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Summary on the Pathology of “White Privilege”
Poverty in minority groups essay
Summary on the Pathology of “White Privilege”
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The power of white privilege is something that quite frankly isn’t talked about enough but as a society many people believe that racism doesn’t exist. However, there is this unspoken advantage that whites are given called privilege, which is something that gives them a step ahead in society. Tim Wise talks about it in the video using specific examples to back up his point that white privilege is so prevalent and how others don’t even recognize that it is a serious issue. A study that was done in 2006, showed that out of 100 white people that were asked only 6% of those people thought that racial discrimination still existed in society. He also went on to mention that 2/3 of the white people who were alive during the civil right movement thought that Martin Luther King was doing too much at the wrong time, and that it was just not appropriate.
I agree with Wise because as an African American I can attest to the fact that as black male there is this invisible road block that you have to hurdle over in order to be considered in the same area as whites. Like Wise was explaining having that one thing to sweat in society what can determine whether one will be successful or not. If you are a white student who struggles in school it becomes a big deal and help is immediately needed to take care of the problem because you are said to have that potential no matter your class. But if you are an African American male it is different. In order to be talked about in those upper echelon students you have to perform exceptionally well and sometimes even better than those around you or at the top. When you have to worry about race and overcoming the barrier single handedly it can take a toll on you and sometimes even force your to show your full ...
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I think that this is such a big deal because it just makes it so much more difficult for African Americans to succeed in society if there are basically starting from the bottom without any help. The root of the problem is also education because some of these black students only get the opportunity to go to these small charter public schools because some of their parents don’t emphasis the importance of education. The reason for this is because their parents were not enforcing discipline in the classroom for whatever reason and was something that wasn’t instilled in the mind of young black students as children. While some black students do actually understand that education is important they usually find out on themselves while almost all white students realize from kindergarten that education is the key to success.
“White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks” (McIntosh, 172). White privilege is all around us, but society has been carefully taught
Growing up as an African-American you are always taught to be twice as good. Twice as good as the white people to receive the same treatment as them. I grew up hearing this same phrase constantly but never really understood exactly what it meant until I got old enough to actually see the kind of world we are living in. The author of the article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” Peggy Mclntosh, took as step into shoes of black America and found that white privilege not only exist, but many whites are blind to it. She gives a clear argument about how white privilege is harmful to our society and how we can work together to fix this.
The famous anti-racism activist Tim Wise once said “The irony of American history is the tendency of good white Americans to presume racial innocence. Ignorance of how we are shaped racially is the first sign of privilege. In other words. It is a privilege to ignore the consequences of race in America.” White Privilege is commonly defined as “a set of advantages and/or immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others.” (What) As White americans living in the United States, you never really pay any attention to the fact that there is a racial “smog” (Marks) living among us in everyday life and you really never realize how it affects the people on the other end who don’t receive this ‘privilege’. White privilege shapes the world we live in by how we go about and interact
“I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group,” Peggy McIntosh wrote in her article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Too often this country lets ignorance be a substitute for racism. Many believe that if it is not blatant racism, then what they are doing is okay. Both the video and the article show that by reversing the terms, there is proof that racism is still very existent in this world. By looking into A Class Divided and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack along with their ability to broaden the cultural competence, once can see how race is still very prominent in our culture.
America is a presumptuous country; its citizens don’t feel like learning any other language so they make everyone else learn English. White Americans are the average human being and act as the standard of living, acting, and nearly all aspects of life. In her essay “White Privilege: The Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh talks about how being white has never been discussed as a race/culture before because that identity has been pushed on everyone else, and being white subsequently carries its own set of advantages. Gloria Anzaldua is a Chicana, a person of mixed identities. In an excerpt titled “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” she discusses how the languages she speaks identifies who she is in certain situations and how, throughout her life, she has been pushed to speak and act more “American” like. McIntosh’s idea of whiteness as a subconscious race that carries its own advantages can enlighten why Anzaldua feels like she
The phrase “The American Dream” is an incredible thing. The promise of that dream has convinced hundreds of millions of people that, as a citizen of this country, you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. Whether you want to be a doctor, athlete, or even a president, those things should all be within your reach, regardless of your class or race! America is the nation where dreams can come true. Unfortunately, for a large number of people that believe this, this is a concept that does not apply to them. Many Americans find opportunities are denied to them because of their race. Others can be found living in poverty and far from anything that would be considered desirable. Statistics show that the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans earned 9 percent of all U.S. income in 1979. Did you know that the same 1 percent earns 24 percent of all U.S. income today? That is a staggering example of the income inequality in America. The American Dream is that if you work hard and have the ability you will succeed, but that has become an impossibility for millions of disadvantaged Americans because the income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and racism and poverty are constant barriers to their success and financial security.
Doing research about the existence of white privilege, I found two articles with the opposite point of view on related information. Although both authors are Caucasians, they have completely opposing opinions about the existence of the white privilege. While Peggy McIntosh is trying to spread awareness to Caucasians in regards to their own privilege, Duke wants them to understand that they are in the same position as all other races. He explains that the awareness of “white privilege” is only a fallacy that causes feel of guilt without foundation.
