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#1
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White Privilege and Issues of Race (due Fri Oct 17)
Readings:
Handout from class: Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Napsack,” 1990 (if you were absent, here’s the full article: http://amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html and Nicholas Kristof, “When Whites Just Don’t Get It: After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less,” New York Times August 30, 2014. http://nyti.ms/1qQcVil Nicholas Kristof, “When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 2,” New York Times, September 6, 2014. http://nyti.ms/1xqeRXM Nicholas Kristof, “When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Part 3,” New York Times, October 11, 2014. http://nyti.ms/1D3cKbP Now that you've read both Nicholas Kristof’s three recent columns from The New York Times as well as the abridged version of a longer essay by Peggy McIntosh on the concept of white privilege, which she graphically illustrates through 50 examples, please respond to the following: • Do you find some truth in McIntosh’s and Kristof’s writings? Assuming you find at least some, identify them and explain why you find them convincing. (Feel free to use McIntosh’s numbers to clarify your references.) • Assuming you find some truth in the writings of these two authors, what conditions in society would we need to change in order to eliminate the disparity between the day-to-day experiences that people have, tied to their skin color/race? • If you find little to no truth in these article (or if you find McIntosh’s line of reasoning or Kristof’s points problematic), explain your view. Support your views with specifics. Finally, consider a key question that the antiracist activist Tim Wise offers: “Is racism a thing of the past?” Is it? Or is the construct of “race” present in nearly every aspect of life? Do we indeed live in “racial smog”? What do you think? Weigh in here, and be specific about your reasoning. And make sure you respond to your fellow students. And be sure that at the close of your post that you raise a question related to this topic that you feel is unanswered and that you would like to ask your fellow students address.
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Ms. Freeman |
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#2
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Racism is a thing of the now
I find absolute truth in both works of Kristof and McIntosh. As a white person, I became aware of the idea of white privilege last year and it at first didn't make any sense to me because of course I was not aware of the invisible backpack full of tools and privilege that I carry with me at all times. Now I'm aware that as McIntosh includes in her work, "whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, average, and also ideal." To be white, is to be invisible, you are what everyone measures themselves against. Someone will say they have an "Asian teacher" or a "black friend" or you just assume white skin. You can take a "women's studies" class or an "African American studies" class, and every other class teaches to and through the lens of a white male.
I especially agree with numbers 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 20, 30, and 50 from Peggy McIntosh's "White Privelege: Unpacking the Invisible Napsack." In these she illuminates the issues of lack of representation in media and history, institutional racism, and the way people of color are made to represent their whole race either as an exception to the rule or contributing to stereotypes. Racial issues are most certainly an issue of the now, and seep into every area of modern day culture. To try to remedy this, judicial and legal systems that perpetuate institutional racism need to be systematically changed, I wish I knew how, along with individual changes made, such as everyone being educated on white privilege, and modern instances of racial prejudices that are not as prevalent to people who don't experience them. As for a question, I personally believe, as a white person, that my role in discussions of racial issues and prejudice is to chiefly listen to people of color and their experiences as I have no idea what they are subjected to daily and to not govern the conversations as white people nearly govern everything else. I was wondering to get other's opinions on this: is this a good way to participate in conversations like this or is it right/fine to take a more active stance? |
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#3
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backhanded slap to the face
First off, the Kristof articles made me angry. The ignorance of some of the people who responded is astounding and I praise Kristof for pointing it out and giving them an answer. I think that they were angry because it was a white man saying these things so it felt like a slap to the face since they would "expect" this to come from a person of color. Because it was a person of their own “race” that pointed this out, they couldn’t ignore it anymore and decided to take a defensive approach to this so that the focus wasn’t on what “white people” were doing wrong, but rather what “black” people were doing wrong. I believe that racism still exists because so many people turn a blind eye to it. Many people (mainly “white” people) in the United States believe that because schools are no longer segregated or because slavery was abolished that racism no longer exists and it is because they choose to ignore it that it does. I feel as though Rev. Jesse Jackson said it best when he said he felt shame because he would “hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery — then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.” The fact that “black” people or other people of color are associated more with crime than white people just proves this statement to be true. I have heard multiple times that it’s the person of color’s fault for not taking care of their education and taking the wrong path in life. It’s their fault that they are in prison. Yet, I feel as though I have to remind these people that in a very sad, twisted way, it makes sense that they do go down the wrong path. After being told or observing behavior your whole life by the people around you that you are only meant to do one thing regardless, one you have two options: prove the haters wrong or succumb to their beliefs and do what they expect you to. Sadly, the latter is an option that many go for.
I know that racism still exists in society today because I wasn’t surprised to see the statistic that said that black people made up 16 percent of observed drug dealers for the five most dangerous drugs and 64 percent of arrests for dealing those drugs. Not because I believe in that stereotype, but because as people, we have been so desensitized by the media and forced to believe that racism doesn’t exist just because we see a “black” person and a “white” person being friends or a popular television show where a white person isn’t a protagonist. Yet, as was seen on the McIntosh list of white privilege, not many people can go on the television or open to the front of page of a paper/magazine and see people of their race widely represented and in a positive fashion, because not everyone is. To answer your question, booklover7, in order to get the information that you don’t have, you have to listen to the experiences of people of color, but at the same time, you can’t assume that they speak up for the race they identify themselves with. I believe that as a “white” person you, and other “white” people, should (if you want) stand along side people of color in their fight against racism as advocates and supporters so that you won’t “govern” the conversation. |
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#4
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White Privilege
I find both articles very on point on their arguments. I believe that they are speaking truth and although it's something people don't want to talk about, it is very real in our society. Some of the statements by McIntosh that I really agree with are numbers 5,10,15, and 50. McInosh said that she can go shopping without being harassed (5). I find this very true because I have witnessed how stores and basically all stores always get more attentive when a "black" person comes in. In fact, sadly, I have even done that myself. Furthermore, I have also been on the receiving end of this racial profiling. I walked into a Louis Vuitton store and all the workers kept looking at me and asking whether I needed help. Because I have been a victim of this issue, I agree with the articles's points. Also, Kristof points this out when he says that "white" people don't notice this advantage because they are not the ones being affected. This part, to me, is critical because I believe it applies so well to this situation. The system works in favor of the white people so why feel uncomfortable?
