http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/ J. W. Wiley has possibly orchestrated and engaged in more conversations about diversity and social justice than anyone else in the North Country of New York. He is as eager to get in your ear as he is to have you share your thoughts. en Copyright 2008 Wed, 14 May 2008 10:07:12 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss I wandered into a few different thoughts and conversations lately that I thought I would share with you to see what you thought. Perhaps it was the fact that this is graduation week for many colleges around the country (including SUNY Plattsburgh). Perhaps it was an easing of tremendous tension from having approximately seven significant weights lifted from my shoulders over the last couple of weeks. Perhaps it is just my nature! Anyway, let’s get this party started…. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/05/wandering_while_dressed_differ.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/05/wandering_while_dressed_differ.html Wed, 14 May 2008 10:07:12 -0500 The other day in the Examining Diversity through Film (EDTF) course I co-teach at SUNY-Plattsburgh we watched a film clip from a movie that showed a supervisor, a man in a position of power, taking advantage of a younger man who wasn’t necessarily sure of himself and was looking to be mentored. Because of his lack of confidence, the young man presented himself as someone who could be manipulated easily. He was manipulated by the man in power and it made for one of the most humiliating scenes the class and I have seen in a movie this semester, if ever. The scene itself, gripping with intensity for most, was nonetheless greeted by some in the classroom with snickers and laughter. I was caught off guard and appalled at the same time. I had seen this scene over and over again, even used it in different workshops from time to time. So it is no understatement to say that witnessing this reaction to someone being so thoroughly denigrated was not easy. A bit thereafter in unpacking the film clip—which was centered on the often problematic notion of privilege—our discussion eventually turned a certain corner and I asked the classroom of 100 plus students what was so funny. I am a passionate communicator who thinks somehow that being passionate isn’t necessarily a problem, as long as it is managed. In this case I may have mismanaged my moment. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/05/in_memory_of_a_class_act.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/05/in_memory_of_a_class_act.html Fri, 02 May 2008 06:55:11 -0500 Okay, so I have a reputation for sharing my wandering with my readership, hence the name of my blog. Well, I must share my thoughts about a new venture that SUNY Plattsburgh’s Center for Diversity, Pluralism, and Inclusion (CDPI) is excitingly close to launching in partnership with two local high schools, with a third really applying a flattering level of pressure to be included. Starting next semester there is a strong possibility that two North Country High Schools will be invested in promoting diversity and social justice throughout their high schools. These schools are truly attempting to make huge statements about how much they value the differences that exist amongst their students. In addition they are also making significant statements to their communities that before we can truly begin to think in logical sense about being a part of a global society we need to develop more progressive ways to like if not love our neighbors. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/04/coming_soon_to_a_campus_near_y.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/04/coming_soon_to_a_campus_near_y.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:01:04 -0500 Everything is possible, right? Do you actually believe this overtly used phrase? While it may apply to most things, does it apply to most things that we might associate with romantic love? Well, read on, think about it, and tell me. I am curious about the possibilities! http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/04/is_it_possible_to_love.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/04/is_it_possible_to_love.html Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:49:31 -0500 I recently visited southern California where I had the chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Z, the 20 year old son of two of my dearest friends. What would make that conversation special enough for me to want to share it with the Wiley Wandering crew? Well, sometimes you just know you are heading somewhere special, even before the journey begins. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/the_complexity_of_simply_commu.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/the_complexity_of_simply_commu.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:52:44 -0500 So, I am in a cab on a Friday night at about midnight. I’m on my way to a downtown Buffalo hotel, where I will do two presentations Saturday, one in the morning for a group of Nursing faculty and the other presentation will be in the afternoon for a group of students. I was a bit tired, because I had worked most of the night before on an analysis of survey results for a company I consult to, as well as graded papers for the Examining Diversity through Film course I co-teach at SUNY Plattsburgh. Friday itself had not been grueling, but just busy. You know those days where your phone just rings, and it seems everywhere you turn you are in a conversation with someone. Not that those conversations aren’t energizing, but have enough of them and your energy will nevertheless begin to drop. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/while_money_can_get_you_in_it.