Considering Whiteness

Whiteness is the dominant ideological framework that exists in the cultural sector. It is the default frame that defines cultural value and worth; it is used (mostly unconsciously) to analyze, classify and quantify both what is understood as the norm and the notions of “other” – of diversity. Both Ian [Moss] and Clayton [Lord] acknowledge Whiteness in their commentaries and I appreciate that because to understand the ideology of Whiteness and how it operates in our sector, white folks must spend time unpacking it. Doing so is essential to advancing our field. Yet, it must be more than acknowledging the whiteness of the aforementioned bloggers; some critical analysis of how Whiteness operates in the sector must be undertaken, as difficult as that may be.

In regards to Ian’s comment about expressive life and his question “why aren’t there more butts of color in these seats,” I think about which seats these are … and where? When I reflect upon the seats I’ve experienced as an audience member or arts presenter, many of these have been on the lawn, where I’ve danced (badly) in a folklorico ensemble as a teen; on the lawn where I witness my nieces dance eloquently with their folklorico group as a proud Tio; on the lawn where I’ve seen the Teatro Compensino perform; seen the SF Mine Troup; seen the Tucson Pops. And people of color are there. Yes, there are seats in music halls and the black boxes; there are also those seats on the lawn where very often you can experience strongly the expressive life of our multi-racial society. Maybe the discomfort that Ian refers to is the difficulty of how one sees diversity and where it sits, inside and outside of the phrase he used “white people’s terms” – as charged as this sentence may be it must be part of the conversation. To quote Mark Twain:

“You can’t depend on your eyes When your imagination is out of focus”