White Privilege Conference

WPC Home open all close all Contact Testimonials Aftermath Schedule Speakers Sponsorship Goals Institutes Workshops Youth Conference WP 101 faq's Purchase Resources Registration Receive University Credit Conference Rates Flying to the Conference Hotel Rates WPC Promo Videos Past Year Articles

Articles Downloads

Links

UCCS Women's Studies UCCS Ethnic Studies Rice Speakers Bureau Multiethnic Education Program The Matrix Center White Anti-racist Community Action Network Community Advocates Additional Links and Resources

What do people walk away with after experiencing the White Privilege Conference? Do they go home and do nothing? Take a look below at what some people are doing...What will you do?

Aftermath

"I am writing to you for a couple of reasons...I attended the WPC last year with a group of 8 people from Duluth, MN. We have taken the energy back to our community and are organizing a similar, smaller scale event here in Duluth on October 30th..."

Jennifer Pigeon
UMD - Master Social Work Student
Community Organizer - Community Action Duluth
Community Impact Associate - United Way of Greater Duluth

"my students are trying to spread the word! I am
hoping to bring more than six this year..."

John

Last year, we worked with Lauren Kucera on a 6 week Exploring Whiteness group. A group of students and faculty met weekly to begin a conversation about recognizing our white privilege and how it plays out at our school.
-Charlotte

"Returning from the white privilege conference I had an experience that I wanted to share with you as I think it illustrates the way such an event ripples out into the world. On my flight out I was seated across from a young Iowa farmer and his wife (on Southwest where they have some facing seats). Of course, he wanted to know what I'd been doing in Iowa. "Attending a conference on white privilege." "White privilege? What's that?" Given this opening--and the coming 3 hour flight--I thought carefully about how to answer, wanting to invite conversation, not shut him down. I must have succeeded because we--and the others seated in the 6 seat grouping--ended up talking non stop the entire flight.
I framed my initial answer in such a way that economic class was visible and so we mentioned not only how a small number of very wealthy white men benefit at the expense of everyone else in the U.S. but how race divides those who could work together for mutual advantage. We got into industrialized corporate farming, the influx of farm workers and how that was affecting "white" Iowa, the role of the media in shaping isolated white farmer's knowledge of people of color, and more. I got to learn a lot about the farmer's experience--why he was still trying to farm on a relatively small farm. I know that my opinions and analysis were received in a way that made a tiny crack. He had begun the conversation by stating that everything he knew about California he'd learned on conservative talk radio shows ! So amazing was this conversation that we actually talked about money--how much money we make, have available, expect from pensions later. When does that ever happen?
Anyway, I would never have had this experience if I hadn't been
at a white privilege conference in Iowa. I hope you continue to
organize the event, which I found well worth the travel."

Judy