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Jeremy Dowsett's 'White Privilege'

1357 Words6 Pages

Jeremy Dowsett is determined in countering the racist arguments that are prevailing in the current world. He is not happy about the “white privilege” that the blacks and other non-whites direct to the white people in the society. The author does not like hearing another person telling him about "white privilege" because of his color. Dowsett uses the bicycle formula to explain how the blacks are the minority in a particular place such as the US, hence, perceiving most of the opportunities that the whites obtain as a result of “white privilege.” In his analogy, he recounts how drivers acted aggressively towards him whenever he tries to share the road with them. The metaphoric language is used to compare the blacks and the whites trying to live …show more content…

All these might be as a result of circumstances, but he remains firm in pointing out that the minority should not take such incidences as any form of racism. The fact that drivers use the main road while the bicyclists would like to use the same lane symbolizes the genesis of the “white privilege’ sentiments that the non-white communities try to refer to when addressing the whites. The mistreatment by car owners is a result of his determination to use the same road with them despite the different specifications. In real life situations, bikes have their designated paths that they would not be curtailed to use. When they try to compare themselves with the car drivers, they might end up disappointed because their class and machinery might not allow them to enjoy the same privileges. He indicates that the road users insult him, throw gravel, and show disrespect to him because they use the privileged perspective. Dowsett argued that “And so people in cars—nice, non-aggressive people— put me in danger all the time because they see the road from the privileged perspective.” (Dowsett, p.

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