Ever wonder what role white people should people play in fighting against racism? The legendary feminist scholar and racial justice activist Peggy McIntosh has some ideas. Maybe you have also wondered, “why does it always feel like white people avoid the topic of race?” To answer this question, we bring on the philosopher Alison Bailey to discuss a phenomenon known as “white talk.” Join us on a journey through whiteness in the United States in which we explore a Crayola crayon factory, police stations in Massachusetts, and Donald Trump claiming to be “the least racist person you will ever meet.”

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Download the episode transcript!

Show Notes:

Introduction

• Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden 

Peggy McIntosh

• Peggy McIntosh’s Bio
• McIntosh’s Ted Talk, “How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion”
• The National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Project
• McIntosh’s Most Popular Articles
• Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me
• Tamara Beauboeuf’s Bio
• Beauboeuf’s book, Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman

Alison Bailey

• Alison Bailey’s Bio
• Alison Bailey’s anthology, The Feminist Philosophy Reader
• W.E.B. DuBois’ idea of “flutter” comes from his 1903 book, The Souls of Black Folk
• Marilyn Frye’s essay “Oppression” discusses her cage metaphor
• Alice McIntyre ideas about white talk are found in her 1997 book Making Meaning of Whiteness
• Maria Lugones’ essay, “Playfulness, ‘World’-Travelling, and Loving Perception” from Women, Knowledge, and Reality: Explorations in Feminist Philosophy
  

Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Music used in this episode (in order of appearance):

1. 1. “Badlands” by Cory Gray
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   2. “WTS” by Cory Gray
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   3. “Floating in Space” by Podington Bear
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   4. “Dark Matter” by Podington Bear
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   5. “Caravan” by Podington Bear
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   6. “Dark Water” by Podington Bear
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   7. “Hard Won” by Podington Bear
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0
   8. “Tell the Future” by Cory Gray
      From the Free Music Archive
      CC BY-NC 3.0

To contact the Prindle Institute, email examiningethics@gmail.com.

This episode was updated on 1/29/16 to include an additional 2.5 minutes of audio from the interview with Peggy McIntosh. 

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