I think that this issue dealing with the white privilege is very difficult to approach. Mainly because I believe that racism is all about the mentality that people have and once people settle in an opinion, it is very hard to change it. However, I would say that what should be changed in society the opportunities that "black" people get. I would propose giving "black" people more chances in everything so that the other people, chiefly "whites" can see the potential and capacity that they have. Also, like Kirstof said, there sould be programs that help improve the conditions blacks. Sadly, it is true that blacks come into the world with a mentality of being worth less and not having the ability to succeed and because their parents are not successful, why should they even try. Yet, if there were such programs that helped the black community, I believe that the young "blacks" would feel like they have more opportunity and feel that society is not trying to oppress them. In addition, I would say that many white people don't realize how they have advantages so it would be important to have programs that explain how racism is still alive and they play a role in it. And that they can help stop it. In answering booklover7's question, I would say that just because you have not experienced it, does not mean you can't participate because if you want to help change it, you gotta be part of the conversation. Furthermore, in answer to Tim Wise's questions I would say that racism is very much alive today because like I said before, I believe that racism is all about the mentality that people have, so just because there aren't segregated schools and water fountains only for "blacks", there are still countless ways in which "blacks" mostly but not only are victims of racism. In addition, I believe that people want to believe that racism is no longer a thing, that they block their mind to the though but unconsciously are racist to other people. And that is what truly makes racism alive because denying it only allows it to grow more. A question I have is that let's say, our community starts helping "blacks" and improving their image and erasing the stereotypes. How do we know, when it reaches the point in which we want to help blacks so much, that we push other races down to help the "black" race? I guess, in a way, when does, if it exists at all, reverse racism start? |
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#5
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Race is relevant
I found both Kristof and McIntosh's writings very interesting. There were many things I agreed with Peggy on, but one of the things that really stuck out for me was 15: I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection. I think this speaks to the relevance of race today the most because this is a perfect example of the situations with shooting's like Mike Brown's and, mentioned in Kristof's piece, when a black woman's son was held down by police, who thought he was a prowler, because he had an upscale house. Assumptions are made because of race, and parents of color often know that they should let their children know the truth about it.
Unfortunately, I find it very difficult to be able to eliminate these social prejudices. The only way we can hope to get better is to educate the younger population (more facing history courses!!) and hope that they teach their children the right way and so on. But, as we can see, it's hard to eliminate such a prominent thought from society very quickly, becuase then racist actions would not be occurring so often. Legal racism is over, sure, but it always finds a way to seep through the cracks, especially through the judicial sytem. Racism is a thing of the present whether we like it or not. I agree with booklover7 in that assumptions are made even in every day talk in things like mentioning an "asian teacher" or a "women's studies" class. It's true that so many things are through a white man's perspective (and to think that women and people of color have come so far...). And to answer your question, I think that it is very important to listen to the sides of minorities in discussions/issues of race, but don't assume that your opinion is invalid. Although you might not have first hand experience in modern day racism, and you want to listen to others, it's also important not to feel shut down. I also agree with powderpuff21 when they say that we are desensitized by media. They do try very desperately to be diverse in media, especially television, but that almost makes it worse that they at times have to force it to have a black character. These attempts are just cheap shots at trying to be diverse in a lot of cases, which is pretty ironic. As for my own question: I would like to know if any one thinks that there any kinds of advantages today for people of color? I know that there is definitely more white privalege, but I can't help but think that there have to be at least a few advantages the other way around. |
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#6
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I agree with Kristof and McIntosh's views on white privilege. Similar to booklover7, I hadn't heard of this until a couple of years ago, and I initially dismissed it. However, as I became more educated, the amount of privilege I have became increasingly apparent to me. Kristof put it as "winning the lottery of birth"; as a white person, I was never aware that people of color had experiences significantly different than mine. Arrancasebollas mentioned being profiled when walking aroud stores, and it's those small acts that contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes. McIntosh's sixth point, "I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented" is still really relevant today; the accomplishments of people of color are not celebrated nearly as much as those of white people, but the mistakes made by people of color are often pointed out in the news.
That being said, eliminating the social disparity among races would take a very long time, if it could even happen at all. We would need to create an environment in which racial stereotypes were dismantled, and that could take generations, because racism is so institutionalized. I feel like history textbooks make it seem that racism ended after desegregation and the civil rights movement in the 1970s, and that is simply not the case. Education and awareness about racism could definitely be a good stepping stone to alleviating the issue. To answer booklover7's question: I feel the same way as you. Even the other day in class I found myself not wanting to participate (in the particular discussion we were having) because I felt the experiences of the people in color in our class were more relevant and valid. In response to arrancacebollas, however, I feel like reverse racism could only happen if the roles of the races completely changed and people of color had the same institutionalized privilege that white people have. I'm curious of what my classmates think, though. Do you think reverse racism exists? Have you ever experienced/witnessed reverse racism? I do not believe racism is dead, and arrancacebollas makes a good point that people who deny racism being over are perpetuating the problem. |
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#7
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A head start in the Race
Kristof's three articles put into words perfectly all of the things I had thought of or been confused about or could never sort out myself. I agree with the majority of his articles as well as many of Mcintosh's points. For starters the points Peggy brought up that really resonated with me were 20 and 17. The issue of affirmative action is one that really frustrates me because personally I am tired of hearing people complain about how they can't get into college because they are white or having to listen to people have the audacity to say "oh the only reason he got into Princeton is because he's black." Sorry I think the reason he got into a good college is because he earned it, not because they just randomly picked black students out of a hat to diversify their school. Number 17 brings up the issue of racial profiling among police officers and other officials. Racial profiling is a huge issue in this country and it is something that happens everyday and it is unfortunately something blacks in America need to worry about when they are driving to work or picking up their kids from school that they might be stopped for no apparent reason.
Regarding Kristoffs articles I'm really glad a white male had the intellectual maturity and awareness to write about this topic and to address other whites on their oblivion on this prevalent issue. In part 1 he states how studies have proven whites believe anti-white racism was a bigger issue than anti-black racism. This doesn't astound me because I have witnessed a tremendous amount of self pitying among white people, on how it's so unfair they can't say anything negative about black people or else they'll be attacked but black people can say negative things all the time about white people like "white people can't dance" and it's not an issue. Or how they think black people always play the "race card", like what card are you even talking about? The one that says black people were cruelly enslaved for hundreds of years then discriminated against and segregated and to this day still have to face tremendous social, economic, and political inequality?? OH that card! Well it's not a card it's a reality that blacks in American have to face every single day as they walk into a shopping mall as arrancacebollas pointed out, or get into their car or buy a house in a nicer neighborhood and it's something that white people shouldn't have the right to denounce. This leads me to part 2 and 3 of his articles about white privilege. Kristoff says "count your blessings for winning the lottery of birth and think about mentoring a kid that didn't." I am a firm believer that people are a product of their circumstances as unfortunate as that may seem but i think that the fact you are born to your family, born into the face and skin color you have, born in the geographic location you live in, all decide who you are going to be. Sure some black people rise from their humble beginnings and become law professors or doctors but just because of that we can't assume that the rest of the black "race" can do just the same or that it is their own fault for not doing so. Regarding Wise's question I agree once again with arracacebollas that by denying racism and focusing only on the progress we've made since the days of slavery only allows racism to thrive since we become indifferent towards these inequalities and continue to unconsciously act racist towards others. As Kristoff put it "We are not racist but we accept a system that acts in racist ways". Finally to answer arracacebollas question, no i do not think we will ever reach a point in which we reverse racism and push other races down in order to bring the black race up. I think that we have such a long way to go, and that racism is so deeply engraved in our society that it is practically in our bones and frighteningly enough almost an instinctive thing. It'll be a long, laborious journey until blacks reach inequality in this country so i don't think that we'll reach a point in which they become the privileged race. My question is that regarding white privilege and anti white/black racism, is it possible to be racist towards white people since they are privileged? Is racism a term solely used against minorities and underprivileged races or can white people be discriminated against as well by other races? |
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#8
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In regards to McIntosh and Kristof's writing, I find many truths. In McIntosh's writings about white privilege, although I don't agree with everything she says is white privilege (for example, I don't agree with the first statement that white privilege is easily arranging to be in the company of people of your same race), I do agree with lots of her other arguments. I think that lots of her statements called out seemingly simple actions or facts of life that many people might not even regard as racist. Many people, including "white" people, don't think about many of those situations in the context of race, therefore it is important to call it to their attention. I agree with both booklover7 and arrancacebollas in support of more specific statements - such as 5, 10, 15, and 50. These statements were particularly effective because they called out facts of life that I don't even think about most of the time, and just seem to be human nature, and McIntosh points out how this is indeed a form of white privilede.
