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Our Story

Hello! We are a group of college students studying psychology. We all read sociologist Margaret Hagerman’s book White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America and were inspired by what we read to create this blog. In her book, Hagerman followed, observed, and integrated herself into a community of affluent White families who held varying levels of progressive values. She conducted discussions with both the parents and children to assess their opinions on race, including how they talk to their children about race (if at all). The book provides many examples of how White families try to talk to their children about race, but sometimes struggle to do so in a way that is meaningful and effective. For example, some White parents adopt a color-blind approach, where they teach their kids that “everyone is equal,” effectively ignoring the systemic racism that affects people of color in America. Hagerman argues that White parents should strive to be color-conscious, teaching their children about discrimination and trying to make them aware of their White privilege. Through our blog posts, we, as White students, will share our own experiences with how we learned about race, what can be done to promote positive racial socialization, and offer salient suggestions and tips for how to facilitate better conversations with children about race.

About Us

Madison Voigt

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Hi, my name is Madison, and I am 21 years old. I am a Psychology major and Educational Studies minor. I appreciated that White Kids highlights a range of perspectives regarding racially socializing white kids. As a White person, there are many situations in the book that were very comparable to my own experiences. I liked how Hagerman was constantly questioning these perspectives, even the ones that seemed "right". 

Julia Laube

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Hi, my name is Julia, and I am 21 years old. I’m a senior Psychology major and Educational Studies minor at Macalester College. Margaret Hagerman’s White Kids impacted me in many different ways, but I think my main takeaway from the book is that we have to practice what we preach. No amount of “coexist” bumper stickers or “Biden 2020” lawn signs will combat the rampant racism that still orders our society today, and we need to recognize both this and our complicitness/positionality within the system in order to start dismantling it in ways that we know how to.

Alex Marketos

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In White Kids, I really enjoyed the discussion of how the environment that White children grow up in affect how they perceive (or fail to) their own White identity and the experiences of people of color. It made me think about all the ways in which someone’s environment truly plays a role in their development. I realized how important it is that White people, especially at a younger age, recognize their privilege and that not everyone shares the same environment or has the same lives.

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