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Tad Hargrave is an environmental activist and marketing teacher whose heartfelt wisdom and elegant and ethical strategies inspired and guided much of my own thinking when I was in the online marketing field.
We've stayed in touch over the years, and as Tad is a prolific writer, I spend a fair amount of time pondering his pensive and powerful essays on, basically, how to be a courteous and committed ally to those on the planet who are suffering.
Tad's been writing a series of searing essays under the hashtag #DearWhiteMen. In a recent one, he spoke of the need to “heal” from Whiteness.
I was intrigued: what did he mean by Whiteness (I think of myself as a white man), and why is it something that needs to be healed?
Should I be ashamed of my heritage? Is it killing me in ways I don't realize?
What he wrote blew me away. And it's not just for white people, or men, or white men. Tad is synthesizing, interpreting, and sharing the history of what humans have done to ourselves, to each other, and to the places we used to find sacred.
Since this podcast is dedicated to individual, communal, and universal healing, I wanted to explore Tad's ideas in this forum. I think our conversation is one of the most meaningful I've had, and I'm delighted (and a bit scared) to share it with you.
We discussed:
- how white privilege is also white poverty
- the invention of whiteness
- the goal of whiteness (to divide and conquer the oppressed)
- the “Liverpool Mirror” and its devastating effect on Irish immigrants on their way to North America
- how almost dying changed Tad, and compelled him to seek the wisdom of an elder
- our bizarre youth-worshipping culture that cannot hold space for elders
- lessons from Bosnian activists on how to hold powerful people accountable
- how to restore the fabric of the world through our words and deeds
- the false dichotomy of submission or rebellion
- how white people lack a collective sense of themselves as a group, and why it's dangerous
- the flavors of white defensiveness
- the roots of internet trolling
- what we're missing when we lose our village
- what the existence of a course that teaches young men to believe in themselves says about our culture
- the poverty of the “laptop lifestyle”
- seeing the world as resources rather than relatives
- why “How can I become indigenous?” is the wrong question
- lessons from an old-growth forest
- what we can do to assist future generations in approaching their own indigenuity (thanks to Bob Gough for inventing that word 🙂
- and much more…
Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.
Links
Tad's website: MarketingForHippies.com
Tad's blog: Healing from Whiteness
Stephen Jenkinson's Orphan Wisdom School
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Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
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That was extremely interesting. I never realized that others thought of these things too.
Will eventually listen to this, I see some irony in your topic on the outline of ‘why “How can I become indigenous?” is the wrong question’…, … ‘what we can do to assist future generations in approaching their own indigenuity’…, and your theme song.
Basically I’m not surprised. It’s as if it can’t be helped.
I’m laughing because I literally never made the connection with cultural appropriation and my theme song.
Complicated world…