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/while_money_can_get_you_in_it.html Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:19:25 -0500 How often do we really ask our self if our interpretation of romance is socially constructed around our gender? When you think about romance what is it that comes to mind? For me it is Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blane forfeiting the opportunity to escape a dangerous political situation with the love of his life Ilsa Lund in the Academy Award winning Best Picture, Casablanca! What made that moment romantic is somewhat morbid, but none the less, provocatively sexy. Bogart’s Rick tells Bergman’s Ilsa that their love is not meant to be because it stands in the way of them both making a significant contribution to the possibility of a better world. A love that is as deep as theirs could only be ended by some major catastrophe. To watch them both experience the pain of a loss of their one true love— with a recognition that it needed to happen—brought a painful appreciation of their poetically tragic situation. It also makes one ponder the question is love sweeter in our memory when it can’t be fulfilled, or is short-lived? Perhaps more interesting than that question is this one, what would a feminist Ilsa’s reaction be to Rick’s overtures? http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/heres_looking_at_you_romance.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/03/heres_looking_at_you_romance.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:59:21 -0500 After doing six “Nigger-word” workshops in two days all over Seattle here I was introducing myself to a table of four highly intelligent, very cool, extremely witty, visually engaging women. My buddy, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. and I had been invited to join this eclectic group of professional women for dinner and drinks at Wasabi Sushi in Seattle’s Belltown district after one of our presentations. Because we had arrived somewhat fashionably late they had to relocate from a smaller table to a table that was only slightly larger with the two of us joining them. I decided to demonstrate how considerate I could be by introducing myself to them and apologizing to them for the inconvenience they would be experiencing at our expense. When I extended my hand and said "Hello, I am J.W. and I just wanted to introduce myself and apologize for any inconvenience,” one of the women said "Did you say your name was J-man?" I said "What?" Her friends were all shocked as well as floating between some level of embarrassment and laughter! I looked at her and then repeated what her friend had just asked her. “Did you just call me J-man?” Now I need to tell you that they don’t come too much more chill than this woman. Where most people would have disappeared from what many would label a racially verbal gaffe, unlike that deer lost in the headlights, she looked directly at me and with the slyest undercurrent of a laugh, said “But I thought you said your name was J-man? How is that wrong?” http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/blog_47_seattle_senior_citizen.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/blog_47_seattle_senior_citizen.html Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:22:21 -0500 Okay, so here is the context! Recently I traveled to Seattle, Washington, to co-present six “N-word” sessions with a very good friend and colleague of mine, Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. Now, you can’t even imagine what a trip (yes, a journey) that was! We engaged the City of Seattle, a community college, a private K-12 school, an organization of professional educators, a large, underrepresented High School, and a community center all in two days. More importantly, the conversation that we immersed all these different groups in was one that almost all of them had never had outside of their comfort zone. Black folk do not discuss with White folk the pain and/or pleasure they find in using the N-word . Mexicans, Asians, and First Peoples don’t discuss their take on the N-word with others. Many White folk seldom if ever examine the moral implications of their bystander status when others use the term around them. But you best believe, all of these groups have a take on this problematic word and it would blow you away to be in an extended conversation with Eddie and I. We are two like minded people when it comes to our passion for social justice, but we are light years away from one another in terms of our ideology of its problematic nature, as well as how use of the word may suggest something about certain types of people that it doesn’t suggest about others! http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/soaring_to_seattle_senior_citi.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/soaring_to_seattle_senior_citi.html Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:18:48 -0500 Back in the days when I was growing up in South Central Los Angeles I had a healthy number of friends. Like most people my friends came in different shapes and sizes, with different views and approaches to life as we were living it back then. While it was the hood and no one was living much larger than anyone else, the way people chose to live was intriguing in itself. Some of the neighbors put all their money into their homes. Others put their funds into their automobiles. Many put their funds into their children’s education, sending them to private schools in an attempt to invest in a better life for their children. As an adult looking back on all those different flows my friends had I understand a great deal of the socio-political implications and influences on their parents behavior which ultimately influenced them greatly. But as a child I only knew that my friends represented a wide array of ways, and that it was my boy David who was a stone trip! http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/messages_we_send_different_peo.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/messages_we_send_different_peo.html Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:05:58 -0500 So, we know the different statements that are made when we are undressed. But what are we saying when we get dressed! When I put on attire that says anything like “I’m black and I’m proud,” what statement is that attire saying to others? What does it say to you? http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/dressed_up_with_nowhere_to_go.