These were some of my favorite readings so far that we had been required to read through. They were very enlightening and provided many great perspectives and stories from white and minority people alike. The three readings I enjoyed the most are Defining Racism: “Can We Talk?” by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Color-Blind Racism by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, and Smells Like Racism by Rita Chaudhry Sethi. What I liked about Bonilla-Silva’s piece is the quotes taken from the white privilege. They show a perspective that is sadly so racist and blind to the fact that they, in fact, have privileges non-whites do not. What saddened me further is that at one time I may have had some of these opinions. One person talks about how segregation is just a natural
Campus Racism 101 is an article written by Nikki Giovanni that speaks of her struggles teaching at a predominantly white college. Speaking of the hardships she has faced when it comes to being African-American teaching mostly Caucasian students. “People who think I should be at a predominantly Black institution will ask “Why are you at Tech?”’- (Nikki Giovanni) Giovanni soon goes into why she doesn’t feel that just because she is African-American she should be at a predominantly black college. Bringing to topic everyone (Blacks and whites ect.)
Scott Kurashige’s The Shifting Grounds of Race: Black and Japanese Americans in the Making of Multiethnic Los Angeles exposes its’ readers to the history of race and politics in the city of Los Angeles, California. In his research, the author describes the political history of Japanese and Black Americans in LA by discussing the interethnic cooperation and competition each group faced while dealing with bigoted and racist beliefs and challenges that white people threw their way. Kurashige’s research focuses most on how these two racial groups at Little Tokyo/Bronzeville produce entirely different responses to the political sphere around them after World War II. The author shows how the African Americans in this city were trapped in the lower
In the article “We’re Sick of Racism, Literally,” Douglas Jacobs argued that those who “experienced racism were more likely to have blood pressure”, thus meaning discrimination can affect physical health(Jacobs). He expatiates on how discrimination is leading to health problems by sharing medical records of people who were discriminated against. Jacobs criticizes how racist people in the United States are “[adding] injury to insult and magnifies the suffering of these times” which leads him to assert that racism should be eliminated. Jacobs believes that racism does not belong in this world due to its malicious nature and how it affects the human body which is why he wants to remove it. Jacobs uses a cautionary tone to emphasize how important
During the documentary I felt largely uncomfortable. Primarily because it is the first time I have really questioned being white. I know my race, I have filled out multiple questionnaires but I have never sat down and thought what it meant to be white. White privilege does exist, and it is not uncommon.
1) White privilege is an ongoing societal issue that benefits white people, giving them an upper hand in situations where non-white people would not get the same treatment. For example, when walking down the street, a white person walks freely without concern of being stopped. Someone who is not white doesn’t have the same luxury. Authority stops them just because of their appearance. Tim Wise asked law enforcement what they thought of a black male driving a nice car in a nice neighborhood versus a white male in the same situation.
Black Like Me Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin, is based in the 1950s in the midst racial prejudice and the civil rights movement of the American South. Griffin had always wondered what it was like to be a African American in the American South. When he wasn 't getting the angle he wanted as a white journalist living in Mansfield,Texas.
This change might seem small to some people, but they showcase the passive aggressive nature of white rage. Anderson says, “White rage is not about visible violence, but rather works its way through the courts, the legislatures, and a range of government bureaucracies. It wreaks havoc subtly, almost imperceptibly.” Anderson does a fantastic job of showcasing the systematic oppression of African Americans throughout history. America has come a long way when it comes to racism, but there is still a long way to come.
In the article, Has America Given Up on the Dream of Racial Integration by Alana Semuels, the author uses testimonies to strengthen her argument that cities today are still segregated. She mainly refers to Beaumont in Texas. One example of using a personal testimony is the author used the quote from Janice Brassard, “This town is caught in the 1950s,” to imply that Beaumont is still stuck in the Civil Rights era. They live with racism and discrimination which proves her claim of “Has America given up on racial integration?” According to John Henneberg, a fair-housing advocate, the government and authority won’t interfere unless there is a big problem.
There’s an old saying that “sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” In reality, that saying is wrong. Words hurt a person as much as punch or a kick can. It may not hurt someone physically, but it can scar someone mentally and emotionally. Due to the topics they are associated with, certain words or phrases can elicit strong reactions; some are positive, while others are negative but nonetheless, they all leave an impact on people.
For example, open Black support of harsh punishment and law enforcement may seem hypocritical because in reality these policies and practices contribute to mass incarceration of Blacks. Alexander clarifies that Black support is more complex than it appears and can be attributed to a combination of complicity and wanting better safety for their communities and families (Alexander, 2012, p.210). Alexander also offers a unique perspective throughout the entire book by explaining how the systems of slavery and oppression have affected White individuals and not merely in the form of privilege or the dismissal of White people as simply as racist individuals. I resonated with one particular section discussing the "White victims of racial caste" (Alexander, 2012, p.204); the author 's anecdote of a white woman falling in love with a Black man and due to miscegenation laws could not have children. I could relate to this story on a deeply personal level in that my own parents experienced extreme and countless hurdles due to their interracial relationship and having biracial
Journal 1 Article: - Staten Island teen dies from asthma while fleeing racist crew waving gun; ‘I’m gonna shoot you, nigga!’ This story is taken from New York daily news June 3rd 2016. Staten Island is one out of the five boroughs in New York City. Witnesses described seeing a young teenaged boy running from a group of caucasians shouting racial statements while waving a gun. He died from an asthma attack while trying to flee from the group.
Symbolic Interactionism and Racism One of the biggest social problems that exists in the world today is racism. One way that racism can be explained is through the symbolic interactionism perspective. Symbolic interactionism is the study of how people base their meaning of social life through interacting with other people such as family, friends, or even strangers. Society and agency play roles in symbolic interactionism. Society is the network of interactions between people and agency is our ability to respond and think independently from restrictions that were placed upon us by society.
Beyond the Walk to Natchez A historical great piece of literary art, “A Worn Path” published in 1941, is a story of an old woman’s journey to town through the forest. The setting is rural Mississippi in the 1940’s, a time when racism was a way of life and a trip to town, especially for an old black woman, was often a long journey and thus a trip not often taken. The old woman’s name is Phoenix Jackson and she has quite an adventurous trip through the forest to town. One is made to believe this is just an average walk down the path for this old woman; however the reader is entertained by Phoenix’s mannerisms and realizes there is deeper meaning of the story.
They support this claim by using the matrix of domination in relation to gender, race and class, then advise the reader to look at an issue through a broad perspective- realizing both the oppressor and the oppressed, and finally distinguish between recognizing and understanding diversity and not just acknowledging it. Andersen and Collins’ purpose is to have students think about race, class and gender as systems of power, how the three categories matter in shaping everyone lived experiences, and to understand race, class, and gender are linked experiences. Furthermore, Anderson and Collins adopt an unbiased, and assertive yet friendly tone for his/her audience, the readers and others interested in the topic of race, class and gender. By doing this, the readers can relate to the struggles that the issues bring up, however the authors can still get their point or message across
In the novel ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison, the author talks about Pecola frustration as she was going through a tough time dealing with her family. She often used to run away from home whenever her parents started to fight. On her way to the grocery store one day she admires the dandelion which she picked up from the street. It made her realize that the simplicity of beauty can be created by seeing rather than by being seen. She started to wonder if anything was wrong with her or how she is different from the other people living around.