The idea that unequal treatment and social mistreatment are still constant struggles is addressed in Angelina Price’s essay “Working Class Whites” and bell hooks’ essay “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance. Both authors explain how racial and social controversy affects today’s society. This is done through Price narrowing her focus on how class structure and media relations affects this issue while hooks’ essay concentrates more on public perception with relation to this issue. Both authors use a significant amount of evidence to support their logic as well as ideas that allow the reader to draw their own personal conclusions. In both essays, the idea of social class fueling thoughts and perceptions of either the “Other” or “poor white class” in today’s society is drawn upon multiple times.
Ehab Degachi Christopher Litman ENG 2150 December 9th, 2012 Mayberry’s article focuses around discussing the role that males play in not only the community of “Bottom” but how their actions and decision making impacts the relationship between Black males and females. She goes to decipher how white men affect the actions of black men who ultimately affect the black females in the story. The white men are seen as superior, so naturally, the black men want to be like them or at least as powerful as them while still resenting them, not worshiping. They tend to be unsuccessful and resort to black females as the solution to their problems. In the article, Mayberry writes “The bottom is not powerful enough, however, to contain the destructive
“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.
It widens their separation from the rest of the community and postpones the great day of reconciliation which is sure to come!” (pg 166). While whites were getting the best education possible, the “lower class” blacks were being taught under poor circumstances, with inferior materials. This placed invisible barriers in all facets of life for the black community, which in turn caused some to become complacent, just accepting what was without question. Times needed to change for the benefit of black youth the most. William Lloyd Garrison thought along similar lines.
The band members are all poor and banter about the various ways they have been exploited by whites. One of the strongest points made is the suggestion that black people must do what they can to survive and not get into trouble. Ma Rainey is able to exploit the white men who exploit her by taking advantage of the fact that they cater to her as a successful artist: whether they like or not, she is called the Queen (or Mother) of the Blues for a reason. In this way, she is able to maintain some control over her career and success, unlike her instrumentalists. Levee was rejected by the white producer he depended on, then couldn’t keep his cool, and now he has fallen into the trap that has ensnared so many young black men to this day.
Racism is a means to an end, as oppressors employ racist measures in order to achieve power over another group. Wright shows numerous times throughout the novel that racism breeds irrational actions, and points out many times when Southern whites abuse blacks for no reason other than to vent their own frustration. This abuse and subordination of blacks also serves an economic function for the whites, as the blacks are the basic laborers who almost single-handedly support the white economy, for meager pay. Whites abuse blacks in order to keep them in a position where their service would empower
Diversity Reflection Paper: Luci Heinz Both, A Social Worker’s Reflections on Power, Privilege, and Oppression and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack present well-developed points on the multi-faceted views of oppression and the range of privileges that are experienced in our society. Some of which the “average Joe” would never stop to think twice about – I can say this because I was once part of this ignorant populace, until taking this class. Equally, these articles show the portrayal of how those who are favorably advantaged or have “unearned assets,” are completely oblivious to the immediate power and dominance they attain in our society due to something as simple as the color of someone’s skin or their sex, and how fields of practice, like Social Work, try to “promote social justice and equality of all people in regard to full participation in society.” (Dubois and Miley, p.55) Michael Spencer opens his publication, A Social Worker’s Reflections on Power, Privilege, and Oppression, with a direct correlation to social work and social justice, defined by the National Association of Social Workers, or the NASW – “The pursuit of social justice is a core social work value; Social workers promote social justice by engaging in activities that promote equality of opportunity, challenge injustice, and advance social change, particularly on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed populations.” (Spencer, p.99) This leads us to one of the repeatedly addressed key points of this article – As people we have to use a “self-reflective” process that looks at all the privileges and oppressions we experience, as well as bring a conscious light to the advantages and disadvantages that certain social groups possess. Spencer, expresses his life journey, identifying himself as a male Native Hawaiian, and how being a member of this group presents him with both
Even if after the initial judgment takes place and their base opinion is changed, because this person is ‘different from the norm’ the initial judgment did occur, and that person did assume personality qualities to that person for know reason other than race, and personal beliefs that people have about that specific ‘kind of person.’ I have met people of all different races who judge others by their skin color or by their culture unintentionally. Racism is everywhere and it is a hidden evil that people choose to ignore for the time being. Most people in today’s society are at least slightly racist, probably on accident. Which is awful, because the concept of race is something that the human mind created, and not something that has any truth to it, because there is only one race, the human
The name “nigger” was used commonly as if it had no pejorative signification. Furthermore, when Tom Robinson is being interrogated by Atticus in court, Scout states with surprise that “… [his] manners were as good as Atticus’s” (260). Even if Scout is not racist herself, she is exposed to all sorts of opinions coming from racist people in Maycomb. Her affirmation shows that she has been influenced by other people’s sayings. The fact that she has been influenced means that other individuals believe not possible for a black person to share the same manners and values as them (black people’s manners and values were not as worthy as white people’s in Maycomb at the time).
Everyone in a way might commit a racist act, but they tend not to realize it. As you can see, affirmative action is a thought put into our minds by our society, making every other person a suspect of racism in a way. Racism refuses to see different beliefs, and understandings in the capabilities of people. It can be applied to any ethnicity other than one’s own. It doesn’t matter if the color of the person is black, white, etc.