While giving a presentation on hierarchy and busting hierarchy as part of “whiteness history month” at Portland Community College, presenters Harriet and Charlotte Childress went on a rant about the NRA and white males, saying that there are no mass shooters of any other demographic. They also talk about the psychology involved in debating single issue subjects by NOT talking about the issue, and instead framing it in as an evil hierarchy of some sort.
Earlier in the event, they said that “clueless” Republicans who support who support Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, and listen to Rush Limbaugh and watch FOX news are “conservators of hierarchy”, while showing comic strips that mock the stereotypical conservative.
In a comical twist of irony, they would go on to defend George Wallace, while calling him a “wheel chair rider”, and ignoring his party affiliation when talking about his staunch opposition to equal rights.
The Childress sisters are instructors in chemistry and engineering at Lane Community College. They made headlines three years ago by penning an op-ed for the Washington Post entitled “White men have much to discuss about mass shootings“, which was mocked relentlessly in conservative news.
The title of this lecture was “The Accumulation Effect: The national response to PCC’s Whiteness History Conference grew out of the accumulated effect of generations of hierarchy-busters. Learn simple powerful methods to keep progress for social change/social justice growing exponentially”, and focused on framing things in the concept of dismantling hierarchy, while trying to avoid the term “privilege”
They used a fictitious character, David, to explain how he might be higher on some hierarchies, and lower on others. Such as his race (Asian), height, hair, physical shape, and his ableism. Yes, his physical ability. He is “higher” on the ableism hierarchy scale because he has all 10 of his fingers, yet he’s lower on the sexuality scale because he’s gay and lives with his boyfriend.
