Hey White Women Episode 8 | White Supremacy in the Cult of Corporate America
The conversation explores the themes of color, PowerPoint culture, repetitiveness of work, cult-like aspects of organizations, the need for individuality, the impact of white supremacy, and the power of democratized knowledge. In this conversation, Rebecca and Daniella discuss the loaded language around the word 'racist' and the fragility and volatility that white people often exhibit when confronted with accusations of racism. They emphasize the importance of deconstructing belief systems and actively working to dismantle white supremacy. They also explore the concept of traumalages, the blending of personal traumas and privileges that shape individual perspectives and abilities. The conversation touches on the need to acknowledge and address the impacts of systems of power, the role of language in maintaining control, and the necessity of storytelling and sharing human experiences to effect change.
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Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young
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UnAMERICAN Videobook
Takeaways
- Color can be a contentious issue in different contexts, such as the military and personal preferences.
- PowerPoint culture in organizations can be excessive and repetitive, leading to a cult-like environment.
- The repetitiveness of work and the pressure to conform can be draining and hinder individuality.
- White supremacy and its influence on systems and organizations can limit diversity and perpetuate harmful practices.
- The democratization of knowledge through platforms like TikTok challenges traditional power structures and allows for diverse voices to be heard. The word 'racist' carries a heavy and loaded connotation, particularly for white people, who often exhibit fragility and volatility when confronted with accusations of racism.
- Deconstructing belief systems and actively working to dismantle white supremacy is a necessary and ongoing process.
- Traumalages, the blending of personal traumas and privileges, shape individual perspectives and abilities, and acknowledging and addressing the impacts of systems of power is crucial.
- Language plays a significant role in maintaining control, and storytelling and sharing human experiences are powerful tools for effecting change.
Sound Bites
"Don't you dare put pink on a slide." "How American to hand over all of our communication to this." "The corporate hatred of individuality" "There's this heaviness only with white people, because it's interesting. I thought about like black people rarely will call someone racist, like in everyday life." "White people always hear you are racist and then they flip a switch. I call it like more instead of fragility, I see it more as volatility." "I very organically have a much more diverse following. And I was like, looking at that, and I was like, hey, look at that. Like, that means I've done some good work in the past two years."
Chapters
00:00 Color and Conformity 02:06 PowerPoint Culture and Cult-Like Aspects 03:33 The Impact of Work and Motivation 04:43 The Democratization of Knowledge and Power Structures 08:52 Standardized Interviews and Expertise 11:44 Whiteness and White Supremacy in Organizations 41:43 Deconstructing Belief Systems 42:38 Confronting Toxic Systems and Acknowledging Privilege 53:45 The Power of Storytelling and Language 01:05:55 Inclusion and Exclusion: The Role of Language 01:10:20 Accepting and Considering Different Perspectives