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White privilege and racism
Racial oppression
White privilege in today's society
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More handpicked essays just for you.
White privilege and racism
Racial oppression
White privilege in today's society
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: White privilege and racism
From the readings and the NPR podcast it gave me a lot to think about how I view race and specifically white privilege and how it affects the social constructs of our society. I believe that in order to understand white privilege you must know the role that race plays. Race is a social construct that was developed by people in order to distinguish between different groups based on physical characteristics but, also to maintain exclusiveness and social superiority (Conley, 2015, p. 344). In the second reading “Defining Racism” it acknowledges that even if someone is aware of their white privilege why would they want it give up because it plays in their favor. In Peggy McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” she argues that white people
White privilege negatively impacts social justice which can lead to irreversible actions. Hillary Clinton once said, “If a country doesn't recognize minority rights and human rights, including women's rights, you will not have the kind of stability and prosperity that is possible.” We are all equals, whether we are woman, have a disability or are coloured. We all deserve the same rights. Without social injustice, life would be made fair.
Rebecca Griffin in “Why Don’t White People Believe People of Color About Racism?” discusses how racism is affecting today’s society. Griffin feels there is a lot of police violence toward the colored communities and also feels there is such a thing as white privilege. Griffin also includes in her article that whites cannot or will not believe that the African Americans are being victimized by the government and police because of systemic racism caused by some notion of white privilege. While many may agree with Griffin’s ideas, in the end, she is incorrect because we need to take a look into the bigger picture in this essay and realize it is not only just about one race that is experiencing these issues. The first issue with her article is that Griffin states
With a surplus of information floating around on the internet and printed in books, it is important to recognize whether or not the information is credible or not. Being able to properly determine whether or not a source that you may want to use is not only, correct but, credible, is important in academic, professional, and personal settings. For example, Christopher Lebron’s article, titled “ Who First Showed Us That Black Lives Matter”, should be considered a practical source for several reasons. Christopher Lebron attended Hunter College for a year after highschool, then in 2002 continued his education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and majored in political philosophy and African American studies, and later received his
“Black Lives Matter “is a recent example of Black Rhetoric within the media. Dating back to the unfortunate events that took place in Ferguson with the shooting of a young black male named Michael Brown, the even has grown infamously and famously depending on which side you tend to agree with. Countless people have given their input on the situation and not all blacks tend to agree with the movement of “Black Lives Matter”. Recently a women named Peggy Hubbard went on a rant about how she felt the movement was an unjust movement. Ms. Hubbard stated that saying black lives matter was implying that no other lives within the community mattered.
Have we, as a people, become so fearful to speak what is actually on our minds in the society that we live in? Are we scared that we may offend someone, and have our job taken away from us because of something we have said? In the article, “I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me,” Edward Schlosser suggests that students are limiting how professor are able to lecture them. Schlosser is also worried that he may even have his job revoked from him if he slightly upset or offend any of his students. In our society, political correctness has reached an all-time high in the 21st century.
The Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 by three African American women. It’s another social justice that has made national news for their cause. Black Lives Matter is just more than a social movement. It is an out cry for help, as a nation, as a whole. Black Lives Matter is a community.
Whether it is the worries that my mother has for me everyday or the awkwardness I feel when talking about social issues in the with my mainly white professors and classmates. Issues of race in the U.S. threatens to oppress minorities by having a culture that has never given the same privilege that whites receive. According to Brainard (2009)," white privilege refers to the unquestioned or invisible preference that white people receive regarding their treatment by others; these may be but are not limited to words, behaviors, and/or actions, policies and practices and or nonverbal communication"(p.10). An example that shows the equal privilege
Black lives matter movement should also argue, stop black on black crime. There are lots of violence going on today, particularly within our own community. We have young black men killing each other over drugs and other nonsense that may torment our community. Not to mention, the constant reminder of the black on black crime that is plastered on the news daily. It saddens me to know our ancestors endured so much hardship and we turn around and kill one another.
There have been many movements in the United States in which African Americans have been the focal point for example the Selma March, the March on Washington, the civil rights movement, and even today the Black Lives Matter movement. Those movements have had a significant impact on the United States and still play a part in today’s society. Those movements still play a part in today’s society because without those movements there wouldn’t be a Black Lives Matter because African Americans wouldn’t have the courage to stand up a fight for their rights if it wasn’t for Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, or the many other activists that stood up for African-American rights. Selma and the March on Washington share a big relationship to the Black Lives Matter and they are just as important to the civil rights movement.
Whites are not aware of the privilege they have, simply for the fact that this is their life the majority do not know anything different. When you have been drinking coke every day of your life and everyone else has ben drinking diet coke labeled as coke you wont know the difference. Lipsitz (1995) affirms whiteness is everywhere in US culture, but it is very hard to see. This is how white privilege looks to the average American even though everyone else is not getting the same treat as the whites they do not understand it because they have been treated the same way or so they think their whole life as well. Minorities are getting diet coke their whole life, though they see the whites making more money, and treated better in turn they begin questioning and coming up with the
Frederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.
Many people in the world don’t know about what white privilege is, and most of those who know know what it is debate on whether it exist or not. First off white privilege is a term that represents the privileges that comes along with having white skin. With many white people arguing that white privilege doesn 't exist many people of color believe it does. Most people of color believe that white people are always one level ahead of them, because of their privilege. First of all, like many people of color, I believe white privilege does exist, because I can see it all around me.
The white people are abusing their power in most of these cases because they can, and no one cares. The community
People see whiteness because they experience its effects. A useful comparison can be drawn between the unrecognised privileges of males, and those of white people (McIntosh, 1988). It is not unusual for men to acknowledge that women are disadvantaged. With that said, McIntosh (1988) argues that white privilege is in the same manner without recognition and thus preserved. McIntosh (1988) views white privilege as an invisible collection of unearned assets that is of benefit to white people on a daily basis.