Crossing the Color Line with a Different Perspective on Whiteness and (Anti)Racism: A Response to Mary Mcdonald (Report‪)‬

How do White people construct and redefine whiteness in their own terms and as a means of preserving their social privilege, their place in the hierarchy of power, and their dominance in leisure entitlements? Over the years, scholarly inquiry of race and ethnicity has occurred in a myriad and aggregate of ways including various special journal issues and technical reports across recreation, parks, and leisure studies (Chavez, Winter, & Absher, 2008; Floyd, 1998; Floyd, Bocarro, & Thompson, 2008; Manning, 2001; Roberts & Rodriguez, 2002b; Sasidharan, 2002). A contribution to the discussion of race and whiteness has occurred in leisure studies somewhat with a focus on sports (Burdsey, 2008; Hylton, 2005; Long & Hylton, 2002). In my experience, how whiteness manifests itself as a topic for inquiry in this field may be known as a scarcity to some, inadequate to others, and perhaps too complex to touch and therefore not studied by others (see Floyd, Bocarro and Thompson, 2008); hence, the need for this special issue on critical race theory and social justice perspectives on whiteness, difference, and anti-racism. This paper is a response to McDonald (2009) and her work on "whiteness, leisure, and (anti)racism" including how whiteness functions to benefit white hegemony. She also discusses some of the issues and problems linked with studying whiteness and related intricacies that arise. I agree with some of her principles, yet in other ways I provide provocative counter-perspectives grounded in both theory and practice as they relate to multiculturalism in the sphere of parks and recreation. My overall purpose is twofold: (1) to challenge those who are interested in working for equity and social justice to engage in purposeful and practical areas of inquiry; and (2) to inform future research and practice concerning whiteness and privilege in the field of recreation, parks, and leisure studies. I draw parallels between McDonald's premises, my personal and scholarly experience, and offer suggestions for how our field can move in new directions regarding discourse on race and culture. I also pose new questions and suggest new approaches to studying whiteness, leisure and racism, which may heighten our capacity to reach common ground on these matters and potentially strive for equality in the face of racism, which so often divides.