Summary Of On Being White By Marilyn Frye

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In Marilyn Frye’s article , On Being White, she says that whiteness is a social construct. I believe she is s referring to the inbred systemic racism in our culture, which perpetuates the association of danger and violence with African Americans. In regards to white privilege the white race has the upperhand when it comes to authority. I argue that the pigmentation of a person’s skin tone , the power held by the dominant group , and the separation of colorism is a result to privilege and ostracization. I will explain these points through the article of The Guardian and excerpts from On being White by Marilyn Frye. First, the distribution of privilege is demands by the dominant group which is why whites can select what they choose to listen to and accept. You must look like a white person to have the advantages given to you by a white person. In connection to how your skin complexion appears to others specifically the dominant group has the ability to select what they want to direct their attention to.The pigmentation in your skin dictate the type of privilege received to you; the darker you were caused …show more content…

The boys attended a predominately white school. In the school, Daniel was being teased and being beaten up because a couple white boys figured out that he was actually black. Analyzing this scene made me realize that the school was the kids sanctuary and the white boys were the leaders who determined who you must identify yourself as.The kids dictated who was white and who was not white. Frye, mentions that “being white is being a part of an ingroup”, well those kids in the school felt as if Daniel should not had the privilege to identify himself as white because, infact, he is half black. It was almost as if the boys in the school thought they had some sort of power over Daniel and he was to pay for the consequences of being what he has no control

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