The Culture of White Space, the Racialized Production of Meaning, and the Jamband Scene

• In Event: 2446 - Racism and Anti-Racism II: Space, Culture, and Meaning-Making

Abstract

This study critically examines the subculture of Jamband scene, particularly that of the Jamband Phish, through Elijah Anderson’s (2015) notion of the “white space.” We demonstrate the existence of colorblind racism and denial of white privilege in the white space of Phish subculture, which is also emblematic of the Jamband subculture at large. This study utilizes content analysis drawing from social media comments that react to an article written by Headcount, a political organization in the Jamband subculture, titled “Phish Scene is So White: Let’s Talk.” The most salient themes we found were colorblind racism, anger, and denial in response to the article, fictitious situating Phish, along with the Jamband subculture at large, as an all-inclusive community. Our findings contextualize racialized meanings and sensemaking as rooted in a white supremacist racial ideology, which is promulgated by white anger and denial through deflection and sarcasm in racetalk. The racial implication of people of color navigating white spaces, prevailing forms of covert racism, and the meaning of diversity are further discussed.

Authors

• David L. Brunsma, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Nathaniel Gray Chapman, Arkansas Tech University

• Joong Won Kim, Virginia Tech