Tim Wise is a white man who grew up in Tennessee. His book, “Dear White America,” was written in the format of a letter from a white person in America to other white people in America. He understands that his audience will likely be mostly made up of people of color or those that already agree with him, but he wrote this to remind himself and others of the advantages of being white in the United States. Wise has views on racism that may be considered radical or offensive to many white people. He uses both personal experience and theoretical experiences to illustrate and explain the themes and ideas presented. The major theme of this book is not, as some may assume, “black vs. white” or “people of color vs. white people.” The major themes of “Dear White America” are accepting white privilege, and how to use white privilege to bring about change in multiracial relationships and societal structures. First, Tim Wise points out that white people often deny white privilege and the experiences of people of color. He …show more content…
This book was written in the “age of Obama,” as Tim Wise calls it, and it seems to be even more necessary today, in the current “age of Trump.” Multiracial relations are strained and people have become very divided. Interestingly, when Wise pleads for white people to change the narrative and embrace the many different traditions and cultures that built our society he states, “We can continue to hold on to a fictional, nostalgic past, longing for a return to it” (Wise, 159). This is relevant to the current political climate that brought about the election of President Trump with the slogan “Make America Great Again.” Tim Wise encourages white people to put aside their fear and accept the change in multiracial relationships and educate ourselves to become better, to try harder, and to fight for equality with the power that we so unjustly
“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.
Developing friendships between black and white women has been difficult for many years. Although black and white women share common grey spaces, it is the effects of racism that caused one culture to be seemingly set at a higher level on the hierarchical scale. The perceived distance created limits on both races which as a result created a wall of silence and a lack of solidarity. Even though oppression and past hurts have prolonged the mending of what could become an authentic healing there are still positive views on what could be accomplished if women of all races came together to form a mutual bond. Based on the views of a white woman writer and culture I will discuss the limits placed on black and white women and how the two could form a place of reconciliation.
Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,
Wise, T. (2012). Dear white America: Letter to a new minority. San Francisco, CA: City
concerns racial equality in America. The myth of the “Melting Pot” is a farce within American society, which hinders Americans from facing societal equality issues at hand. Only when America decides to face the truth, that society is not equal, and delve into the reasons why such equality is a dream instead of reality. Will society be able to tackle suc...
Dear White People is a film that depicts the white framework of society that pertains to a prestigious college that is predominantly middle-upper-class, white, students. The film follows the perspective of several African American students as they try to develop themselves towards self-actualization despite the oppressive stereotypes that label and sets parameters of socially acceptable behavior. The film provides a great example of ethnic attrition in the character of Lionel Higgins, as well as using the conflict perspective in connection with racism, and provides examples of both individual discrimination, and institutional discrimination.
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.
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates was a powerful essay formatted in a letter to his son about living in the world as a person with colored skin. The most powerful messaged I personally encountered in Coats’ letter to his son, is his expressed fear on behalf of his child for the way in which America and the world treats people of color. Coates’ essay was nearly a letter of warning with political and social references weaved throughout referring to the state of race relations in America, and why it is so closely related to the safety and health of his son. Throughout the essay, Coates used the ominous theme of inequality and brutality, both historical and contemporary, to convey his unrest with the way his son must lead his life.
Contrary to some people 's beliefs, there is still a problem in America regarding racial discrimination. The “American Dream” is still far from reach because many Americans choose to ignore racist acts. In Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses in depth, about the injustices that he and other African Americans have lived through, witnessed, and will still live through because of their race. Coates is a known advocate for equality amongst African Americans and those who discriminate against them. He brings even more awareness to the wrongs that people, who are black, experience in the memoir he wrote to his son. Coates’ memoir is socially and politically important for America because it educates those who are unaware of the racist
George Yancy, in his piece Dear White People, tries to get white people to recognize their racism just like he recognizes his apparent sexism. This is a bold move by Dr. Yancy, who is a professor at Georgia State University. The quote above, is a simple statement of his goal for his New York Times article from December 24th, 2015. My reaction to this quote and the entire article is; why I am being blamed, as an individual, for black suppression and my overall happiness in the system? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us to not judge by one’s color of their skin, but by the content of my character. Yancy goes against these teachings, as he uses group politics to race bait white people into a certain reaction that he will use to prove his point.
Obama‘s speech accentuates the significance of unity in a divisive multi-cultural country in expectancy of his election. He explains that the goals of the founding fathers were to establish unity but that these goals have not been met for generations. Obama uses his own experience to show that he too has been through racism. He states, “At various stages in the
When looking back at our country during the civil rights movement, many people are appalled at how people of color were being mistreated and hated for so long. In our society, today, people like to pride themselves in not being racist and being accepting of all different races and cultures. Although people like to think that they are not racist and that our society is entering a “post-racial” phase, the truth is that we are all somewhat subconsciously racist and to think that we will ever become a post-racial society is unrealistic. People may not believe that white privilege is a real issue but the truth is that it is real and it is happening in our country more than ever. Sadly, race still plays a huge and important role on how you are treated and looked at in this country, there are still people in our society who treat others differently simply because of how they look and because of the color of their skin.
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. Guilt would just be detrimental to the possibility of making progress in this field. Responsibility, on the other hand, is a perfectly logical action to take when
William Apess then asks his mostly white audience to reexamine their Christian values along with their prejudices. His essay acknowledges that unless the discrimination and prejudices that plague the white man over the other races disappear, then there won’t be peace in the Union.