Section A) Question (3)
The article “Whiteness as Property”, By Cheryl I. Harris, begins with a recounting of her Grandmothers struggle with “passing.” As Harris describes it her grandmother migrated north from Mississippi in the thirties as part of a wave of black migration. Faced with the matter of economic survival in a time when black discrimination was prevalent, her grandmother decided to apply to a retail store in Chicago’s business district while presenting herself as white. Due to the fact that she had the aesthetic look of a white woman Harris’s grandmother got the job and used it to support her family despite having to pretend to be white and sacrificing her identity as a black woman.
The story of Harris’s grandmother was used to illustrate the concept of “passing” specifically racial passing. Passing is the social process of guising aspects of one’s appearance or identity in order to assume the benefits of a more socially or economically advantages identity. Harris’s grandmother a black woman passing as a white woman was bypassing the racial discriminations and disadvantages of being black in order to gain the economic advantage of the privileged white class. Passing can happen in many forms, for example a homosexual man might attempt to pass for straight to avoid the discrimination and stigma constructed by society that projects homosexuality as less desirable and not the norm. There are obvious immediate advantages to passing in the short or semi long term. In a world where certain groups, races, and orientations have socially constructed advantages and minority groups are systematically oppressed, passing is a way to circumvent social oppression and gain advantages based on surface appearances. Such advantages ma...
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... Otherwise I agree with the main message that women should strive for liberty.
Section C) question (2)
“New Ethnicity’s” by Stewart Hall analyzes the marginalization and misrepresentation of “blacks” in culture and media. Hall is critical of the “black experience” because he feels it polarized blacks as the “other” and its anti-racist discourse was illuminating the black community as fundamentally different. He feels black people are being marginalized as ethnic, to Hall ethnicity is a representation of one’s culture and background while race is socially imposed expectations based on appearance. I agree with Halls rejection of “the politics of representation” the way that the few are portrayed in the media should not reflect the representation of the diverse masses. The stereotypical depiction of blacks only gives more strength to feelings of racial differences
The novel The Garies and their Friends is a realistic examination of the complex psychology of blacks who try to assimilate through miscegenation and crossing the color barrier by “passing as white.” Frank J. Webb critiques why blacks cannot pass as being white through the characters Mr. Winston and Clarence Jr.
The novel, Passing by Nella Larsen, tells a story of two African- American women’s who work hard for the American dream. Larson demonstrates certain conflicts such as betrayal, jealousy, lies, race, and sexuality. Clare Kendry and Irene Reinfield were childhood friends, but when Clare’s father died, she moved away with her aunts and Irene never saw her again. Both Clare and Irene are light skinned who may pass as white. Irene stays with her race while Clare abandons her race by passing as white. Irene works hard for her American dream and as a black woman it is very difficult to become a successful middle class worker during the 1920s. As Irene struggles for her American dream, Clare, finds the easy route by passing as white and marrying
Within the Black Community there are a myriad of stigmas. In Mary Mebane’s essay, “Shades of Black”, she explores her experiences with and opinions of intraracial discrimination, namely the stigmas attached to women, darker skinned women, and blacks of the working class. From her experiences Mebane asserts that the younger generation, those that flourished under and after the Civil Rights Movement, would be free from discriminating attitudes that ruled the earlier generations. Mebane’s opinion of a younger generation was based on the attitudes of many college students during the 1960’s (pars.22), a time where embracing the African culture and promoting the equality of all people were popular ideals among many young people. However, intraracial discrimination has not completely vanished. Many Blacks do not identify the subtle discriminatory undertones attached to the stigmas associated with certain types of Black people, such as poor black people, lighter/darker complexion black people, and the “stereotypical” black man/woman. For many black Americans aged eighteen to twenty-five, discrimination based on skin color, social class, and gender can be blatant.