I also found truth in some of Kristof's assertions that the white population of America puts the blame on black individuals for the tough situations they get into, instead of the "racist" society as a whole. I have become very acquainted with the Boston Public Schools over the years, and have learned a lot about how education is essential to break the cycle of poverty, but how still so unequal it is, and so I find even more truth in what Kristof says about education being key. Kristof mentions how there was a study that found that African-American children only heard 29% of the words that children of professional parents did. This highlights how dramatic the gap is directly from birth, and how children born in these environments barely stand a chance when put up against children who are given everything they need to thrive. As for what needs to change in society, I agree largely with what booklover7 said about combatting insitiutional racism. Although there are many problems with people's personal opinions about race, and treatment of others, the largest problem racially is the racism that exists when it comes to the judicial and legal systems in this country. Stricter guidelines need to be in place to level the playing field between people of all races. For example, rules about whom police can stop randomly must be further detailed. Guidelines for judges must be made clearer as well, so as to attempt to stop the overincarceration of black members of the community, as well as to attempt to give sentences based on crime alone - not skin color. I disagree with what thisisasecret said about how legal racism is over. Although we might not have Jim Crow laws any more, many states still have very similar laws - the age of legal racism is far from over. In my opinion, that is the first place we should start to try to eliminate the disparity between experiences based on skin color. I also agree with what powderpuff21 said about being desensitized by the media. So much of the media now tries to paint racism as a 19th century thing or at the most, a 20th century problem that is long over. Looking back at history, though, it is important to know that sweeping racial tensions under the rug to be addressed later doesn't work. It didn't work in the 1950s and it won't work in the 2010s. Racism is still very much a thing. It is a thing because of the racist laws that exist, because of the stereotypes and prejudices perpetuated through the media and through pop culture, and it is a thing that is present in everyone's day to day life. We are far from a perfect society, although many people would love to look at Obama and say "Look! Racism is over!" My question is this: Should schools be responsible for combatting racism? Should they be responsible for levelling the playing field, even if it slows down advanced students? How should schools respond to the difficulties they face when it comes to evening the playing field? |
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#9
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Is diversity racist?
As it is with most things written, so it is here. That is to say that there are both truths and untruths in each of the articles that I read. Let's start with Ms. McIntosh. I actually found myself disagreeing on a rather large number of her points, which surprised me quite a lot, as she is the inventor, or I guess coiner of "white privilege", a concept that I do find very real and harmful to society as a whole. But I did find trends in the points that I did agree with, or really, one specific trend: That black people are always judged not as an individual, but as a member of their race. I found this to be profound. It is absolutely true. I will admit that often, I judge people against a backdrop of race, and I consider myself pretty liberal and accepting. Which is another thing that gets me. While I really, really, don't want to be in anyway racist, or anything resembling a racist, but media has some level of racism so ingrained in the way I think, sometimes I can't help but profile, even if it's just a second until the rational part of my brain kicks in. As booklover7 said, "racial issues seep into every aspect of modern culture." This could not be more true. And the reason for this? I again find myself blaming the media. In movies for example, the villain is often black. This isn't great, but it's not even close to the real, more subtle problem; that of the black hero. Allow me to clarify. The problem is not with having black heroes. It's the type of hero that is the problem. Black heroes are usually quite a bit more violent than their white counterparts. Also, usually, they have an origin story involving poverty or a violent, traumatic domestic situation in their childhood. In addition (yes, more!), visually, the type of violence that black action heroes participate in is more realistic and gritty than the cartoonish violence of white heroes (i.e Blade vs. Superman). This is the quiet side of racism in the media; even when black people are the good guy, they are still the bad guy.
On to Mr. Kristof's wonderfully compelling articles. First and foremost, I found those statistics jaw dropping. Absolutely insane. Especially how white people on average own 18 TIMES more than backs. That is staggering. But as I read on, I found Mr. Kristof's arguments very one sided,(not that I don't agree with them on principle) as he represented a "white" perspective very poorly. One particular instance of this was when he acknowledged that the "very real" issue of the disproportionate criminality of black youths as "complicated" and didn't offer any explanation further into this matter, which struck me as weak, in terms of argument. Though I do agree entirely with powerpuff21 when they say that the people commenting on Kristof's article focused on what blacks as opposed to whites are doing wrong, the former does need to be acknowledged, albeit,it needs to be acknowledged less than the latter, which is a far more pressing issue. The point is that not one "race" can solve racism on it's own; unity must be created through unity. Clearly, if there was an easy way to solve race related issues, prejudice would be a thing of the past. But just because the answer isn't convenient doesn't mean that it does not exist. I find myself concurring with flyleaf when they say an effective way of alleviating the problem lies within fixing our educational system to, at least after the civil rights movement, not using the adjectives "black" or "African American" unless it is absolutely vital to the issue at hand. This will promote equality in textbooks, which is important because textbooks are hugely influential to the developing minds of children, owing to the fact that they are written by experts. To respond to Tim Wise's question, I believe that the type of racism has changed. It is no longer active racism, such as lynchings, but now is a more passive type, i.e, prejudice and unconscious discrimination. There really is no "racial smog" per se, but racism certainly is not a thing of the past. To answer thisisasecret's question "Do black people have any societal advantages", I am going to say a tentative yes, if only because of modern organization's attempts to aggressively diversify themselves to look like good guys, or receive a tax break, or whatever motivation they have. This leads to my own question: Can diversity be considered racist? The obsession to diversify makes people actively consider race as a factor when accepting people into college or the workplace, and I would like to know if people consider that a form of quiet racism. That's all. Enjoy your night. Last edited by rosalita; 10-15-2014 at 23:04. |
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#10
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I agreed with McIntosh's opening line, "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group." because most if not all of us probably learned about racism in a similar way: person A from group A dislikes person B because person B is from group B, or some variation of that. I liked how Kristof's writings go along with this, because he mentions how there is much inequity in America. I agree that "Invisible systems confer dominance" on whites. You can see this in Kristof's articles when he mentions the inequity of educational opportunities, disparity of socio-economic foundations of people, incarceration, unfairness of employment, and then the situation with being pulled over by the police for traffic violations. He mentions the lottery of birth, in which kids who are born into more affluent families have better access to resources and educational opportunities, resulting in higher success rates in careers later on and then praise thanks to this flawed system. You can definitely see the disparity of socio-economic situations for different families in situations like this especially. Families living near broken educational facilities definitely won't have the same opportunities, because those schools probably won't even put in a fraction of the effort to teach as ones that are attended by students from more affluent backgrounds. And resulting from these socio-economic gaps we have also learned from Kristof that many white families have a net worth more than black families (what was it again, 18 times as much? Jeez.). Moving on there's the whole shebang about how blacks are more likely to be convicted as guilty and serve a longer prison sentence than whites. This part ticked me off. The justice system is designed to be fair and administer penalties for the crimes committed, yet it still has biases or jumps to the most ridiculous conclusions without assessing further evidence like mentioned in trials with McMillian. In addition to this is the deal with traffic violations. Statistics may be off, but a small percentage of those driving aren't whites, while a huge percentage of stops are for that small percentage of racial minorities. Does any of this seem right? I don't think so.
