These dangers are produced by our history. They rest on the fact that in order to conquer this continent, the particular aloneness of which I speak—the aloneness in which one discovers that life is tragic, and therefore unutterably beautiful—could not be permitted. And that this prohibition is typical of all emergent nations will be proved, I have no doubt, in many ways during the next fifty years. This continent now is conquered, but our habits and our fears remain. And, in the same way that to become a social human being one modifies and suppresses and, ultimately, without great courage, lies to oneself about all one’s interior, uncharted chaos, so have we, as a nation, modified or suppressed and lied about all the darker forces in our history.
“Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack of White Privilege” In Peggy McIntosh’s essay, she addressed several issues that are considered to be very important ones. She speaks of how whites are given hidden privileges, yet they don’t even realize it. I believe that the purpose for her writing this, was to bring out in the open the issues of oppression with regards to the dominant race and their “unearned privileges” that they are so oblivious to. McIntosh compared this situation to how men are more privileged and advantaged, and women are at a more disadvantaged state. In comparison, she also stated that men do indeed admit to a woman’s disadvantage, yet a man will not agree to being more advantaged, because they too are oblivious to this fact.
This is so because people fear what they do not know, or understand. If a person has never experienced someone of a particular group, stereotypes my already be in place that will cause the discrimination of these groups. Ethnocentrism, which is the belief in the superiority of one’s own race over that of another, is also a huge factor in discrimination and has led to the extermination of the Jews in Germany, and the slavery epidemic in the United States as well as many other countries throughout time. • How is discrimination faced by one identity group (race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability) the same as discrimination faced by
Dubois's philosophy not only shows nihilism in the black race during this era but it also shows the same lack of progression in the black community in 2011. It reminds us of the lack of harmonious solidarity as well as the lack of intellect, high morals and spiritual insight affecting the Black masses today. His piece brings up an array of valid points on why the black community is its own worst enemy when it comes to building a new infrastructure of educational, historical and financial knowledge of self like the Jewish, Asian and Indian cultures. Dubois says “It is the problem of developing the best of this race that they may guide the mass away from the contamination and death of the worst, in their own and other races. Now the training of men is a difficult and intricate task.”(Dubois 1) I personally think that the contamination of most blacks today is from out dated teachings, some churches, politicians and most importantly, the entertainment business.
The author of the statement has divided laws into two broad categories: just and unjust. This division is not correct. Any one individual cannot decide whether laws are just or unjust. It is subjective to personal interests. Hence, it is wrong to say that one should obey just laws and disobey unjust laws.
Devan Dickerson Afrikan Diaspora 11/4/2011 Sankofa: The Damage That Has Been Done Black people in this nation are, and have been for some time, in the midst of an identity crisis. They are torn between what they are taught in a white run society and the Afrikan ancestry they know nothing about. Sankofa is an illustration of where this identity crisis began. It is the story of a black model, Mona, who is sent to the past in the form of a house slave named Shola. The things Mona sees are not all that different from what the average black person sees in America today.
The separating of black and white has caused many problems in society and these inequalities are still felt today. Rebellion, revolution, boycotting and even riots, have led to tensions between the two races. Additionally, desegregating schools led to a learning gap between black and white students. The Constitution states that no state can make the law that takes away the rights and privileges of citizens making them immune to it. Desegregation of public places should be allowed because it is inequitable to separate humans based on the color or pigmentation of their skin.
However, the institutional oppression can be seen anywhere we go. The symbolic dimension consist of stereotyping of genders, races including the masculine and feminine traits that are associated with men and women. I see this dimension of oppression constantly, if you ask anyone to define what makes a man a man and a woman a woman, you will most likely receive the same answer. Associating women with feminine traits such as passive, emotional and weak while men will be characterized with aggressive, strong and being leaders. The last dimension Collins focused on was the individual dimension of oppression which involves us all coming into terms with multiple ways in which race, class, and gender gives us a certain attitude about ourselves which leads us towards certain actions
In addition, Agent Ward from “Mississippi Burning” stated: “Mr. Anderson, if you were a negro nobody would give a damn what you thought.” This shows that the black community is viewed so unequally by the racist white population, that even their most basic rights, free speech and expression, have been taken away from them. It also states the fact that inequality is a part of everyday black oppression and that the black community isn’t allowed to express their views without violence from the whites or racists. This allows us to see that it is evident that racism shadows people from the
HistorySlavery was an institution that victimized as well as other cultures due to being in a controlled environment. Every suffered in their own way due to racial prejudice and fear of growing numbers. Masters which were also called Slave "owners" believed that treating another human being of another color like an animal was right. The children of the slave owners were being victimized as well due to following what their parent’s doings were right in treating another human being in such a manner. Slavery was so victimized that it still affects the society to the extent that black people blame the whites , and white people still agree that black people need to be slaves.