Digging out the Lies by Making the Ordinary Strange
Digging out the Lies by Making the Ordinary Strange
In the conclusion we ask: Where do we go from here? It is our position that exposing the Tacit Racism in everyday life, by digging out the lies, and teaching people to make the familiar strange by observing the racism in their own daily lives can generate the empathy and reciprocity needed to finally talk honestly about Race. We call this teaching White double consciousness and we have been teaching it this way for two decades. It is difficult for anyone to remain detached from racism—and continue believing the lies, which are many and sit at the center of American life—when they recognize the part they themselves are playing in producing racism every day. Experiencing double consciousness creates an understanding of how Race frames social life and damages public civility. People who are playing two different games—but judging the Other by the rules of their own game—cannot communicate without serious misunderstanding. The solution is not for White people to act Black, or Black people to act White. What is required is for White people to see themselves as Black people see them—and for both/all sides to have a better understanding of the differences in play.
Keywords: White double consciousness, making the familiar strange, social frames, indentured servants, White slaves, civil war, civil rights, labor relations, Thanksgiving, Puerto Rico
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