Dr. Peggy McIntosh looks at white privilege, by “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” She describes white privilege as almost a special check or coin that she gets to cash in on. Dr. McIntosh tells that white privilege has been a taboo and repressed subject – and that many white people are taught not to see or recognize it. However, she is granted privileges (McIntosh 30). Dr. McIntosh goes on to describe twenty-six ways in which her skin-color grants her certain privileges. In example twenty, she describes how she can buy “…posters, postcards, picture books…” and other items that “…feature people of my race” (32). Additionally, in her first example, she talks about being able to be in the “company of people of my race most of the time” (McIntosh 31). Instances in which a privilege person would not even recognize unless they were looking, show evidence for white privilege. People take these advantages for granted because they simply expect them. Due to the lack of melatonin in her skin, she was granted privileges and her skin served as an asset to her. Dr. McIntosh conveys how her privilege is not only a “favored state,” but also a power over other
Nella Larsen 's ' novel "Passing" introduces two dissimilar experiences of "crossing" the race line by two African-American women. With an accomplished and engaging plan, Larson is able to deal with subjects such as sexuality, identity, race, and class division with the use of wit and allegory. Passing is a moving, emotional story, describing the struggles experienced by both Irene and Claire in their fight to support and defend their own race and endure polite society. All these social issues and problems seem to culminate in the end of the question; is what the person you are inside, defined by your race on the outside?
Ethnic group is a settled mannerism for many people during their lives. Both Zora Neale Hurston, author of “How It Feels to Be Colored Me; and Brent Staples, author of “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space,” realize that their life will be influenced when they are black; however, they take it in pace and don’t reside on it. They grew up in different places which make their form differently; however, in the end, It does not matter to them as they both find ways to match the different sexes and still have productivity in their lives.. Hurston was raised in Eatonville, Florida, a quiet black town with only white passer-by from time-to-time, while Staples grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania, surrounded by gang activity from the beginning. Both Hurston and Staples share similar and contrasting views about the effect of the color of their
Gina Crosley-Corcoran, author of Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person, informs her readers about her misinterpretation of white privilege. After being called out for her unknowing use of white privilege, Gina begins to plead her case. Beginning with her childhood, Gina explains how she grew up “on the go”. Travelling from place to place, Gina lived in a rundown trailer and her family obtained little to no money, had no access to hot water, survived on cheap, malnourished foods, and dealt with a bad home life. After evaluating her history when placed at the end of life’s spectrum, Gina finds it hard to pick out white privilege in her life and therefore argues she has none. Later, Gina is introduced to a woman named Peggy McIntosh
Napoleon was a military general that participated in multiple war victories. His interests included history, law, and mathematics. His strengths as a leader benefitted in planning financial, legal, and military plans. His aspiring attitude made him believe he was destined to be the savior of France (Coffin & Stacey, 494). He favored a republic over a constitutional monarchy. When Napoleon came to power, he immediately consolidated personal power by overthrowing the five-man Directory and created a Republic. Napoleon used his status and power during the Revolution to bring out and surface Revolution ideals and help his people. Napoleon’s role in European history was the savior of the French Revolution due to the fact he accomplished most objectives that the people hoped for. Goals of the French Revolution included overthrowing the old regime of an absolute monarch, write a basic and worthy constitution, and give more rights to the third estate and limit the first and second estates power in the Estates-General.
Identity is a mirror of image constructed by society. Identity is an individual only and true form of self. Individuals, such as mixed race biracial people who do not easily fall into a race category are forced to choose which side of the color line they are willing to exist. The reality of racism for these biracial people become diminished with the term “Passing”. Passing refers to the ability of a member of one social group to be accepted as a member of another, such a different ethnicity, race, gender, social class, and age, typically with the purpose of being accepted. "Passing," is evidnet in Nella Larsen's “Passing” and Carl Van Vetchen “Nigger Heaven”, it alludes to crossing of the color line and performing to race norms. Nella Larsen's Passing, addresses this issue of skin color and performing through the character of Clare Kendry, whom was an atrractive mulatto who manages to escape poverty by passing for being a white women. She marries a wealthy white man who also believes that she is white as well. Her journey across the color line is completely sucessful until her association with people of color and her tragic end. Simiarily, Carl Van Vetchen's Nigger Heaven, reiterates the same issue of passing and performing with the charactger Dick Sill, who understand as a mixed biracial man, the advantages of passing in a racist american society.Both Clare Kendry and Dick Sill are proponent of passing, however with such choice both seem conflicted with the dilema of living detached from their racial or cultural identity.
