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Blog Post #4: Where White Privilege Came From by Allan Johnson (Quotes)

      In Where White Privilege Came From, author Allan Johnson first details the history of white privilege- a concept that began many centuries ago. It began with the British attempting to conquer Ireland, and with that, establishing a sense of dominance which led them to their idea that the Irish were biologically inferior, and should be treated as such. From that point on, concepts of race were in existence, which allowed for opportunities of control and poor, subhuman treatment by those in "power," both with race and economic status. An example of this is when upper-class whites encouraged lower-class whites to firmly identity with their white culture, because it allowed them with some form of privilege, despite being exploited by the capitalist system. The quote from the text, "I may be poor, but at least I'm white," depicts the mindset that many of the people of that time had. The topic of race, and the immense abuse that went along with it, was so prevalent that issues of social class flew under the radar. This not only caused harsh economic systems and unfair working conditions to be minimized, but also created a structure where race was deemed very polarizing, and minorities were essentially 'the lowest of the low.' This all resulted in dynamics that still operate today. 

    Johnson also discusses how despite elements of force, and systems in place, there was always a factor of choice behind everything. He states that "People who participate in social systems, in short, are not robots or puppets in relation to them." He makes it clear that it was not like the entire nation all felt the same way, as opposition to practices such as slavery did exist. He describes these movements as "strong," meaning that those who were aware of both sides of the argument could make a conscious decision regarding their stance on racism. Johnson continues saying, "A system’s (...) characteristics can load the odds in ways that create paths of least resistance, but the rest depends on what people choose to do from one moment to the next." This type of "path" is one that is the easiest to follow, even if it is a detrimental one. It is common, in accordance to the sociological model, that people will tend to think and do what the 'majority' upholds. They may feel some doubts, but refuse to act on them- perhaps due to fear of consequences, or maybe because they have been led to believe that their voice will make no difference. Those that do choose to make a difference, though, can have long-lasting, substantial effects if done so properly. 

    Johnson also emphasizes that although him and his ancestors are not directly to blame for this "troubling history," his role as a white, upper-middle class man has its own specific history that can be brought into question. He states, "We can participate in systems in ways we’re not aware of and help produce consequences without knowing it." Johnson details his personal 'chain reaction' of privilege, starting with his grandfather, who owned a dairy farm. The land that was purchased, though, had been claimed by a Native American tribe decades before. The whites in power did not care about this, and the dairy farm went on to be successful, making his grandfather money that would be inherited by his kin. Johnson would benefit from this money, as it allowed him to pay for his house. This shows that his current status rooted from what was basically gentrification and the neglect of Native Americans. White people are often oblivious to their past, and how it has provided them privilege and advantages, which, in turn, works to perpetuate the systems further. 

Comment:

I'm always astounded by the justifications made by whites to make their actions seem valid. Johnson mentions how, "It was a common belief among whites that they were doing Africans a favor by bringing them to live their lives in service to whites as a kind of deliverance from an inferior and savage existence." It is already insidious that they put black people in a state of subordination, but the fact that they truly would view it as something that black people should essentially 'thank them for,' helps me to grasp just how superior white people made themselves within society. 

Image from the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in (Greensboro, NC [1960])

Link to the book "History of Africa" by Kevin Shillington-- an informative read that dives deep into the realities of slavery, among many other things.

Blog Post #3: Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol (Argument)

                   South Bronx (1990) 

  In Amazing Grace, author Jonathan Kozol argues that those a part of the lower class, living in run-down, dangerous neighborhoods, are often in that situation through no fault of their own, and have to deal with experiences due to someone else's decisions. He describes the culture of the South Bronx, and how it is a very crime-ridden community with countless homicides. Many victims are younger people, often harmed at random, like in one instance where a mother was murdered and her baby was wounded after being shot in the stomach while standing on a street corner. Kids have even been shot simply waiting at the bus stop. Another clear example of this is Pediatric AIDS, in which babies are born with the virus because their mother was infected. The common denominator is that many people enter the world under harsh circumstances, and must live in an environment that could be fatal for them or their loved ones... and there is nothing they can do about it. Kozol ponders, "What it is like for children to grow up here? What do they think the world has done to them? Do they believe that they are being shunned or hidden from society? If so, do they think that they deserve this?" (5) These children must grow up in a place where drugs, illness, and death are so normalized, that they become desensitized. Kids play in the playground while their parents wait for needles to inject heroin. They have become so used to the tragedy and the struggle that it is almost a joke to them. Take Cliffie, a seven-year-old boy who's a South Bronx resident, for example, saying that "Everyone is going to burn to crispy cookies" (10) in reference to the new medical waste incinerator put down the street. Their fate is seemingly permanent, as those with power don't care to help, and if they do, they don't get it 'right,' such as making it very difficult to get welfare payments, or people only qualifying for the SSI program if they are extremely sick. This is a obliviousness and a negligence that the text describes as "evil," and Kozol makes it clear that those among the impoverished should not be blamed for their status, but instead the larger society is to blame for making their hardships almost inevitable, because of the "rules" of privilege and power.