Writings of McIntosh's "Privileges" that I agreed with or found interesting: 2 - "When in Rome"...I interpret this as how one or a few individuals may unfortunately tarnish the way others view their race, which often leads to assumptions and stereotypes of this race. 4 - It usually draws a bit of attention whenever an Asian or black family moves into a white neighborhood, which affects how the community accepts them. 6 - I usually see whites being portrayed in a positive light in newspapers. 7 - The American Pageant, 11th Edition (The APUSH textbook) 8 - Same reason as 7, but in US History textbooks almost ever major person is white and the inclusion of another race always seems forced and they aren't given as much of the spotlight. 11 - Sometimes biases or stereotypes will impair perception towards a person of another race. 15 - I interpreted this as being "systematic racism is built into society" so the parent wouldn't have to educate the child (?) 17 - ...WHAT? 21 - I agree with this because sometimes it is assumed that because the speaker is a racial minority that most individuals of that identification will often times agree. 22, 32 - Agreed, so many cultures are isolated because of these walls we draw up between each other. 26 - agreed 46 - Band-Aids are more or less "white" colored everywhere you go. 50 - agreed, most other races seem to draw attention, be it negative or positive, when they go about public areas. If society were to tackle the challenge of eliminating racial disparity between each other, I think we would have to like booklover7 said reform the justice and legal systems so that everyone is treated fairly. This means that all evidence is put on the table BEFORE convicting someone of the final verdict, and I would hope that it would somehow eliminate racial bias. Along with flyleaf, I agree that the way that racism and the Civil War and Civil Rights Movements in our history textbooks should be rewritten. It shouldn't just be stated, it should also be explained thoroughly and then spread for awareness, so people actually understand what happened. Additionally I also agree with ihateolives's point with revising the whole shebang with traffic violation stops. If that many people in one group are being pulled over, I think it is most likely a result of racial bias towards certain drivers, which should be worked on. People who can't or shouldn't be driving are always on the road anyway, but all of them aren't the ones who are being targeted due to racial bias. Regarding Tim Wise's question, I think that race is still prevalent in our society. It's like the elephant in the room that everyone just sweeps under the rug. But the thing is, the more people try to just brush it off, the more it's going to be an issue. The more people try to act like race or racism isn't a thing, they're going to be racist either passively or non-intentionally because no matter how hard someone tries to hide it, it's going to somehow slip out. I also really liked thisisasecret's point about how the media tries so hard not to be racist and have diversity that it ends up feeling forced and questionable. Racism is something that we have to work towards getting rid of. We wish it were being stamped out, but it always finds a way to light up again. It's something that should be addressed, because if we were to somehow start ending racism, people need to start understanding each other and where they come from. To booklover7 - I think think it is good to both participate in conversations so you give each participant an opportunity to explain themselves and their views and come to some sort of understanding, as well as taking a more active stance. Because each person understands what the other is going through, every person's voice will be represented equally and serve as support. To arrancacebollas - I agree with your logic, but I believe that a better approach would be to start helping to eliminate all of the other races's stereotypes and help them out at the same time. I know that is incredibly hard, but helping improve image is something that you can't draw a line in the sand for. It's up to the people you're helping to feel satisfied with their newly established image, not you. To thisisasecret - I'm thinking possibly welfare and educational fee waivers? To ycanary9 - Ooh nice question but it's kinda tough...the only scenario I can think of is if there are more of the racial minority than the white in a given situation. That way they outnumber the "privileged" one and he has less "power". One example I can give you is that if you follow or read the articles of people from America who have spent the past few years just hitchhiking around the world, although they have definitely met people from almost all aspects of life, the experience humbles them. Definitely because they just completed the journey of a lifetime, but I think that additionally because they were probably the only American in any country, their "privileges" meant little to nothing. I wouldn't say that they are deliberately discriminated, but they learn that other cultures have other means of asserting authority to certain people. Their "privileges" mean almost nothing, meaning that they are left to their wits and talents to show people what and who they are in order to earn respect. To ihateolives - I think that schools should assist in helping kids learn about what racism is and how to diffuse it, but I think it is also up to the parents to teach them right from wrong because it's one thing to learn about what racism is, but it's another to learn why and how you can go about dealing with it. I think that for advanced students, they should be given the opportunity to advance if they are able to, but I think that that in itself has to happen from some kind of educational reform, which would unfortunately also cause education and possibly segregation gaps as well. I'm sure someone else might have a different view on this but that's the best answer I can currently give. To rosalita - The thing is, diversity kinda involves identifying race or whatever it is that you choose to identify yourself as. Because of that, you're already drawing up walls because that's differentiating yourself from other people, and that allows other people to draw you up from a pool or sort you out into categories. It's definitely a form of quiet racism because it's unspoken when selections and rejections happen, but it's something I find quite different. I say this because I enjoy my culture and heritage (I would never change my race) and I'm sure many other people do as well, but unfortunately higher organizations tend to gravitate towards having a certain amount of whoever. And so this brings me to my question: I don't usually start the conversations (I'm tired, give me a break), but I usually end up talking to a plethora of people on the public transportation, regardless of race. I'm a person who believes in human potential granted by choice and willpower, not race or whatever crap. Unfortunately, you also have the people who are sitting apart from each other and you may notice that they are probably of different "races". This I think is a microcosm of how society is today. Some people are eager to talk to each other, while others are either indifferent or choose to isolate themselves. Society's kinda like that. Some people are completely open to each other, some just don't care, and some people are stubborn about race. Imagine if everybody started talking to each other. Do you think understanding between races can truly be achieved? |
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#11
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#12
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Choking on racial smog
Obviously, Kristof and McIntosh offer up compelling points and statistics in their arguments. In fact, these are facts and it disgusts me that there are white people all across the country debating them.