Health care in America tends to be a gray area for citizens without prior experience with medical issues. Michael Moore an American filmmaker discusses in his documentary “Sicko” the unpleasant experience some Americans had to go through because of our health care system. Moore implements humor to his documentary by inserting comical music, images, and narration in spots that help his argument gain attention. He also travels abroad to places like Canada, France, and Cuba, where universal health care is supported. He does this in order to provide reason why universal health care is a good ideas by capturing the different emotions and opinions of individuals in those countries versus what people think in America. In addition, Moore provides evidence on why the United States should adopt a different health care system by providing facts like the life expectancy and cost of health care in America compared to other countries. Michael Moore’s main goal is to inform the audience as well as introduce his argument that our health care system is inadequate and that better solutions are out there like universal health care.
Racial passing is when African Americans and other minorities were historically discriminated against in the United States, so the fair-skinned offspring of whites and people of color often pretended to be white to take advantage of the opportunities that would’ve otherwise been denied to them (about news website, 2016, para. 1). Racial passing was also a vital point in our history; it either meant you could be a slave during the pre-Civil War era or you were able to slip
I was late for school, and my father had to walk me in to class so that my teacher would know the reason for my tardiness. My dad opened the door to my classroom, and there was a hush of silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on my father and me. He told the teacher why I was late, gave me a kiss goodbye and left for work. As I sat down at my seat, all of my so-called friends called me names and teased me. The students teased me not because I was late, but because my father was black. They were too young to understand. All of this time, they thought that I was white, because I had fare skin like them, therefore I had to be white. Growing up having a white mother and a black father was tough. To some people, being black and white is a contradiction in itself. People thought that I had to be one or the other, but not both. I thought that I was fine the way I was. But like myself, Shelby Steele was stuck in between two opposite forces of his double bind. He was black and middle class, both having significant roles in his life. "Race, he insisted, blurred class distinctions among blacks. If you were black, you were just black and that was that" (Steele 211).
Both points serve McIntosh’s objective of making clear that the notion of white privilege is not a myth. Due to the socially constructed and arbitrary nature of ideologies concerning race (a biological, phenotypic/ (physical) expression of human features) the highly immoral and nonsensical practice [whether recognized or not] of white supr...
Racial identity is often described as the color of a person’s skin and the race that is associated with that color. Jean Cabot’s racial identity places her above people of color and as a member of the dominant group. She allows this identity that the Los Angeles society has created to define who she is and how she should live her life. Jean’s husband has a well paying job and is in the media a lot, so it is assumed that she isn’t going to work and become a stay at home mom. It is not taken into consideration that she should work because her home and child are taken care of by a maid, therefore she is not needed throughout the day. As a member of the dominant group, it is expected for the dominants to keep a sense of normalcy (Miller 112), Jean encourages people’s viewpoint of her by being shallow and often self centered. When she talks to her friends on the phone after her car was stolen, her main concern is that she was violated by people who are less than her.
On Being Young-A Woman-and Colored an essay by Marita Bonner addresses what it means to be black women in a world of white privilege. Bonner reflects about a time when she was younger, how simple her life was, but as she grows older she is forced to work hard to live a life better than those around her. Ultimately, she is a woman living with the roles that women of all colors have been constrained to. Critics, within the last 20 years, believe that Marita Bonners’ essay primarily focuses on the double consciousness ; while others believe that she is focusing on gender , class , “economic hardships, and discrimination” . I argue that Bonner is writing her essay about the historical context of oppression forcing women into intersectional oppression by explaining the naturality of racial discrimination between black and white, how time and money equate to the American Dream, and lastly how gender discrimination silences women, specifically black women.