A critical discourse analysis of racial(30)

peoplegothere,theygetkilled”(lines357–358).Todd’sexplanationcallsonadiscourseofracismasgeographically

basedcoupledwithapassiveconstructionthatfailstonameWhitepeopleastheactorsinviolenceagainstpeopleof

color.Hisstatementalsonaturalizesthesubjugatedpositionofpeopleofcolorandtheexistenceofracismandwhite

privilege,perpetuatingtheideathattheprivilegedstatusofWhitepeopleisdeservedratherthangrantedbylawand

tradition(Bell,2004).

Faye’sbodyandgazeshiftdownwardandcloseasToddistalking—shealmostimmediatelylooksdownather

notebookandbeginstowrite.Toddhashisarmscrossedinfrontofhischestandhecontinuestoexplainthethought

patternsandbeliefsofracistpeople.“Andthatisanawfulthingandthereareplaceslikethatwheresomepeoplejust

can’tgo...Ican’tthinkofaplacewhereIwouldgowhereIwouldeitherhavemylifethreatenedorIwouldgeta

signlikethisinmyfrontyard.”Jenna’sdiscomfortcanalsobereadasshebringsherhandtoherfaceinanervous

reactiontoTodd’spoint.ShecreatesabreakintheuneasinessbyofferingpossibilitiesofwhenToddmighthavehislife

threatened.Shenotesthathewouldbethreatenedifhe“wasdisruptingpowerrelationshipsorwasovertlyanti-racist

oranti-patriotic.”Jenna’sturnseemstoofferFayeanotherwayintotheconversation.Lookingupfromhernotebook,

Fayestates,

(368)No,wewerejustsayingthatHerhandrestsonherchin,hergazeisdownward.(369)becauseyouarea

Whiteman(370)youareinaposition(371)sothatyoucantravelthroughHerhandmakesasmoothmovement.

(372)manydifferentspaces(373)inthisworldHergazeistowardsTodd,andToddlooksdownward.(374)

withoutfeelingthreatenedatallhandmakesbeatgesture,gazeisintent(375)Andthisisaprivilege,Hervoice

raisesslightly.(376)That’spartofwhiteprivilege.

FayeasksToddtounderstandhisprivilegeinlightofthematerialandphysicalexperiencesofpeopleofcolor.As

shespeaks,hertoneissoftenedandherarmisoutstretchedonthetable.Sheevokesadiscourseofwhiteprivilegeand

directlyconfrontsTodd.Shecallsonmaterialandphysicalverbs(e.g.line371“travel”andline374“threatened”)to

pointoutdangersthataremorethanrhetorical.Sherepeats,“thisisaprivilege”inlines375–376,perhapsemphasizing

forToddthatsheisrespondingtoaquestionheraisedinanearlierclasssession(“whatarealloftheexamplesof

whiteprivilege?”)( eldnotes,19February).Fayeneverdirectlyansweredhisquestion.Rather,shesupportsTodd’s

deepeningunderstandingofwhiteprivilegebyaskinghimaquestionabouthisexperiencesasaWhiteman.Fayethen

appliestheconstructofwhiteprivilegetohisexperience.InthismoveshehasprovidedasupportforToddtocometo

hisownunderstandingofwhiteprivilege.

AlthoughbothToddandFayefrequentlyusetheterm“racist”;Jennausestheonlyreferenceto“anti-racist”in

eitherbookclubconversation.Afewturnslater,Toddprovidesanexampleofracism,drawingonapersonalnarrative,

whichsuggestshehasexperiencewithracismandWhitepeoplewhoareunawareoftheirracism.

Todd:Alotofpeople(603)don’tevenknow(604)whattheyare.

(605)Faye:Exactly.(606)Becausetheyhaven’tbeen(607)exposedtoanything.

(608)Todd:IhavepeopleinmyfamilyToddsitsback,makesabeatgestureonthetable.(609)thattheyarenot

racist.(610)Theywilltelleveryone(611)theyarenotracistvoiceissofter.(612)Iwilltalk(613)tosomeof

mycousin’sfriends(614)wholiveinthislittleruraltown(615)andtheywillsay,(616)“nowe’renotracist”

Hisheadtiltsslightly.(617)butthenlateron(617)theywillsaysomething(618)andtheywillnotevenrealize

itHisgazeshiftstotheside.

Toddpointsoutseveralexamplesofwhiteprivilegeashehasobservedthemwithhisownfamilyandfriends.For

example,inlines603–611,Toddexplainsusingverbalandmentalverbprocesses,“alotofpeopledon’tevenknow

theyare”...“alotofpeoplewillsaytheyarenotracist.”LookingacrossTodd’stalk,heseemsmorelikelytolocate

discoursesaboutracisminthematerial,physicalrange(e.g.“placeswherepeoplecan’tlive”line347and“theyget

killed”line358)anddiscoursesofanti-racismintheverbal,mentalrange(e.g.“knowwhattheyare”“saytheyare

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