The Real White Man’s Burden
By Matthew Johnson
727 words
It is unfortunate that in the 21st century we are still subjected to the kind of propaganda that positions white people (men in particular) as the chosen ones of history and, indeed, the future.
It’s no secret that white nationalism is resurgent under Trump, who recently identified himself as a “nationalist” as opposed to someone who cares about all the world’s citizens. It is far from a stretch to assume that this was a signal to his base and that the only reason he left out the word “white” is because even he’s not prepared to go that far — at least not yet.
His far-right supporters likely got the message, and some do not even bother with coded language — e.g. the Rise Above Movement or the Proud Boys — while others hide behind a pseudo-intellectual veneer. Racist views have become so mainstream that even a black teenager shamelessly disparaged her own race on a recent episode of Dr. Phil.
I recently came across a disturbing yet significant example of white nationalist ideology and was shocked to recognize its author from an old social circle. (I omit his name because my goal is not to single out an individual but an ideology). His White Man’s Burden is not an example of a lonely voice shouting through the wilderness — or I would not bother to comment. As a white man, I fear that his is a view shared by many white men (and the women who rely on them) from all social strata. The Trump administration and its supporters would doubtless approve.
The so-called ‘white man’s burden’ is a dark remnant from a past that lurks at the highest levels of government in the United States and currently threatens much of the world. Brazilian President-Elect Jair Bolsonaro, advised by ex-Trump handler Steve Bannon, is the latest political triumph of white nationalism. This is an ideology that promotes imperialism as a Social Darwinian imperative and confuses civilization with barbarism: its proponents fail to see that it is an indictment on a race if that race succeeds by riding the backs of others — not a source of pride.
I propose another burden that is far more noble: the burden of justice. White men and women have an opportunity to (finally) break their own chains of oppressor status in an increasingly interdependent world. They have access to information that can lift them out of ignorance and toward a new enlightenment that goes beyond reformation within Western societies and emphasizes how the privileged center can relate more peacefully and justly to those on the margins. Moreover, in the information age the very concept of whiteness (or race, for that matter) is evolving into one that is far more dependent on ideology or self-identification than physical appearance or genetics. This is a positive development in the sense that many people — myself included — no longer feel the need to identify with an exclusive club based on pseudo-science and primitive tribalism. Given the complexity of genes that make up an individual, it would make just as much sense for a white man to identity with Genghis Kahn, Cleopatra, or some primordial super-ape as it would be to identity with Julius Caesar. Human accomplishments and failures belong to humanity because nothing happens in perfect genetic isolation. (Don’t take my word for it; read the acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me.) But this is not to say that all cultures or peoples are identical — it’s the concept of interdependence that white nationalists fail to grasp.
Unlike the extremes on both sides of the spectrum, I am not one who believes that any skin color represents good or evil — or that the answer to history’s inequities and inequalities is to condemn the ancestors of those who came out on top. There is more rage than logic behind these views. However, justice must be done for the benefit of humanity: white, black, brown, red and yellow. It is the lack of justice that not only stokes the rage at the bottom, but also buttresses the fear at the top. The rise of Trump was predicated on this fear. But rage alone will not defeat him.
True justice will not only usher in a new world community that includes everyone while respecting differences — but will also ensure that burdensome white men will never again have to justify their privilege.
–end–
Matt Johnson, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is co-author of Trumpism.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2018 will be your last chance to purchase 5 Day Go Cards, 10 Day Go Cards or 5 Pack Discount Cards for the 2018 - 2019 season.
Go Card’s are the most technologically advanced, easiest and affordable way to hit the slopes! All go Cards contain a small RFID (radio-frequency identification) Chip. This allows you to access all of our chairlifts as well as the ability purchase additional tickets on line. By “Re-Loading” your Go Cards on line, you get the best rates on Brighton day tickets + you can skip the ticket window and head straight to the lift.
Get a single pass with 5 or 10 day tickets pre loaded. Go Cards are completely transferable but may only be used by one guest per day.
Get 5, individual day lift tickets or 5, individual night tickets. Each ticket is valid for one user per day or night.
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AMA Announces New $15 Million Initiative to Further Reimagine Physician Training
Expanding on AMA’s efforts to address the gaps that exist in physician training, new AMA Reimagining Residency initiative is aimed at transforming residency training to ensure physician well-being and improved patient safety
CHICAGO — Building on its work over the past five years to reinvent the way future physicians are trained, the American Medical Association (AMA) today announced a new $15 million competitive grant initiative aimed at significantly improving residency training. Through the new AMA “Reimagining Residency” initiative, the AMA will work toward better aligning residency training with the evolving needs of patients, communities, and the workforce needs of the current and future health care system.
