Today was a significant day for me. I greatly appreciated Sylvia’s response to my comments about the stresses that I perceive Blacks’s confront as they consider current day racial injustices. It made me realize that I must be more conscious of my status as a racially privileged individual. Thus, when I think about what struggles a Black person or any other minority experience, I must realize that it is a mere privilege to imagine what it would be like to walk in the shoes of a racial minority. A Black person can imagine what it might be like to live as a White person, but they do not have the luxury of returning to a place of racial privilege.
Today’s class also made me realize how much more comfortable it is for me, as a beneficiary of White privilege, to talk about race openly. I do not wake up everyday, look in the mirror and think about my race. I do not, nor have I ever questioned whether I will be falsely accused of making noise in class or cheating on a test because of my race. I do not question whether I will be letting my race down or confirming racial stereotypes that perpetuate stigmatization of my race. I will never know what it feels like to actually live as a Black person in America. I can only try to comprehend the struggles that Black people face, and do my best to prevent and oppose the racial injustices that perpetuate such present day inequalities.
It seems that the best way to go about preventing racial injustices is by working to eliminate racial inequalities within schools. But it will also require that we work with people outside school communities, and inspire them to question their responsibilities as they relate to reducing racial inequalities.
3 responses so far ↓
Paul I admire how you look at a situation, and analyze it, and then make suggestions as to how to prevent or solve the situation. It takes courage to admit that you will not truly know how it ever feels to be Black or any other racial minority.
I agree that one method of going about preventing racial injustices is by working to eliminate racial inequalities with in schools. I want to be an active member of the community, and I can not wait to teach.
I want to teach now. I understand that people must crawl before they walk, that we must be taught how to teach before we teach. I am somewhat happy that we have the opportunity to discuss our ideas; I just hope this situation is not all talk and no action. In the past, there have been so many meeting I have attended and felt that it was a waste of time. I just want to do it.
I agree that it was a significant day. I have never been more aware of my whiteness and what that means. It is a strange feeling, because, like you said, you don’t wake up every morning, look in the mirror and think about your race. I definitely had an “Aha moment” yesterday when we were talking about Hurricane Katrina. The fact that Blacks in New Orleans even had to question whether or not the lack of help was/is based on their race says so much about where we are in our society. Whether it is or isn’t, I don’t know, but to even have to wonder is heartbreaking and infuriating.
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