As we share stories of mindfulness and awareness, it has become evident that we have a responsibility to hold ourselves accountable to also share a very real side of modern day identity: our own white privilege. In this episode of Blissed Out, we sit with Andrea Tutt, a friend and teacher who walks us through some history, ideas, and knowledge of white privilege, white fragility and appropriation. It is our job to bring these issues to light through this platform so that we can weave true mindfulness into our actions as well as spark that awareness in you. 

in the spirit of education, here are Andrea’s shorthand definitions, notes and resources for more information regarding the topics discussed :

White Privilege – Afforded to anyone identifying (and perceived) as white, including dailyadvantages, and lack of oppression on a daily basis. This is including white people who may bedisenfranchised.White Fragility – A white person’s reaction to being uncomfortable in a conversation or situationregarding race. (Including but not limited to sadness, anger, frustration, blame, defiance, andsilence) This can include the inability to accept white privilege in conversation, perspective, orreality.White Shame/Guilt – A white person’s overwhelming sadness when facing generations of (andcurrent) white violence and discrimination. This typically has little or no action involved towardscreating change in themselves or others around them.White savior-ism – A white person’s attempt to ‘gift’ advantages toward marginalized communitieswithout having personal investment (and/or personal gain). This includes offerings from a whiteperspective, and not necessarily what is needed for the receiving community.White washing – Historically white biased information, from education, industry, literature, media,or art. One of the biggest aspects of white privilege is having the luxury of not thinking of thingsfrom another’s perspective. And not thinking about inequality, or race is a luxury white people havethat others don’t.White Color-blindness – A white person’s inability to see cultural/racial inequality/oppressionhistorically, or contemporarily. This would include slogans like “All Lives Matter” or “I don’t seecolor”. This perpetuates cultural and racial invisibility and white tone deafness.Cultural Appropriation – Taking/using/claiming a culturally significant aspect from a culture thatis not your own, without discussion, relationship and exchange with that culture.Cultural Exchange – Interacting and collaborating amongst two different cultures/races that ismutually agreed on, and benefits both cultures equally, and continuously.

Resources:Online –Jay Smooth You Tube videos. Start with this one, and connect to his others, including his Ted Talkabout race.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ti-gkJiXc

Podcasts – Code Switch – Gene Denby and Shareen Marisol Meraji How to Survive the End of the World – Autumn and adrianne Brown Truth Be Told – Joshua Johnson Connections – Even Dawson

 Still Processing – Wesley Morris, Jenna Wortham

 Books – (just a ‘get you started’ list. So many more amazing resources….) White Fragility – Robin D’Angelo Waking up White –Debbie Irving The History of White People – Neil Irvin Painter Emergent Strategies – adrianne marie brown Racism without Racists – Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Racecraft – Karen and Barbara Fields Stamped from the Beginning – Ibram Kendi Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates Becoming – Michelle Obama Belonging – bell hooks Radical Dharma – Rev Angel Kyodo Williams

Theorists of Culture, Social Theory, and Identity (all of these people have written multiple books, allincredible resources) bell hooks James Baldwin Toni Morrison Octavia Butler Audre Lorde Cheryl Clarke Zora Neale Hurston Patricia Hill Collins