Executive Summary
The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities’ Culture and Family Lab, which is part of the university’s Institute of Child Development, features a page titled “Whiteness Pandemic” which claims that “the centuries-old culture of Whiteness” (also known as Western culture) and the family system are responsible for perpetuating systemic racism.
“Whiteness Pandemic”
In defining the “Whiteness Pandemic,” the Lab states that “Whiteness refers to culture not biology” and “features colorblindness, passivity, and White fragility, which are all covert expressions of racism common in the United States.”
It continues:
Naming the Whiteness Pandemic shifts our gaze from the victims and effects of racism onto the systems that perpetrate and perpetuate racism, starting with the family system. At birth, young children growing up in White families begin to be socialized into the culture of Whiteness, making the family system one of the most powerful systems involved in systemic racism.
Dr. Gail Ferguson, the Lab Director, was awarded the 2022 George A. Miller Award for an Outstanding Article by the American Psychological Association Division 1 from the Society for General Psychology for her article titled The Whiteness pandemic behind the racism pandemic: Familial Whiteness socialization in Minneapolis following #GeorgeFloyd’s murder.
According to the paper, the authors came to their conclusion that “family socialization into the centuries-old culture of Whiteness” perpetuates U.S. racism after reviewing survey results from 392 participants. All of those surveyed were:
- White female mothers
- Almost exclusively from Minnesota (385/392)
- Had an average income range of $125,000 – $149,999
- 90%+ had a bachelor’s degree or higher
- 61% were “somewhat or very liberal” versus 18% who were “somewhat or very conservative”
Funding for the project comes from several sources, including a “predoctoral fellowship” through grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
A section on the site titled “How do we halt and reverse the Whiteness Pandemic?” states that if a person is “born or raised in the United States, you have grown up in the Whiteness Pandemic, and you can play a role in halting and reversing this pandemic, especially if you are White because of the power and privilege you hold in this racialized society.”
It also claims that if someone is a “White adult, antiracist action involves an ongoing process of self-reflection in order to develop a healthy positive White identity while engaging in courageous antiracist parenting/caregiving.”
The website also includes “Practice Resources for Courageous Parenting, Teaching, and Caregiving” which claims that “race matters in the United States because racism still exists.” It goes on to state that “when parents, teachers, and other adults are silent around race it communicates apathy or approval of racism although this may be the opposite of what adults intend.” The Lab notes that in order to stop the “Whiteness pandemic” parents should inject discussions of race and racism with their children into their daily lives.
The site lists other resources for White parents and White teachers such as works from Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo.
