McLaurin did not understand at a young age how much race played a part in life, but had the decency to be kind hearted to each person he met, despite their ethnicity. When I first realized that I had to read this book for a class assignment, I was not extremely happy. I judged this book by its title and by its cover. Me being an African American had a lot to do with this judgment. I do not like things that remind me of how badly African Americans were treated back in the day.
The concept of White Privilege takes a while to set in. This concept deals with the idea that white individuals have preset advantages over African Americans or other races. Many advantages are so common that we are not even aware of them. In her paper "White Privilege" Peggy McIntosh explains that we " have been conditioned into oblivion about its existence" ( as cited in Harvey & Allard 2012 pp. 33).
| Having Dark Skin and Being Called a Nigger Because of Color | Communication 125: Interpersonal Communication | | Angela Dean | | 9/19/2012 | Summary: One way, I am culturally different is I’m label a nigger, because of my culture; although, there are other cultures with dark skin. Throughout this paper, you will see the affect this word can have on a person or persons of the African/American Culture, especially the affect this word had on me. Writing this paper has helped me take note of some feelings that is old, new and present. Fear: Being culturally different as a young child, I had no fear of other people; because my mother worked for the Puckett’s who both were doctors and Caucasians. The fear began when, I was told by my grandmother, parents, relative, and others close to me that I was different.
Specifically for African Americans, the equality and desegregation under this act of education, the workplace, and voter’s registration has been tremendously empowering. One of the great things about America that many other countries do not have is free education. Under Plessy v. Ferguson, segregation of schools was legalized under the conditions that it was separate but equal. During that time, the schools were definitely separated, but unquestionably unequal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 overturned Plessy V. Ferguson which not only led to African Americans having better schools, but also allowed them to learn with their Caucasian peers.
They can be socially and economically endowed and they can be exempt for certain burdens or liabilities. Now that we know what white privilege is we can now tackle the question of does white privilege actually exist? In America civil rights is a big topic not just for blacks but for other races such as Hispanics and Asians. After the 1960’s and the civil rights movement in the 70’s America seemed to come together but equality was still far off for African Americans and Hispanics. After the civil rights era’s and all of the bills and supreme court rulings like the transportation equality act, prohibited discrimination In public accommodations, educations and employment, Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the American Indian Movement just to name a few.
I believe that this is true because in order for white people to actually become the minority, people will have to engage in interracial relationships. To be a in a relationship with someone who is not the same race or ethnicity as you requires a certain level of comfort. Also, the family of both parties will most likely have a certain comfort level too. When white people become the minority, I believe that I will be treated the same way I am treated now. I haven’t yet experienced racism, although I am a mixed female; I am black and Native American.
I disagree; I think that these programs are necessary to balance out the unfair advantage whites automatically get just by being white. It is true that there are many whites in the United States who live in poverty, who are jobless, homeless, and need government assistance. However, I disagree with his statement that “Nondiscrimination laws should be applied equally among all citizens, including those who happen to be white”. This is just not realistic. In an ideal world, this might work, however, for the most part in the United States; whites automatically have a leg up in society.
The northern parts of the United States accepted African Americans, and many try to escape to the north to try to get employed and leave the racial segregation in the south. The south had state laws that prevented African Americans from doing what they believe are right. (265, packet) Even though it was said that, African Americans are equal to whites under the constitution, as long as part of the United States still have the segregation going on, then the African Americans do not have rights in the whole country. This was a huge obstacle to stop the racism and try to fit them into the society to live with whites. Women were part of the minorities along with the blacks because of the way they were treated.
In my opinion, everyone has the choice to steal, it shouldn’t be based on what color skin they have. There are just as many white people that steal than black people. Looking back on that certain situation, I now see that whites have certain privileges that blacks don’t. Our skin being white gives us the upper hand in most situations because whites seem to have a certain “power” in society today. Therefore, we were born into the privilege of being a white person and not being judged or looked down on
The one thing that separates whites from these other groups besides skin color is the fact that for each minority group, there are several scholarships that pertain to each. As a nation we have placed a great deal of emphasis on making sure the minorities are getting equal opportunities, but we forget that there are members of the Caucasian decent that need assistance as well. Most times minorities are the ones that need financial assistance in a college situation, but we have forgotten that there are white families that have grown up in the same neighborhood as these individuals, who also need financial assistance. This is why the idea of a white-only scholarship is not so unrealistic. A group of students attending Roger Williams University have created a Whites-only scholarship to initially protest affirmative action.