it in their own homes. But not mine.
I think that’s fairly libertarian. But if it’s not, I still want it done.
Dan: Thanks for the clarification, I’ll keep the differences in mind in the future. When I said to disregard my comment, I had clicked through your profile and erroneously assumed that since you were an editor, you were speaking as as an editor and for SP as a whole.
As tmcdade pointed out, the whole reason for my question was that Rob received a disclaimer while Dan did not. Without taking sides regarding cultural houses, I wanted to start a conversation about the practice of disavowing some pieces while not adding that text to others. I think a consistent application of disclaimers is best, but that’s something for the SP staff to consider.
That’s a good point Jay-Z, and in this case, timing was the issue. “The line” that I felt was crossed was one of cultural insensivity. When we ran Rob’s piece, I wanted to make sure our readers knew that some of the editors thought it crossed that line. But then I decided to run my own piece in response, so the disclaimer was probably no longer needed at that point.
And yes, Tony, I plead guilty to cherry-picking to make a point. How else am I going to find things to complain about? And it is hard not to, given the breadth and depth of interesting things that Rob says here on SP. I would consider it an honor if and when Rob (or you or anyone else) does the same to me.
But if Joel tries to slip by one more friggin pro-Unicorn piece, I swear by Grabthar’s Hammer, I will stab something.
As Rob’s editor, I pretty much grant him the freedom to speak his mind. Couple of times I have made some suggestions, but generally, I let it ride. The reason I made a note at the bottom there was precisely because of some of the issues that have been raised here. I wanted to make sure that there was no question that this was ROB’S OPINION, and not something that Smile Politely necessarily agrees with.
In our original “manifesto,“ we proclaimed that Smile Politely would be a home for wayward writers in C-U that wanted a place to sound off and be heard. And we were hoping that people would engage with us, and that our readership would grow, and that we would be a place where people would come to be heard (and hopefully not go Anonymous).
I think we’re there. Or at least, on our way.
At least people comment on our site. Just sayin’ is all.
So, while I might have my own feelings about Rob’s opinions regarding the cultural houses (lukewarm — but I get his “point”) I am honored to have him writing for us.
And if you are just starting up with us here, and happen to love Illini basketball, just wait: I would argue that Rob is the most depthful and important beat writer on Illini B-ball in the entire world. That’s right. THE WORLD. He makes Paul Klee look like a writer for the UHS Echo.
So, yes. Rob. Love him. Hate him. Sure. But we couldn’t ask for a finer voice in that his is truly his own.
Carry on.
I think Seth is pleased that I’m detracting attention from him in the local category Most Reviled Opinion Writer Completely Unknown by Anyone Over Fifty.
—
Remember when criticizing Paul—he does have editors/publishers who make him toe a particular stylistic line. The unfiltered version is much funnier, and far more high-brow.
Perhaps, but I gave up on the Sniffer. He broke Thad Morrow’s unforgiving heart. And I still feel bad. And I wish I could do the whole Tod Satterthwaite differently, too. I made his wife mad at me, and we were once friendly. So, yes, Rob. Perhaps so.
As for Klee. Yes. Good point.
Still, though…
brownie
Grabthar’s Hammer!!! (laughing hysterically)
Oh god, (still giggling) I’m so glad I get you!
stuart
McColley: This is a street of buildings designed to remind minorities that they’re different. It also helps them stay different, and reminds them of their inherent differences.“
Schrieber: The underlying message is that cultural houses aid in divisiveness. If only people didn’t acknowledge their differences, we’d all be the same.
Me: Is this a fair reading of McColley’s statement? It might be, but I don’t know. Is inherent difference a bad thing? And why do houses like Hiillel and Newman center get a pass here? Aren’t they about cultural difference too?
BK
After high school I was often ending up in situations where I was the minority where I lived. There’s always a little bit of an “edge” to living like that because you never know when someone’s going to say sometihng to you about being the odd one out. I’ve had it happen and really, it just caused me to shut my door, hide, and refuse to talk to others after it happened, whereas before those incidents, I was friendly and got along well. Some places where I was the minority were nicer than others, and some were flat out mean about me being there. I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. I lived where I could and that was all there was to it.
Visually standing out just plain sucks and is not a fun experience. It doesn’t even take being a racial minority. Ever walk into a stereotypical Harley-style biker bar wearing wool? Ever walk into a coffee-house where everyone was obviously “punk” (dressed in black, many piercings, tattoos, and mohawks) in flannel and jeans, no body alterations, etc?
I think people who are willing to try walking out of their comfort zones for a while will understand better. The average person does not. It’s not really fair to ask all other races to have to live outside of their comfort zone to satisfy your own comfort zone.
There are some who acclimate well to all environments, but the bulk of people still spend most of their life in only one style of environment and everything else is foreign. Until everything is truly a real equal mix and equal chances everywhere, people who are trying to get along already in something they are unfamiliar with will need something to help them along.
Excellent post as always, Stuart.
More people have read Dan’s post than mine. You’d think people would have to read mine to understand his.
But maybe they don’t want to. Maybe they are not concerned with interpreting my meaning (which is that grouping peoples by continent seems a rudimentary approach to ethnology. Chinese and Japanese are different. So are various “Yugoslavians.“ And Afrikaan-Americans are a lot different from Imported-Americans.)
Two contrary positions in this thread:
- Dan: these houses provide a respite from white people
- Melissa: white people should go check them out
BK’s comment shows that people can make outcasts based on race OR culture, and that culture isn’t necessarily something you’re born with.
Hillel and Newman are privately funded, yes? Hence, they can do what they like, short of breaking the law.
“race row” does have a certain Disney World Epcot Center feel to it. I suppose that makes it more convenient to get all your world culture at once.
Joycelyn Landrum-Brown
I really appreciated this article and I am glad that Jill forwarded it to our team…. look out it will probably end up as a reading for one of our dialogue courses!. I’m forwarding the link to the OIIR team (Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations - that oversees the cultural houses).
Personally I think its not really a respite from Whites in so much as its a respite from the cultural hegemony perpetrated by Whites consciously and unconsciously that is the need and reason to seek solace in a cultural house.
By the way, glad to know where Seth Fein disappeared to… I also miss the sniffer articles. It would often give me a big belly laugh… often following a “No he didnt go there” thought. Oh and by the way I’m over the age of 50.
I asked the white people, and they disagree.
Just kidding. Who has time to ask all of the white people? Besides, I can just assume what they’ll say.
Actually, I forwarded the link to the Ruling Council of Whiteness for a formal statement. (Because I am something of a loose cannon, I no longer get the monthly newsletter Maintaining White Hegemony. But because we all think alike*, I suspect the Council will be able to coordinate a statement in no time. And I’ll pass it on.)
*Except that the Italian faction can be a little unruly at times, and the Germans are sticklers for following procedure, so we have to make sure we dot all the I’s—oh, and we’re having trouble communicating the concepts to the Scandinavians, who still aren’t sure what we mean by “non-whites.“
johnny
This entire feature is invalidated by the deliberately dishonest mischaracterization of the Toto Kaiyewu case.
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Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…