A diverse crowd met last night in the MultiCultural Center lounge to attend a Challenging White Supremacy workshop facilitated by self-proclaimed anarchist and anti-capitalist Chris Crass and titled, “Shinin’ the Light on White: An Introduction to White Privilege.”
Crass focused on recognizing white privilege and doing something about it. One of the problems that perpetuates “white supremacy,” Crass said, is a lack of resources available to people of color.
“Resources are the building blocks of society,” Crass said. “Education, housing, opportunity – these need to be available.”
Crass said it is important for white people to “call out” the racism perpetuated by other white people and stop letting racist comments go.
“When a white person says something racist, other white people try to distance themselves from them and leave the people of color to deal with it,” Crass said. “Racism is not just a black problem or a Latino problem. It’s also a white problem.”
“The presentation was powerful,” sophomore political science major Selyna Perez said. “But I wish more white people would be a part of it. It seems like people of color are the only ones who take action for social justice.”