Eric Stoller's Blog

I went to a talk by Tim Wise last night. He’s a white, ant-racist, social justice activist. It was the first time I ever heard a white guy talk about ending racism. I read Janet Helms model of White Identity and became very frustrated/confused. Tim Wise provided the (mostly white) audience with some great insight about what it means to be white and how white people can use their unearned privileges to end racism. I am reading White Like Me by Tim Wise and it is full of useful language and ideas for action.

I talked with some friends of color and they had a less than positive reaction to Tim Wise. I empathize with their anger. Why should a white guy have to tell other white people that they have to end racism when people of color have been saying the same thing for a long time. I think Tim Wise is valuable as a social justice educator. He got my attention. Isn’t that valuable? How many white folks were affected by Wise’s talk? I think we all have to work towards the elimination of all oppressions and if someone from an oppressor group gets the attention of other oppressors than so be it. IMHO

According to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, I am an INFP:

INFP’s are:

• Sensitive, concerned, and caring
• Loyal to people or a cause
• Guided by an inner core of values in decision making
• Focused on contributing to their own and others’ inner development and growth
• Committed to a strong personal belief system
• Likely to enjoy reading, discussing, and reflecting on possibilities for positive change
• Usually seen by others as sensitive, introspective, and complex

Link:
My full report (Adobe PDF)