Interesting Quote

In graduate school we spent a great deal of time talking about various identity development models in the areas of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. While there are some merits to these models, there were times when I may have questioned them. I have been reading a book entitled White Guilt by Shelby Steele. I wanted to pull one quote out to talk about:

"In fact, if there is a white identity today it would have to be white guilt--a shared, even unifying, lack of racial moral authority. As other group identities derive from a shared fate, white guilt is a shared white fate rendered up by history. Whites can no more escape white guilt than blacks can reject being black--the latter cannot know themselves racially whitout the memory of slavery, and the former canot know themselves racially without the memory of white supremacy. Two shaming fates, yes, but two identities? Can an identity revolve around contrition and deference toward darker races, as a modern white identity would have to? Does it make sense for whites to go around saying, "We are the contrite people, and we defer to other races; this is our identity"? Yet to gain employment today in most American institutions whites must somehow pledge allegiance to "diversity" as if to demonstrate a white identity of contrition and deference. Even in the corporate and military worlds--not to mention academia--no white goes far without genuflecting to diversity. Nevertheless, beyond an identity that apologizes for white supremacy, absolutely no white identity is permissible."

I have finished the book, and I find this quote sticks out the most. I do feel as though to be white means that you do not have an identity and if you tried to have an identity it can only be one wrapped up in privilege and guilt toward our treatment of others. I also agree with his contention that you can not succeed in most professions without devotion to "diversity". I am curious to know what folks think about this quote. Thanks!