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| I thought this political cartoon was especially relevant to McIntosh's article. It is a perfect example of what the author meant by "Daily effects of white privilege". enhanced-buzz-27562-1389051959-22.jpg |
1. "My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture."- I found this quote of McIntosh quite significant. It is so true. We are not taught in school that whether or not we are aware of it, whites are seen as oppressors. McIntosh gave a great explanation of why that is. There are so many advantages that whites take for granted. Many of the advantages that Peggy McIntosh lists, I would have never thought of on my own. However, I found each of her advantages extremely accurate. McIntosh's quote also reminded me of Delpit's article and the idea of "The Culture of Power".
2. "If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one's life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own." -McIntosh meant that if all of these advantaged that come along with being white are true, then in reality it is only a free country for people of white privilege. No matter what, America has become a white country. There is always more doors open for white people. What people have to offer is much more valued if they obtain the "Culture of Power".
3. "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group" -This quote reminds me of the first quote I have listed. Once again, we have been conditioned to view racism as an action, not as something that we come with, attached to us. It is more than that, it is something that is not always seen with our eyes.
Comments/ Points to share:
After reading this article, it leaves me with an unsettling feeling. The author asks at the end of the article, "I imagine, for some others like me if we raise our daily consciousness on the perquisites of being light-skinned. What will we do with such knowledge?" I wonder the same thing. If we become more concious of the assets that follow being light skinned, will we actually use it to better society? Or will we continue to walk around "pretending" that the advantage does not exist? Is it actually possible for this issue to be resolved?
You're quotes are very accurate that make her article stick out. McIntosh was very blunt on the points that she put in her article. I feel like white people will always have the advantage in the United States compared to people of color. White people will always have it "easy" because of the way that white people are portrayed. Your second quote and explanation was 'spot on.' This country is not a free country or a country of opportunities, it is only a free country for those that are white.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I think all of your quotes are great, I almost used the one about whites not being taught about their privilege because it really stuck out to me as well. I also enjoyed your comment about how if we become more conscious about what is happening around us, will we change or stay the same. I really enjoyed reading your post and the quotes as well as the picture really made point and were very important aspects of this read.
ReplyDeleteThe third quote you chose stood out to me the most, and I agree that racism isn't always something seen with our eyes. More often than not, it is not an action, but more of the "invisible systems" that McIntosh refers to. I also really enjoyed the picture you included because I think it does a good job of summing up the points that McIntosh made in this article. It is sad to think about how those percentages are accurate.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Clicking on your blog, I found out that we used the same picture and I think that shows how good this picture explains what McIntosh is saying. Depending on your skin color, things like going to a good school and getting a degree is hard to accomplish. That shouldn't be the case but it is. Things do just come easier to people with light skin while people of color have to struggle and work their butts off and in the end, they don't end up where they want to be.
ReplyDeleteI loved the quotes you chose. I also used the last one in my blog. I think McIntosh is doing a great job of "tapping on the glass" of the social norms that we've come to know. You definitely captured that idea in the second quote explanation when you say that America has become a "white country."
ReplyDeleteGreat choice of quotes Grace! I really enjoyed the third quote about racism being viewed as an action and not something that is already attached to us. People are quick to deny that they are considered to be racist in society, I know I am. In reality, the Caucasian race as a whole are racist because of their privileges whether they are aware of it or not.
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