In Beverly Tatum’s article on Defining Racism, I don’t think her arguments put forth could have been more convincing than they were. To begin, her opening argument involved the idea that growing up in some neighborhoods, children are not as open to the diversity of others. Those particular children are not involved in the certain interactions that could give them a look on diversity. I myself grew up in a very small town in New Hampshire where everyone was white and we were not exposed to other diversities. When I began first grade, there was one child in our elementary school that was of a different color. However, being the only one, he was welcomed into our community as if his skin color was not different.
Beverly stated that “information not told, leads us to make assumptions about others.” That statement itself brings reason as to why there is a large amount of racism in the United States. People in turn become prejudice by these assumptions they’ve created about others of different diversities, and don’t understand them for who they really are. My father is one of the most racist people I know, but I’ve learned over time that I cannot learn from his opinions, due to the fact that it is “second” hand information and distorts my impression of who they are.
Being a young American white woman, I’m not sure I agree completely with the idea that white people have more advantages. I understand that being white does have its advantages but while applying to college, in the schools that I was not accepted into, I might have lost my spot due to the 5% of African American positions they need to leave open to increase diversity. By all means I feel they should be able to have the same amount of chances that I do. I don’t feel it’s right though if it came down to one spot in a freshman class at the University of New Hampshire, that I’d be the one to lose it because they needed to meet that 5% of African American accepted students. Everyone should be equal to these advantages.
I enjoyed reading your post and the different topics you brought up from Beverly Tatum's article. I agree with what you wrote about "information not told, leads us to make assumptions about others". I think this is true, and that "second hand information" distorts who people actually are. How are we supposed to know what people are like if we ourselves have never interacted with them because they weren't part of our community. I also think it was brave of you to state that your father is one the most racist people you know. Have you relayed any of the information in this course to him? Maybe his viewpoints would change.
ReplyDeleteThe comment you made about colleges reserving 5% of positions open for African Americans is interesting and I hadn't thought about that. Do they have a certain number reserved for white students? 5% isn't a very large number but it still shows the separation that exists in our society. I wish a percentage didn't have to exist at all and that everyone had an equal right and change to gain a higher education. Clearly, this has yet to be the case.
I enjoyed your post and I too grew up in a very racially neutral community and I have admitted in the course of study that I have developed certain prejudices having recently moved to Philadelphia. I also agree that I don't really see that being white is loaded with privileges however part of my understanding during this course has been that my being blind to my privilege is what defines privilege. I really enjoyed the Johnson book for that reason.
ReplyDeleteI draw the line at your misunderstanding of affirmative action. Affirmative action doesn't say that 5% of your freshman class needs to be from a minority despite qualifications and I highly doubt that UNH admissions is thumbing through applications awarding admission to the first 5% of minorities it comes across. Affirmative action ensures that minorities are represented equally in a pool of candidates of the same caliber. Therefore a minority student who performs poorly on the SAT's and graduates with a 2.5 GPA in high school isn't going to be awarded admission at any school just because he is a member of a minority.
Lastly, Anything you want in life you have to go for no matter what your race, gender or class and looking at the world for what you didn't get (or earn) speaks to the blame game, as we have been discussing in class. It is one thing to work your cookies off and not get what you deserve it is another to say I didn't get what I deserve because a minority took it from me.