Firstly, there is absolutely no such thing as reverse racism. There couldn’t possibly be, because racism is defined as a system of advantage that favors white people over all people of color. Nowhere in that definition is there room for “reverse” racism. Maybe people of color can be prejudiced against white people but they absolutely cannot be racist toward them because it is incorrect by definition. Just last month a white girl I barely know said to me casually at our lockers, “Ugh. I hate Ms. Cousens. I swear she’s racist against white people,” and I had to awkwardly spend three minutes explaining to her that it is impossible to be racist against white people, first of all, and second of all, Ms. Cousens is great and in no way prejudiced against white people. Though I surely made that girl very uncomfortable, she needed to hear it; one of the first steps toward equality in the US is educating people about the inherent racism in our country and correcting their misconceptions. Secondly, I appreciated Kristof’s comments about white and black drug use and the disproportionate number of arrests for drugs made against black people. To tie this in with McIntosh’s 4th point (“I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented and in a positive fashion”), drug use on TV is portrayed totally differently depending upon the user’s race. On TV, when white people do drugs, like coke, it’s glamorous and fun but when black people do the same drugs, it’s cheap and unclean and unhealthy. The media absolutely perpetuates socially ingrained racism—something all white people need to come to terms with—by always portraying certain races in a certain way. I completely agree with booklover7’s comment: “Someone will say they have an "Asian teacher" or a "black friend" or you just assume white skin,” because I think the fact that people are assumed to be white is one of the most overlooked but everyday examples of white privilege. If I say, “a guy walked into the room,” he’s white unless specified otherwise and that’s just so ridiculous but so many white people never realize this until it’s pointed out to them. To answer rosalita’s question, no. Diversity is not racist. It’s an attempt to remedy the sad truth that many children of color do not “win the birth lottery” (i.e. have parents that read to them as young children and “expect them to go to college and not prison,” etc.). Things like affirmative action are some of the best ways to help reverse the economic (the average white family has a net worth 18 times higher than the average black family!) and social trends that systematically disadvantage people of color. We’d have to completely get rid of our current, socially ingrained racist views to eliminate the disparity between the day-to-day lives of people of color and of white people. Most importantly would be getting the issues out there. We need more writers like Kristof getting the concept of white privilege into the minds of every white person (not just the educated ones who have had the privilege of taking classes like Facing!). Furthermore, we need the media to stop perpetuating racial prejudices and we need people, who are legitimately wrong about the current state of racism in America (cough, Bill O’Reilly, cough, everyone at Fox News), to stop spewing fallacies like the concept of reverse racism or that “everyone needs to stop making such a big deal about Ferguson. It wasn’t about race!!!” We live in racial smog and it’s going to take everyone working together to help clear the air. |
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#13
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Are we free at last?
Nicholas Kristof’s first article was eye opening! Not that I didn’t think racism doesn’t exist anymore, but the data he brought up. The first point really jumped out at me. Kristof says, “The net worth of the average black household in the United States is $6,314, compared with $110,500 for the average white household, according to 2011 census data. The gap has worsened in the last decade, and the United States now has a greater wealth gap by race than South Africa did during apartheid.” WOW. I knew there was a income gap but I didn’t know that it was this big.
Kristof also talks about how black men without a high school diploma are more likely to be incarcerated than employed. This is where the root of the problem is. Most black children come from low income households that do not put the emphasis on school. They are also not given the best schools. A great sample lies in BPS elementary schools. Some of the most poorly preforming elementary schools are located in Roxbury and Mattapan (predominately black neighborhoods). And some of the bests schools are located in West Roxbury (a predominately white neighborhood). Because of zoning, children in Roxbury go to Roxbury elementary schools and children in West Roxbury go to West Roxbury schools. We are setting up the black children to fail from K1 by not giving them the same education that they deserve just like the white children. Boston did try to overcome the zoning rules back in 1970s by sending some Southie children to Roxbury and Mattapan. This movement, called Boston Busing Desegregation, ended in 1988 with less than 15% of whites were attending BPS schools. The busing brought up a lot of violence; most whites did not want to have black children in the classroom with their own kids. Going back to Nicholas Kristof, black children should have the right to attend high-achieving schools. Education is the building block of life and if black students are not given the same opportunities as whites to achieve this education then they will continue to drop out and not be employed. Upon reading Kristof’s second article, I was disgusted by people’s replies to the first column. I totally agree with PowerPuff21, people’s ignorance is appalling. People are so quick to stereotype and put others into a category. Kristof’s says "count your blessings for winning the lottery of birth”. But this shouldn’t be the case, it doesn’t always have to be like this. So many people think racism is a thing of the past, but how can it be with people like them? Racism is still here today. It is prevalent in every aspect of live. I agree with almost all of the white privilege statements by Peggy McIntosh. Before, I had a basic understanding of what “White Privilege” meant, but after reading the examples I can fully grasp how easy it is to be white. After the activity in class today and reading the statistics, #17 is a huge topic of discussion today. It reads, “If a traffic cop pulled you over, or it the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.” Kristof also highlighted this topic saying, “One study in Seattle found that blacks made up 16 percent of observed drug dealers for the five most dangerous drugs and 64 percent of arrests for dealing those drugs.” As ycanary9 says, this is the issue of Racial Profiling that happens on a daily basis to people of color. I also agree with #23 on the list, “I can choose blemish cover or bandages in ‘flesh’ color that more or less matches my skin.” Besides Thursday, I have never seen “black” band-aids. All the band-aid boxes read “skin color” with tannish colored ban-aids inside. In response the flyleaf and arrancacebollas’s questions, I do think reverse racism exists and I have a story to point out one example of it. My mother was looking around to see if there were any free workshops for interviews for me. She called up the YMCA in Roxbury after reading about a workshop for interviewing skills on the internet. She talked with the receptionist and then with the instructor of the class. An hour later, she got off the phone and was furious. She explained that the class was not open to me because I was “white”. The instructor made it clear that the class was only open to low-income families of color that would benefit more than me. I was denied a free worship because of color. So my question is: If we did not have slavery would we have racism today? |
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#14
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Race is still running
I do find a lot of truth in the provided readings by McIntosh and Kristof. I knew of White Privilege and I knew that it was something that was a problem in American but I did not look at it in the way McIntosh has. She uses the idea of whites wearing an invisible napsack full of tools that allow whites to have privileges over other races. Some particular points that McIntosh made that I agree with are 5, 26, and 47. 5 says, "I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed". When I walk into a store, I am never watched or questioned. I may be asked "Can I help you find anything?" but that's about it. Once I say, "no thanks, I'm just looking for now", they walk away and continue to fold clothes or work the register. However, on an episode of What Would You Do, an actor plays the role of a store owner who is white. The store owner follows around a black actor who is portraying a customer. Some other customers in the store say nothing about this, mostly white customers say nothing, and other black customers stand up to this owner. I think this episode shows that a lot of people find it okay to follow around a black customer in a store based on the stereotype that "black people are criminals" as Kristof spoke about in his column. I also agreed with number 26, which said, "I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race." I can walk into the hallmark store and it is guaranteed I will find a card with a white person on the front saying "happy birthday". I can easily walk into a toy store and find a white doll or a doll that looks like me, but that may be a bit harder for people who are not white. I also agree with 47 which says, "I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us." Okay so I am not married but I know that when my parents or my aunts and uncles walk around together, no one stares because they are all "white couples". However, couples or even two friends of different races may not always get the nicest looks walking the streets. I think that McIntosh brings up important points that I never thought about before. I did not realize that I carried so many advantages as a white person and I was unaware I was wearing this napsack for so long.
