Conceptualizing Whiteness as a Palimpsest

Whiteness has been characterized as a racial identity, a meta-system, and a signifier and mediator of power, privilege and access. Building on this literature, which positions whiteness as influenced by in/visibility, lacking a cohesive essence, unending and traumatic to work through, this paper reconceptualizes whiteness as a palimpsest: something messy, layered, with some parts visible and others unseen, and connected to historical narratives that become written over but never completely erased. Approaching whiteness as a palimpsest emphasizes relational dis/connections, inter- and intrapersonal processes and historical, communal and individual narratives about whiteness and race in general. In addition to providing a conceptual framework, the palimpsest further offers a methodology for engaging with these interconnections on a more physical and literal level, inciting the building of an actual, layered palimpsest that represents the one already written on our bodies and the social fabric. Join me for an engaging and critical presentation.