Though many may not want to believe it, young black men are stereotyped in the business world. These stereotypes can subconsciously cause disadvantages at the collegiate level, in internships and even at the professional level when competing for advanced positions. Sometimes, it is difficult for black males to receive positions over males of other races due to these stereotypes. Regardless of the fact that both may meet the qualifications, it is likely that the black male will fall short. Therefor, young black males must work twice as hard and go above and beyond just to ensure that we recieve the same opportunities as other males. Appearance also plays a major factor, when competing for high-level professional positions a black male with piercings or tattoos; which many young men have, may not represent the company ...
...e and prepared for college work. For a student in a black that is majority black and under resourced is highly unlikely to receive an education and graduate on time and won’t be college ready. Unfortunately this scenario happens way too often. Lots of black students do not receive the knowledge that they need to further their education in college and many students that do try to further their education do not end up finishing. Because they missed out on so much information they have a very difficult time doing their work and get the feeling that they need to drop out. It is unfortunate that today, not all students can receive a good education and have a chance a furthering their education and becoming successful. This is why it is necessary that the education system change immediately so that all students can receive an equal opportunity to further their education.
The United States developed the official poverty measures in 1960. It was developed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had declared a war on poverty during the Civil Rights era. (The Path of Power- The years of Lyndon B. Johnson, (Caro, 16). The poverty rate of African Americans has been declining for many years. The Census Bureau releases two reports every year that describe who is poor in the United States based on cash resources. There is also the supplemental poverty measure (SPM) which takes account for the cash resources and non cash benefits from government programs aimed at low income families. (www.Census.gov/People and household). In 2012 there were over 46.5 million people in poverty and of those numbers 10 million were African American according to the poverty reports. African Americans have been a major factor since slavery. Since the late 1660s there has been a race on poverty since the marches of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King. One of the protests was the call to March on Washington in 1963. Dr. King stated that “on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity”. (MLK speech, March on Washington, 1963)
Many families in the 1990s had trouble adapting to the changing economy. It took a toll on their lives. The dominant culture was for everyone to have been laid off from their jobs and for families to have a lot of stress. Milwaukee was hit pretty hard, despite urbanization of the city, especially for two certain families. A documentary crew followed around a black family and a white family (Frontline Video, 2013). The white family was the Neumann’s and the black family was the Stanley’s. During the recession in 1990, families had to learn to work hard, learn new skills, and to show their kids that they will be rewarded if they strive to do well in life. The Neumann’s and Stanley’s felt as if the upper class was getting richer while they
Tim Wise’s book White Like Me provides a picture of what it is like to be white in America. A main topic covered in White Like Me is white privilege. On pages 24 and 25 Wise illustrates what white privilege is and shares his opinion regarding how to address white privilege in society today. Wise’s plan for addressing white privilege is one not of guilt, but of responsibility, a difference Wise highlights. The concept of feeling guilty for white privilege lacks reason because white privilege is something built up through generations and its existence is not of any one person’s fault.
To be a black man means to strive for success where it may be impossible. To educate and love with out expecting any returns. To be a black man is to know where you have originated from and pinpoint where he must go. To be a Black man is having the abilty to free your psyche figure and soul from the mental and physical slavery that w To be a black man is to stroll with God and live commonplace with the objective to follow his will for our race. A black man that knows where he's going, is aware of his history and define his deeds & goals to succeed in a society where minorities are supposed to make it, is beyond powerful. Being a black means that: you're a target of racism, altercations and violence, that takes on each challenge while dream-chasing at the same time.
The problems of race and urban poverty remain pressing challenges which the United States has yet to address. Changes in the global economy, technology, and race relations during the last 30 years have necessitated new and innovative analyses and policy responses. A common thread which weaves throughout many of the studies reviewed here is the dynamics of migration. In When Work Disappears, immigrants provide comparative data with which to highlight the problems of ghetto poverty affecting blacks. In No Shame in My Game, Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants are part of the changing demographics in Harlem. In Canarsie, the possible migration of blacks into a working/middle-class neighborhood prompts conservative backlash from a traditionally liberal community. In Streetwise, the migration of yuppies as a result of gentrification, and the movement of nearby-ghetto blacks into these urban renewal sites also invoke fear of crime and neighborhood devaluation among the gentrifying community. Not only is migration a common thread, but the persistence of poverty, despite the current economic boom, is the cornerstone of all these works. Poverty, complicated by the dynamics of race in America, call for universalistic policy strategies, some of which are articulated in Poor Support and The War Against the Poor.
Race and prejudice toward the culture of poverty was manifest during the civil rights movement and even in the American society today.. This paper will rely on examples, borrowing from past examples in trying to explain the culture of poverty, and how it can create prejudice among citizens in society due to their level of income or low-caste groups, which are considered poor within our societies. This paper will highlight a couple of examples to support its arguments.