NYC teacher's union hosts workshop to mitigate negative impacts of 'whiteness'

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A startling report published by the New York Post on Saturday revealed that the union responsible for representing public school teachers in New York City is hosting a workshop aimed at assisting educators in advancing their credentials. The workshop is designed to educate teachers on how to mitigate the negative impacts of "whiteness" in their daily lives.

As reported by the New York Post, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has arranged an online workshop titled "Holding the Weight on Whiteness," scheduled to take place on Monday, March 27, from 4-6 p.m. The seminar's website states that the event's objective is to explore the concept of "cultural humility and inclusion."

Participants will examine the relationship between whiteness, privilege, and identity and how these factors are normalized and concealed in society.

Outlined on the event's web-page are several "key cultural themes" that the teacher's workshop will center on, such as "privilege, microaggressions, internalized racism," and exploring the concept of "white identity in relation to Latinx/e communities."

The event, hosted by Astoria-based psychotherapy consultant Erica Sandoval, shares her expertise in "culturally sensitive" and "ketamine-assisted" therapy on her Psychology Today profile.

The UFT announced that Sandoval "will share personal stories and experiences that relate to her identities and how these experiences have been shaped by racism."

"Participants will leave the workshop with a better understanding of how to center ourselves as a form of resistance against the harmful effects of whiteness in our lives, the organizations we work for or direct and the communities in which we serve," the union stated. They also added that "UFT members who are licensed mental health professionals" may acquire two credentialed hours, potentially qualifying them for higher-paid positions.

According to a now-deleted post, the UFT wrote, "whiteness and white racialized identity refer to the way that white people, their customs, culture, and beliefs operate as the standard by which all other groups are compared."

"Whiteness is also at the core of understanding race in America. Whiteness and the normalization of whote racial identity throughout America's history have created a culture in which nonwhite persons are seen as inferior or abnormal," the union stated.