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/dressed_up_with_nowhere_to_go.html Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:30:11 -0500 For those of you who read Midday Train to Albany Part One & Part Two, thanks for joining me on the ride. I travel often enough where it can get monotonous and/or lonely at times. Since the Albany excursion I have traveled to Pleasantville, New York and Paul Smiths, New York by automobile. One trip was with my son who not only "really" saw me present for the first time, but continually tried to finagle his way into the presentation. Oh, should I get overtly flattered when women comment on how handsome my son is, and then later tell me how much he looks like me. Why can’t they just eliminate the middle man (or in this case, boy) and just tell me I’m hot! I guess I will have to just settle for letting my mind “wander” enough to interpret or spin any compliments that are extended to him. This may allow me to overcompensate for the fact that on Ratemyprofessor.com no one has ever rated me hot. What is that about? http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/epilog_mid_day_train_to_albany.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/02/epilog_mid_day_train_to_albany.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:18:54 -0500 PART TWO: Later, while on the train, I was awaiting my turkey and cheese micro-waved sandwich when the attendee and conductor started talking. They both seemed cool, relatively laid back, at ease with themselves, you know, not caught up in illogical actions/thoughts like homophobia, racism, and/or flaunting their societal position (elitism). Their conversation exuded an unpretentiousness that completely took all tension within my shoulders right out. Somehow I must have gotten very comfortable because I surmised I could get away with giving the conductor my opinion of him. I said “man, you are a youthful looking conductor. Are you a legacy? Does this line of work run through your family?” They were both surprised at my unsolicited opinion and bold questioning, and the attendee asked “How did you know this type of work runs in his family?” I thought from the energy he exhibited collecting tickets I just imagined he may have been that little boy who watched his father, maybe even grandfather, in this line of work. He may have been the little boy who loved trains! But he just projected an energy and appreciation that shouted out his enthusiasm for being on a train and perhaps even, meeting with people. However, I said, “You look like you love the job that you watched your dad do!” The youthful looking conductor smiled, acknowledged that both his father and grandfather had been conductors, and then started to really open up with me. He, the attendee and I then all fully stepped into a conversation. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/midday_train_to_albany_part_tw.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/midday_train_to_albany_part_tw.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:34:29 -0500 If you’ve never ridden on a train before, what is that all about? Okay, chill! Before you try to crowd me about my somewhat class-ist statement I know that everyone may not be able to afford a train ride. Yes, I know that I shouldn’t assume everyone has my financial freedom, whatever that means. My point is that if/whenever you are in need of travel and have time, why would you not be taking the train? I was recently on a train to Albany. Along the way I had many intriguing experiences. As always I would like to share some of them with you so that I can get another perspective on certain occurrences or hypothetical occurrences. During my travels I had a pseudo conversation with a Latina inside the train station awaiting our train, and had a nice chat with two younger men, one the Black snack bar attendee and the other a White conductor. This alone is quite a rarity. Other than the Underground Railroad (which brings to mind Harriet Tubman and the pioneering couple of Northern New York, Don and Vivian Papson), I don’t recall seeing on any previous train rides any underrepresented people. What I am about to share with you next though may give you some insight into my mind that could truly scare you. Regardless, I have an analysis of a conversation I had with these two men and the pseudo conversation with the Latina that I want to share with you. I will share both of these conversations in two parts across two blog postings, hence the Part One reference in the title begins with the lovely Latina. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/midday_train_to_albany_part_on.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/midday_train_to_albany_part_on.html Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:58:53 -0500 As many of you know I often have the privilege of doing presentations at various universities, businesses, and conferences. One of the things that occurred to me recently when I was doing a presentation is how many sayings and quotes I often use to accentuate my points. Somehow it further legitimates a thought or better frames a message if someone else also said what it is you are trying to convey. My students, colleagues, and close friends know that when they use any of my original quotes (not to imply that there are that many, but the one’s I use are “tight.” Don’t hate!) they are expected to give a verbal footnote, a J.W. shout-out! It isn’t anything extraordinary, just a whispered acknowledgement that the poignant thought they just dropped isn’t there’s. http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/may_i_quote_you.html http://blog.pressrepublican.com/weblog5/2008/01/may_i_quote_you.html Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:30:11 -0500