Univ. of Vermont Holds Privilege Retreat for Students Who ‘Self-Identify as White’

The University of Vermont held a three-day retreat so students who “self-identify as white” could confront their own “white privilege.”

“Examining White Privilege: A Retreat for Undergraduate Students Who Self-Identify as White” took place last weekend, November 13-15, and was “specifically for white students.”

According to the university, the self-identifying white students who attend the retreat will come to “recognize and understand white privilege from an individual experience” and have the opportunity to “conceptualize and articulate whiteness from a personal and systematic lens as well as the impact of white privilege on the UVM community and beyond.”

The self-identifying white students also tackled tough questions such as “What does it mean to be white?” and “How does whiteness impact you?”

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According to the school’s website, the University of Vermont offered the retreat at no cost to its privileged white students, covering all expenses including meals. {snip}

The University of Vermont does host a retreat for “women of color” as well but it focuses on building leadership rather than confronting one’s own privileges. Aside from the women of color retreat, the university does not appear to offer similar race-specific retreats.

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