Let me begin by saying I went into the lecture expecting to get angry at what Ricky Lee Allen had to say.  In my mind, I questioned why he believes that white privilege exists.  I mean, recently I searched and searched through UNM scholarships for ones to try to finance my way through student teaching.  Of the gazillion listed, I qualified for 7 as a white non-traditional student.  How does that equate white privilege? 

Now let me say that I agree with some of what Ricky Lee Allen has to say.  I didn't get anywhere near as mad as I thought I would.  Let me restate that, I didn't get near as mad as I thought I would at Ricky Lee Allen.  I did get mad as TAR at the two hecklers in the audience.  One lady was there for a forum on all the troubles she has had in her life...obviously she has a beef with all white people and their privileges.  She interrupted Ricky Lee Allen so much that half his lecture was ruined for me because he spent so much time asking her to give him time to get there in his lecture.  As a matter of fact, I started to doodle on my notes...."we'll get to that in a minute”.  The other heckler wasn't as obnoxious but was a bit frightening.  He made a comment when Mr. Allen was making a point about him being a "white man".  The guy wanted him not to identify with being a white man but a "vunerable human being."  HOLY SMOKES!!!! If we can’t identify with who we obviously are, where does that leave us?  Should we pretend that differences don’t exist?  I don’t think that will make racism go away.

Confrontation stresses me out; but finally Ricky Lee Allen had had enough and asked them to stop.  It was then that we had a long intermission and the obnoxious lady left and the vunerable man remained quiet.  And, FINALLY, I was able to see how Ricky Lee Allen justifies his theory of white privilege. 

One point he made was that white people tend to believe they are normally people that live normal lives.  Yep, I fall in that category.  Do I see advantages as a white woman that I have had that other races may not have?  Not really.  I mean I haven't really lived a "charmed" life.  I've had to work since a young age and earn everything I have gotten.  So, by definition, I fit nicely into how Ricky Lee Allen defines how white people are.  I simply don't see the white privilege because I must be blinded by just being. ;-)

My teaching philosophy was not altered by this lecture.  I still believe that each person, each student, each race, each ethnic group has strengths and characteristics that can be used as a tool or resource.  If we celebrate in our differences and recognize that each difference can add dimension and importance in the classroom, then we can work toward diminishing white privilege (if it indeed exists) and racism.   By learning love and acceptance at the classroom level, we can positively affect racism in our culture.