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A History of the Term “White”

Juniors in English teacher Stacey Gibson’s American Literature class recently heard a timely and engaging lecture from author, attorney, professor and former Chicago police officer Dr. Jacqueline Battalora. At this gathering, Battalora provided students with a deeper historical context on the invention/creation of the term “white” in early America and the reason our nation’s institutions and systems inherently provide a consistent advantage to those who call themselves “white.”

Battalora is the author of Birth of a White Nation: The Invention of White People and Its Relevance Today and numerous articles. After completing her law degree at the University of Toledo, she came to Chicago to practice. Her interest in the role of law in creating human difference shaped her graduate work at Northwestern University, where she earned her Ph.D.

Share Battalora’s 2014 presentation on Birth of a White Nation on YouTube below.

More on Battalora is available here.
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Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.