Angry white people. Photo via Flickr user cometstarmoo
A college in Portland, Oregon is closely examining what it means to be white as part of its upoming Whiteness History Month.Portland Community College said it will deconstruct the origins of "whiteness" as part of the project, which aims to "inspire innovative and practical solutions to community issues and social problems that stem from racism."Unlike Black History Month, Whiteness History Month, to take place in April, is "not a celebratory endeavor," according to organizers with the school's Cascade Campus Diversity Council. (Sorry, racists.)A mandate posted online says the idea is to look at how idea of whiteness has created a racial hierarchy resulting in oppression amongst non-white communities."Whiteness originates racism," the outline says, noting the campus's own research has shown whiteness is "embedded in the overall college climate."By implementing Whiteness History Month, organizers hope to "create a nationally renowned culture for diversity, equity, and inclusion."As progressive as it sounds, not everyone is pleased about the endeavor, with one conservative news agency dubbing it "Hate Whitey Month" and another outlet describing it as "whiteness shaming."Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.
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