I agree with thisisasecret and arrancacebollas, this issue on race is hard to change. People are often stuck in their ways and a way we could help unroot these peoples opinions is through education. Kristof says, "Yes, young black men need to take personal responsibility. And so does white America" in his column "When Whites Just Don't Get It, Part 2". I think Kristof presents a solution here because he says that yes blacks are often more likely to be arrested but that is not all their fault, it's some of their fault because some lack personal responsibility, but it also includes all of America for allowing a system of unequal opportunity. I think if American's on educated on the fact that the America they think has equal opportunity actually does not at all. Based on all of this, I think that race is still present today. It is almost pushed under the rug or ignored or even unnoticed by those who are not victims of racism. However, it is clearly still relevant, especially in the justice system. Based on the ACLU studies, in the Boston Police Department, there is clear racial bias in arrests. This is just one example of race still being around us in our own community today. To answer flyleaf's question about reverse racism, I do think that there is some reverse racism. I think that it comes from anger, I think some people are angry that whites are more privileged. White are not always questioned by police or store managers like many blacks are. This is understandable to me, I could see why they would be angry and have some issues with how whites are treated nicer however I do not think it is the same level of racism. White privilege leads to an unequal society that does not provide equal opportunities, and this level of inequality does not come from reverse racism. My question is if schools should make classes like this mandatory? A lot of people including myself mentioned education as a remedy to this issue. Should schools try to make children more aware of race issues? What stance would the classes take on these issues? What race should the teacher be? |
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#15
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"We are not racists, but we accept a system that acts in racist ways."
First I want to address the quotation in my title. When Kristof included this at the end of Part 3, it opened my eyes differently than the numerical data he gave. Of course there are racists, but a majority of people are simply uninformed about the racist system we live it. I didn't even know how bad some of it was especially regarding law enforcement and being sentenced.
Ihateolives: I don't think schools should be held responsible, but I do think schools and neighborhoods are a huge factor here. I've had discussions about this with my dad who has taught at schools that had mostly black or Hispanic kids. A majority of the kids weren't motivated at all and didn't have parents that really cared. In some cases, my dad thinks this begins with families immigrating to the U.S. They usually end up in the same neighborhoods without the resources and quality of schools that other neighborhoods that are predominantly white have. Because of this, it makes sense that more black people are being stopped, frisked, and arrested (to an extent) in these neighborhoods, but it definitely doesn't excuse this in other neighborhoods or if there is no real reason for it. I agree with Kristof that there should be both a personal responsibility and responsibility of white America. Black communities need to realize the situation they're in and try their hardest to succeed and white America needs to accept that this is a problem and find ways to change it. I strongly agree with yungelephant that there is no such thing as "reverse racism" because whites are the "dominant" race and really can't be oppressed like black people can. That's something that a lot of white people really don't understand because the word "racist" is used ina slightly different (kind of ignorant) way. Cleoandivy: I think if we didn't have slavery, there wouldn't be as much racism. There is still racism in countries that didn't experience slaverly to the extent that America did. People would still see skin color and make assumptions and judements. Slavery didn't alert people to the fact that there are different skin colors, but it did further the economic gap andbuild a reputation for black people. Because of this, I do think we live in a "racial smog." We are so diconnected from America's past, but those racist stereotypes have remained and are still affecting many aspects of life. Question: How can we, as a country, improve predominately black communities and encourage those kids to succeed? |
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#16
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Racial Smog
I definitely agree with a lot of the points made by both McIntosh and Kristof. White privilege definitely exists. Thats an indisputable fact. Specifically relating to Peggy McIntosh’s article, I heavily agreed with #6 - I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented. In my opinion, media has a huge impact on how people see race, and is the perpetuator of tons of racial stereotypes.
Almost every popular tv show features a cast made up of mostly, if not all, white people. If there is a black person, then they are not as important, and not as fully fleshed out. This definitely contributes to the point that yungelephant made about how we usually assume someone to be white unless otherwise mentioned. The news also has a warped presentation of race. White people are mentioned in the news all the time, relating to positive events. However, when black people are mentioned in the news, it is often related to stealing, murder, etc. Also, one thing I’ve noticed is that when a black person commits a crime, the headlines reads something as follows: “Black man shoots three…” However, when it is a white person committing the crime, their race is usually left out (at least in the headline). When it is a black person, the news is singling them out for their race, and emphasizing it, as if to suggest that their race had something to do with the crime. None of these prejudices are placed upon white criminals. I also agreed with the general idea behind a lot of McIntosh’s points. As rosalita said, black people are judged as a race, not as individuals. This came up in quite a few of McIntosh’s points, (18, 19, 20, etc) and there is a lot of truth behind this. Part of the reason stereotypes against race have remained so prevalent, is that society still refuses to look at the individuality of a person of color. Even if they are viewed in a positive light, it is always still in relation to their race. I agree with what a lot of people said - education is the only way to cure ignorance, and ignorance is at the heart or racism. The only way to stop racism is to work on an individual level. People need to be taught in schools about racism (just the way we are now). They need to learn about white privilege, and all the different types of discrimination. A lot of people are racist without even knowing why, or what they are saying, or the effects of their words/actions. If people were educated from an early age (elementary school and earlier) than they would have less ingrained racism. Racism definitely still exists, and in pretty much every form. It exists in “individual acts of meanness” as McIntosh said at the beginning of her article. People make mean jokes about race, they taunt others about their race, or say hurtful and offensive things. Racism also still exists in “invisible systems.” Racism has been internalized and institutionalized by society. Almost everyone has some kind of racism inside of them. Businesses, hospitals, and schools all have racist aspects. As we saw in the attendance record of our own school, BLS is still categorizing people based on race. This all proves that racism still exists. My question is: when did racism start? Has it existed forever? There was a time when everyone on the earth lived pretty near each other, and looked pretty similar. So when did people start discriminating based on color? And why did it start? |
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#17
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I found absolute truths in McIntosh’s list, without a doubt. Nearly all of the items on her list apply to me in the world today, and those that don’t I can understand how they would have twenty or so years ago. The one problem with reading these and understanding the issues involved is I can only speak as a white male. I can understand how many of these items would not apply to members of other backgrounds, but I cannot say this with any certainty. Thinking about these makes me realize how truly one sided many of my interactions in life have been. These are things I should have noticed. I know this.