Point of Discussion:  Kozol mentions the elementary school in the South Bronx neighborhood, saying that 7 out of 800 students do not qualify for free lunches, as these students only classify as "poor," while the rest are considered "destitute." This put a lot of things into perspective because growing up, in my school, those numbers were probably flipped, because of the rarity of impoverished students in the community. It shows the gravity of their situation and how so many of the kids were in the same 'boat' when it came to lack of money.

                                               

This New York Times article discusses the New York City crime rates

Blog Post #2: Other People's Children-- The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit (Argument)

             In "The Silenced Dialogue" from Other People's Children, author Lisa Delpit argues that there is a "culture of power" within classrooms, a reality that many people disregard or simply don't listen to, which effectively silences anybody that attempts to challenge these societal norms.  Delpit analyzes various teaching strategies, noting aspects such as race and class, with an overall goal of identifying the methods that are best for educating children, particular those of color. Within this "culture," there are certain 'rules' and 'codes.' These rules involve things like ways of talking, dressing, interacting, and writing. Although it is important to celebrate and respect diversity and individuality, educators cannot be blind to the existence of a dominant culture, or a "white man's world," in which minorities are often the 'outsider,' stereotyped, or wrongfully judged due to preconceived notions. Cross-cultural communication must be not just done well, but done in the first place! These consistent communication blocks are harmful and can display to students that alternate worldviews don't matter as much. Delpit also highlights that progressive, or more liberal stances can be just as silencing as those who are hardly progressive. She notes an example of a Native American student who's writing was flawed due to technical and language barriers. Some faculty of the education program believed that the student shouldn't have gotten into the program, in general, and some of the 'progressives' felt that Delpit simply raising the issue was a direct jab at the student and her lack of abilities stemming from a cultural difference. The goal, ultimately, for every teacher, should be to accept students regardless of their background and to take the responsibility to teach them in accordance with the 'mainstream' society. Establish the voice and skills of a child and prepare them for what comes next, and what goes beyond the classroom, especially black students and/or lower-income students. 

Point of Discussion: A part from this text that stood out to me when I was reading was when Delpit mentions how white people and educators will often stand by research rather than the actual experiences of their non-white counterparts and colleagues. Delpit includes the perspective of a black principle, who stated, "They wear blinders and earplugs. They only want to go on research they've read that other white people have written." (Delpit 22) This was thought-provoking because this action may be a defense tactic that white people don't even realize they're doing, when in reality they are dismissing the opinions of people of color and implicitly trusting the opinions of the white "author."

Link~ Keynote Speech by Lisa Delpit

^ The beginning shares a little bit about Delpit and her expertise and her speech is about culturally responsive teaching.

Blog Post #1: Privilege, Power, and Difference by Alan Johnson (Quotes)

     

  In Privilege, Power, and Difference, author Alan Johnson examines social differences, primarily race, gender, and sexual orientation, and how they have caused "trouble" in the world, for years and years. While these differences have, of course, caused a lot of hate and violence in the world, they have also created an array of barriers and stigmas that lead to difficulties in remedying these issues. Johnson asserts that “We can’t talk about it if we can’t use the words.” (Johnson 11) Many people have an instant negative reaction to words surrounding this topic, such as any word ending with ‘-ism,’ or they simply do not want to associate themselves with those words, as they are often deemed “taboo” or impolite. However, change towards oppression and its many forms cannot be tackled until you can recognize it, and once you name it, you can then think, talk about, and even reclaim it. 

        Another eye-opening quote covers the economic gender cap and general divides within the workplace, stating “The glass ceiling that lets women see the executive suite but keeps them from being promoted to it is as thick as ever…” (Johnson 3) Here, the author conveys the lack of respect for females and the ways in which they are consistently taken less seriously or treated inferiorly. Oftentimes, companies don’t trust placing a woman into a higher position, as they may adhere to a stereotypical way of thinking in which women are incapable, too emotional, too weak, and more. This goes to show that in society, at the tip of the hierarchy lies the straight, white male, and this reading explains how advantageous this role can be. 

Later on in the reading, Johnson touches on the “luxury of obliviousness,” stating that

“To be white in America means not having to think about it.” (Johnson 25) This quote

highlights an almost ‘hidden’ privilege, in the sense that just the status of being white gives us less of a reason to pay attention to other races and their potential struggles, as we are always provided with the proper resources and always

made to feel secure and comfortable, something minorities often can’t relate to. It is this “obliviousness” that should be mended into awareness– a task that requires effort and commitment. Johnson ensures that this awareness doesn’t not mean taking blame, but simply an acknowledgement of how our lives are shaped and led based on our identity and the social reality. 

Point of discussion: Johnson mentions something that I found thought-provoking, which was that “Whites don’t have to deal with the endless and exhausting stream of attention to their race.” This is true and it’s interesting how white people are so visible that they can be invisible, in a sense. Some could argue that they have no real racial identity, and therefore do not have to deal with the weight of the matter. White privilege in most cases prevents a person from moving through life being identified as “an outsider.” These situations can be prominent in schools, especially those lacking in diversity, which could affect academic performance or negative feelings towards school.    

 

The proverbial "glass ceiling"...

Link to the popular, educational book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Introduction w/ Pictures

I love to bike, especially in the summer.

I love candy and have a big sweet tooth!