White Lies
By

Maurice Berger

Biography
• Interests:
History, Art History, Cultural History, Contemporary Art, Race and
Ethnicity, American History, Modern Art, African American Visual
Culture, and Anti- Semitism (prejudice)
• About
Maurice Berger is Research Professor at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland Baltimore County and
Consulting Curator of The Jewish Museum in New York. Berger's essay series, Race Stories, "a continuing exploration of the relationship of race to photographic portrayals of race," appears monthly on the Lens Blog of the New York Times.

SOCIALIZATI
SOCIALIZATI
ON
ON

Introduction
• “Socialization” is the process by which people acquire

cultural

competency

and

through

which

society

perpetuates the fundamental nature of existing social structures • There are five social structures

,peers, media, school

: families, work

Family
 Smile-

Death of Martin Luther
King

 Negro lover Father Mirror-

Maurice Berger

 Passing Projection Brother-

Ruth secunda / back ground

 Nurse Race/ paul Caruso

father / background

▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=h55plaSVkkw

School
Everyone is treated in the same impersonal manner Trying to fit in
A hidden curriculum is a side effect of an education,
"[lessons] which are learned but not openly intended.
This includes transmission of norms, values, and beliefs

A hidden curriculum reinforces existing social inequalities by educating social status

▪

Peer Groups


1-“Trash”- The team of the losers

He was beaten by an Italian American kid; got a scholarship to a school attended by middle class student. The

author and his sister were called all kinds of names dull-witted, smelly, and weird, stupid, strange; did not know how

to read.


2-Mirror- Kevin Nelson

On bus the bus coming back home. “Her comment confused me. It embarrassed me. It made me want to tell her that I wasn’t a bigot” Maurice Berger.


3-“Initiation”- Hunter College. Lying about his connection with blackness; Find out that African
American culture was irrelevant; Stop studying Spanish and took Spanish class. Lie about his social background;
His Art history argued that “All African American culture looks the same”; The instructors made them feel like Black

culture does not matter just teaching; Use of all kind of words in college by white folks.
▪.

▪

▪

African American writing as white self
“If I were white, I would be happy all the time. I would like soccer, hockey and horse racing. My name would be Billy
Jay, and I would wear tight clothing and every time someone walked past I would say, “Hi, buddy!” I would feel different and I would feel normal. I would have lots of money and a big house. I would listen to rock and roll. I would have blond hair”
Bryan, Eight Grade

White writing as black self
“My name is Denise freeman. I am eleven years old and have seven family members. I’m five feet and weigh seventy-seven pounds. I have two sisters and two brothers. My family is nice.
I’m a Baptist. I have green eyes and short black hair. I live in
Brent Creek. I like loud music and wear baggy clothes. I like to dance and sing songs on the radio. I hate when people talk behind my back. I also hate when people talk back.”
Danielle, Fifth Grade

Work
▪ Conversation between two of his colleagues where his former teacher was criticizing her black colleague she just talk with in front of Maurice Berger.

▪ Story of Leland Wheeler, a social worker who was new
in