In reference to both her and Kristof's articles I feel nothing but sad and unhopeful. I’m honestly not sure though that any of this can change. I know that this is pessimistic, and I know that it is a defeatist attitude and one that I don’t want to have, but looking at it honestly I can’t help but feel that the prospect is bleak. Previous to this assignment I didn’t think that race was fixed in this country, but I didn’t fully realize how not fixed it was. Things have gotten better over the past few centuries, that is absolutely true, but only at a disappointingly slow pace. Looking to the future and change in this country and the world, I have no doubt that things will get better, but I have lost some hope for how quickly this can happen. I think what seems to stand in our way is history. I know what in many cases history is important, and is what can help us connect with things and guide us and all that, I do. But in this case, I think people’s perception of what has happened in the past is getting in the way of what can happen now and going forward. It is important not to forget what happened, obviously, I’m not saying let’s forget slavery, nothing like that, but I’m saying a world without discrimination will never be possible if we’re still holding grudges from centuries ago. Racism is a problem that is facing us now, here in the present day. Maybe it could help to treat it like that, and not like the newest form of a never ending problem. That’s what leads to this sense of futility that I know I have felt. We’ll never change anything if we’re constantly thinking that it’ll never work because it’s never worked before. So I suppose that is my answer to Tom Wise’s question. While racism is a thing of the past (for undoubtedly that is where it has existed), it is even more an issue of the present. As much as I hate to say it, we can’t do anything about the past. But we can change the future. As for the concept of race, it may be made up and absolutely fictitious, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Can something that isn’t real affect so many people? Change so many lives? We may have made it up, but we also made up the concept of time, and I’m reminded every time I’m late for class that this does in fact affect me. Race isn’t real, but it certainly exists. In response to arrancacebollas’ question about “reverse racism”, I know exactly what you mean. I have often pondered this question myself, especially also in relation to sexism and feminism. I think it is a very real issue that in certain cases affirmative action and things like that have a perception of going back and now hurting and penalizing white individuals. I think this is a very real issue, but one that it is almost impossible to deal with. Until racism is no longer an issue, which unfortunately I believe will be a very long time from now, issues like these will always exist. All we can do is on a personal level do the best we can. I;m not sure we are in a place yet as a society where we can do anything more than that. Also, I too agree with powderpuff21 and this is a secret in terms of the media’s desensitizing effect on us. I think you need look no further than the fact that a person in one of my classes last year responded to a comment about racism with “Is that still a thing?” Yes. It is. Finally, my question: As a white male, is my opinion less valid? Knowing now as I do that I have far less experience in dealing with race, knowing my prior and probably still existing naivety, and knowing my unavoidable bias? In discussions in the past I’ve had about race and gender, I have often been dismissed, or “trumped” by others with more perceived weight to their opinions. I know this doesn’t feel right, because obviously I want my thoughts heard, but I have to ask myself if it is in fact justified. Maybe I do have a less valid opinion on certain subjects, and that’s something I’ll have to learn to deal with. |
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#18
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America: The country where we do everything fast and easy.
I find some truth in McIntosh's and Kristof's writings, but I agree with Kristof's writings more. I believe that while some of McIntosh's points were valid about race, most of them were outdated even for when they were published in 1990. Especially, the 21st example of white privilege that states, that "I can choose public accommodations without fearing that people of my race cannot get in.." This seems like an issue that African American people dealt with in the time of segregation which ended with the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Also, many of her examples of white privilege deal with issues that not only minorities have, but women have. I disagree that all white people can like number 3 states "go shopping alone...pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed." I personally as a white female do not feel like I can go shopping alone in certain areas and at certain times in the fear that I will be harassed or followed because women in this society still unfairly are subject to countless events of sexual harassment at the hands of men. McIntosh does have some truth especially in her points about the media that white people always see people of their race on newspapers and on TV most times portrayed in a positive light, while people of other races do not always have this privilege.
I find however more truth in Kristof's writings because it is so true that black people have much less wealth and opportunities because of this wealth gap in America. It was crazy sounding to me that the net worth gap between black people and white people in America is worse than Apartheid South America because America prides itself on freedom and equality and this is so terribly unequal. I agree with Kristof that we definitely need to change the system, not the people, since it is true that more black people go to jail, but we need to make sure that this statistic does not happen anymore by closing the income gap which would allow education to maybe stop people from entering jails. I also agree that the judicial system needs to get rid of its racism because there is definitely a racial bias when it comes to who gets jail time for identical crimes. I agree with DyolfKnip when they said that, "the justice system is designed to be fair and administer penalties for the crimes committed, yet it still has biases or jumps to the most ridiculous conclusions without assessing further evidence."It should not matter what race you are when you commit a crime and a white person should not be getting less time than a black person for an identical crime. In this century racism seems to be less common, but it is actually still rearing its ugly head, but just more in a private way. To eliminate the racial disparity we need to make many big changes with the government to start. We need to close the economic gap which means that we need to make sure everyone is getting an equal education so that they can get these higher paying jobs. I agree with cleoandivy when they said that,"most black children come from low income households that do not put the emphasis on school. They are also not given the best schools." We need to allow all races an equal education so that they can get equal jobs as well. This would also help solve the high jailing rates among black people. We also need to change the legal system completely and make it racially blind. This is very hard to do since everyone has bias, but if we had more standardized rules about sentencing for certain crimes everything would be more equal. We live in "racial smog" and racism is definitely not a thing of the past because it is so blatantly part of society even today. Yes there are not as many race riots, but there still are racially based killings like the murder of Michael Brown and people are getting away with it everyday. We need to understand that racism is still very much a problem because people are too lazy and bigoted to judge someone by something other than their skin color. Stereotypes are easy because you can just act on them without thinking or learning anything about the person. Colleges, places of work, and court systems use race because it is an easy way to make assumptions about people because many a time they are true, but an overwhelmingly large part of the time they are just not true at all or not the whole truth. Humans are too complex to put in a category, but America is all about fast and easy. We are a get it done fast painless and easy society and the sooner we learn how to not be and take our time to get to know people, the sooner we will be able to truly become America: The country of equality and freedom. cleoandivy: I believe that if slavery did not happen we would still have racism because human beings will always sort people into groups by their appearance because that is how the human mind works, but if we would learn to not judge a book by its color we would get rid of racism. rosalita: Yes, diversity can be racist. The way that colleges and work places define diversity is that it is the diversity of skin color and racial background. People are diverse solely because of the way they look. Someone from one race could be completely similar to someone from a different race, but be totally diverse from someone of their own race. My question to you all is can racism be cured? Will humans always need to be biased against certain races or is there a way to completely eliminate it? If we eliminate it would it be replaced by another type of oppression against other type of group? |
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#19
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Even though there were quite a few of the principles in McIntosh’s article that I didn’t feel were particularly relevant today, it still strongly resonated with me. I am thankful that my parents from kind of a young age made sure that I knew I had certain privileges, being white. I think that I have had a relatively atypical experience in that going to church I had the opportunity to develop many relationships with many black Americans, since my church is very diverse. Many of my role models were black men and women. I’m not saying this to be like “look at me, I’m so open minded,” but because even though these were some of the most wonderful people I knew, there was a glaringly obvious disparity between their quality of life and mine. I’ve become much more keenly aware of that fact over the past couple years, but it has always kind of been there under the surface.