The AMA Reimagining Residency initiative marks the next phase in AMA’s successful efforts to transform physician training. The goal of the effort is to address the growing gap between how physicians are being trained and the skills they’ll need to practice in modern health systems. As part of the new grant program, the AMA will support innovations intended to ensure future physicians are prepared for and safely transition from medical school to residency, develop needed skills to enhance their readiness for practice, and train in an environment that promotes their well-being.
“Applying what we’ve learned through our successful initiative to create the medical schools of the future, we’re embarking on a new effort to reinvent residency training to ensure our future physicians are able to make a seamless transition into residency and ensure they’re prepared for practice—while supporting their well-being and improving patient safety,” said AMA CEO & Executive Vice President James L. Madara, M.D. “During this unprecedented time of rapid growth and technological change in the U.S. health care system, the AMA is continuing to support significant redesign and innovation in physician training that will help physicians adapt and grow at every stage of their career, and ultimately improve the nation’s health.”
Through the new grant program, the AMA will provide $15 million over five years to fund up to eight innovations among U.S. graduate medical education sponsors, medical schools, health systems, and/or medical specialty societies to support bold and innovative projects that promote systemic change in graduate medical education.
The selected organizations will join an AMA-convened consortium and work together to evaluate successes and lessons learned, and promote wide dissemination and adoption of successful innovations.
Beginning January 3, 2019, organizations interested in applying to receive funding and join the consortium must submit letters of intent describing the goals and scope of their proposed project by February 1.
Specifically, funding will be awarded to institutions and their partners for:
From the initial pool of proposals, the AMA will invite a select group of organizations to submit full proposals by April 17, and will conduct a thorough review of all materials before announcing the selected organizations at its Annual meeting in June 2019.
Upon selection, the eight institutional partners receiving grant awards will meet together to agree upon standardized criteria for student assessment, resident selection procedures, on- boarding/transition of students to residency, off-cycle selection of residents, core curriculum for residents in health systems science and a common evaluation program that measures performance, patient outcomes and learner well-being.
The new AMA Reimagining Residency initiative builds on the work of the AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education initiative launched in 2013 to create the medical schools of the future. The new partner organizations will work in tandem with the AMA’s consortium of 32 medical schools created through the AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education initiative, which has impacted more than 19,000 medical students who will one day provide care for more than 33 million patients annually.
For more information about the initiative and to view a short video, visit www.ama-assn.org/ama-reimagining-residency-initiative.
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DAVID WEEKLEY HOMES GIVES THANKS, GIVES BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Salt Lake City, UT (October 30, 2018): David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately-held builder, is hosting its fourth annual, companywide Giving Thanks, Giving Back Thanksgiving Drive for Salt Lake City-area residents. In Salt Lake City, the builder is joining together with homeowners, team members, real estate professionals, vendors and others to collect nonperishable items for Utah Food Bank.
David Weekley Homes team members are accepting nonperishable items from November 1 – 15 at all model homes in the Salt Lake City area. Click here to view the list of items needed and to find a drop-off location near you.
The drive is an initiative of the company’s CARE program, which is a charitable and volunteer program that joins team members, homeowners, homebuyers and community partners with nonprofits to make a positive impact in the lives of everyone it touches and in all the communities it builds through its purpose, Building Dreams, Enhancing Lives. This is accomplished by company team members volunteering countless hours to different organizations in their communities and by The David Weekley Family Foundation donating more than $200 million to a variety of organizations through the U.S. and abroad over the past 20 years.
The company’s CARE program stands for:
C – Committed to Building Community Character… encouraging a culture of caring and contribution with our team members, customers and community.
A – Active in our Community… engaging our communities through team members completing hundreds of projects and The David Weekley Family Foundation donating more than $200 million to worthy causes over the past 20 years.
R – Responsible to our Community… living up to our responsibility of Building Dreams and Enhancing the Lives of our team, customers and community.
E – Enhancing our Community… living a life of service to provide true meaning and purpose.
About Utah Food Bank
Utah Food Bank is a nonprofit committed to partnering with volunteers and the community to make an impact and fulfill its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide. In 2016, the organization distributed more than 30 million meals to 141 partner agencies across 29 counties. In addition to collecting and dispersing food donations, Utah Food Bank provides direct service programs.
About David Weekley Homes
David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 21 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes “America’s Best Builder,” “National Housing Quality Award” and “National Builder of the Year.” Weekley has also appeared 12 times on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 90,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, visit the company’s website at www.davidweekleyhomes.com.