So yeah, when I read Kristof’s article, the statistics stunned me, especially the one about the net worth of a black American family being 18 times less than that of a white American family. But then I realized once I thought about it with regards to people I know, it actually seemed about right. And that really, really sucks. It’s sickening. I completely agree with PowderPuff21 about being furious at the people who responded to Kristof’s article negatively. Well, I was angry, but I also found them somewhat laughable, as the title of the article was When Whites Just Don’t Get it, and some of the quotes were perfect example of “whites just not getting it.” I don’t think that many of the people commenting are against making progress toward a more equitable society, but blaming others instead of taking any blame for yourself is fundamentally anti-progress. I think that is the first step toward alleviating the disparity of opportunity between races. It isn’t something that we as a country can just do, but I think the writings of people like Peggy McIntosh and Nicholas Kristof are a step towards achieving the goal of accepting responsibility. These are white people publically saying, “yes, many white people are part of a discriminatory problem that is systematically oppressing an entire group of people.” That takes a lot of guts to say, because in the words of McIntosh, it makes her “give up the myth of meritocracy,” at least to some degree. But again I agree with PowderPuff21 that by saying this, other white people who were previously ignorant of these issues are more likely to take it seriously. It’s harder to ignore. I also agree with Ihateolives about the way that media can skew our perceptions of race and reinforce stereotypes. I think it is totally true that racism is often portrayed as a thing of the past, and this seems to be supported by the large prescence of black entertainers on TV. However, often these actors are portrayed in specific roles, or if not its considered groundbreaking or something. Like it’s a huge deal for the professor on a show to be black, and this character or actor is a huge credit to their race. Lastly, I think educational reform is vital to developing equality of opportunity among all Americans. I’d heard the statistic Kristof quoted about black children hearing 29% fewer words and how that affects their reading ability for the rest of their life. Already, many black children are starting at an economic disadvantage, and this is multiplied by the fact that many of the schools disadvantaged children attend are incompetent. No wonder black families are less economically successful when every part of their children’s preparation is substandard compared to white children’s. This is a bit of a nonsequitur, but I also want to respond to Rosalita’s question. Yes, I think that requiring racial diversity in colleges and workplaces is highlighting racial differences and I wish that it didn’t have to happen. However, the way it stands, the disadvantages are so great that this is necessary to give disadvantaged children a chance. So no, I don’t think it’s racism, because it has a positive intent and effect. To answer Tim Wise’s question, well, I think most our responses already answer it. Racism is alive, and I’m going to argue that it’s not passive, as some members of the class have suggested, but active. The violence and open hate has certainly decreased since the 1960’s, but I wouldn’t call the racism endured by so many black Americans passive because it actively affects their lives and opportunities every day. I understand what he is saying about a racial smog, because it is this omnipresent thing that is constantly affecting the way that millions of people live their lives. Finally, to end with a question, is this huge issue going to resolve as more people become aware as a result of classes like ours and articles like those of Kristof and McIntosh? Certainly awareness of the continued racism in this country is increasing, if slowly, and I think that most people, once they understand, will want to effect positive change. So is awareness enough, or do we need more, like actual laws passed to help close the gap (other than the programs, affirmative action laws, etc. we already have in place)? |
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#20
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Time Travel
Well, for some reason, the website decided to delete my entire post instead of letting me submit it, so great. I hope I still remember the gist of what I said. Here it goes. (Slightly annoyed. I was pretty proud of my original post.)
Let me just set a few things straight: 1. A "person of color" does not refer only to Blacks or African-Americans. A person of color is anyone who isn't white. Got it? Good. 2. In this moment, in this country, it is not possible to be racist towards a white person. REVERSE RACISM HAS NEVER BEEN, IS NOT, AND WILL NEVER BE AN ACTUAL THING. In the words of Aamer Rahman: All I would need would be a time machine, right? And what I’d do is I would get in my time machine and I’d go back in time to before Europe colonized the world, right? And I’d convince the leaders of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America to invade and colonize Europe, right? Just occupy them, steal their land and resources. Set up some kind of like, I don’t know, Trans-Asian slave trave, where we exported white people to work on giant rice plantations in China … Of course in that time, I’d make sure I set up systems that privilege black and brown people at every conceivable social, political and economic opportunity. White people would never have any hope of real self-determination … And just for kicks, subject white people to coloured people’s standards of beauty, so they end up hating the colour of their own skin, eyes and hair. If after hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of that, I got on stage at a comedy show and said, “Hey, what’s the deal with White people? Why can’t they dance?” That would be reverse racism. So imagine my surprise and disgust when I read in Kristof's article "that whites, on average, believed that anti-white racism was a bigger problem than anti-black racism." Trust me, powerpuff21, I was angry, too. I mean, you're kidding me right? When has being white ever led to repercussions greater than being made fun of over the internet??? Have you guys forgotten what you did to the rest of the world!? You're offended? So what? You want a cookie? Get in line, man! (Answer your question, arrancacebollas and thisisasecret?) Anyways, until recently, it never occurred to me how easy white people truly have it. I mean, think about it. White people walk into the supermarket and don't need to search the entire store for a measly aisle labeled "Ethnic Foods," containing a total of four shelves with a few cans of Goya beans, small jars of Pad Thai sauce, and microwavable jerk chicken. (#12) White people have two AP-designated courses dedicated solely to their race's history: AP European History and AP U.S. History, while the rest of us get the rushed, condensed, and Euro-centric AP World History (if it can even be considered "world" history). (#7, #8, #44) White people can turn on their televisions, scroll through their news feeds, and listen to the radio in their cars and believe that the media is truly diverse because Beyonce is the highest-earning entertainer in the world. Because within the myriad of white-targetted shows with their white families and white protagonists and white neighbors, there are three black family sitcoms. Because the protagonists of Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder are black. Because there was that one Asian kid who played a pretty important role on Supernatural, before he was killed off after a season or two. Because Selena Gomez is a Disney star and a pop singer. Because white privilege has led people to defend the injustice of Michael Brown's death by proving that he was an honor-roll worthy, college-bound student. Since when was murder justified by the victim's quality of education? Because people are commended on the fact that they speak so "white," as if speaking with an accent is suddenly inferior, indicating complete and utter stupidity, while white people make jokes about Mexican cleaning ladies and mail-order Asian brides. Because Sofia Vegara is told daily that she should alter her appearance in order to look more like a "Latina" Because I grew up thinking that the only Asian people that mattered were the skinny ones who went to art school, dyed their hair, and break danced. Because I was told as a young child by my white teacher that my people don't become starving artists, that I was better off becoming a mathematician, like "the rest of my family." I come from a long line of artists and musicians. Oh, and I hate math. So tell me, friends, which is the greater problem: visible oppression and stereotyping/racism, or self-erasure and internalized racism/oppression? Also, may be random and irrelevant, but thought that it was interesting that this popped up the day we started discussing white privilege: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...n_5995726.html |
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