Week 4, September 19th
“Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally.” David Gaider
The first article this week is entitled “My Class Didn’t Trump My Race: Using Oppression to Face Privilege”. Robin DiAngelo shares her experience on growing up poor and white and explains how she uses these experiences to study racism. “I had my experience of marginalization to draw from in understanding racism, which helped tremendously, but as I became more conversant in the workings of racism, I came to understand that the oppression I experienced growing up poor didn’t protect me from learning my place in the racial hierarchy” (53). This quote summarizes DiAngelo’s argument that even white people who are being oppressed in other ways, such as class, gender sexual orientation, etc., still benefit from privileges afforded to white individuals. She suggests that whites benefit from “internalized dominance” and identifies several patterns to support this idea.
DiAngelo says that “racism is infused in every part of our society, our beings, and our perspectives” (56). She argues that there is an apparent inability of white people to think complexly about and understand racism. Whites consider racism to be composed of individual acts committed by extremists or “bad people” rather than realizing it as a systemic issue being reinforced everyday. DiAngelo stresses that in order to break down internalized racial dominance, we need to understand the patterns that keep it alive. One quote that stuck out to me while reading this article was “I do not have to understand racism for it to be real” (57). We cannot separate ourselves as individuals from racism or privilege- it is a societal problem where everyone is responsible.
DiAngelo’s article sparked my interest in this topic and inspired me to research her other work. I found an interview she did with NPR where she made a point that reminded me of last week’s discussions about when we’re “done” dealing with issues of racial inequality. She explains that when Obama was elected president there was the post-racial feeling of solving the problem of racism- the same feeling that arose after the Brown vs Board of Education decision. She explains how white progressives are the most dangerous group to perpetuating racism- people who believe they are not part of the problem cannot be a part of the solution.
In “Smartness as Property: A Critical Exploration of Intersections Between Whiteness and Disability Studies”, the theme of racial privilege as a key to combating other oppressions is continued. Leonardo and Broderick unpack ideologies that they believe are socially constructed and pedagogical. These ideologies include whiteness and smartness. They make the argument that racial and intellectual supremacy are taught- they are part of the hidden curriculum found in schools. They stress that the “normative center of schools” needs to be rehabilitated and rearticulated, and in order to end the continuation of oppression towards certain groups of individuals, the concept of smartness needs to be analyzed concurrently with studies of whiteness and disability studies.
This article focuses on the concept of reification. The authors argue that whiteness and smartness are made real only by society and can evolve over time depending on how those in power can remain in power. A certain groups “membership” in the white community could be revoked at any time. The example of Arabs being excluded from being white post-9/11 is used to support this idea. The same philosophy is applied to the concept of smartness. Smartness and whiteness are defined as “forms of property that its owners exercise to their enjoyment and privilege...This property only has value as a commodity if there are others who continue to be denied access to its possession” (2221).
This final video that I am including acts as a visual for the “race of life”- how certain characteristics of our lives, even though they have nothing to do with anything we have done or decisions we have made, have given us advantages that ultimately give us a better opportunity to win the race of life.
The first article this week is entitled “My Class Didn’t Trump My Race: Using Oppression to Face Privilege”. Robin DiAngelo shares her experience on growing up poor and white and explains how she uses these experiences to study racism. “I had my experience of marginalization to draw from in understanding racism, which helped tremendously, but as I became more conversant in the workings of racism, I came to understand that the oppression I experienced growing up poor didn’t protect me from learning my place in the racial hierarchy” (53). This quote summarizes DiAngelo’s argument that even white people who are being oppressed in other ways, such as class, gender sexual orientation, etc., still benefit from privileges afforded to white individuals. She suggests that whites benefit from “internalized dominance” and identifies several patterns to support this idea.
DiAngelo says that “racism is infused in every part of our society, our beings, and our perspectives” (56). She argues that there is an apparent inability of white people to think complexly about and understand racism. Whites consider racism to be composed of individual acts committed by extremists or “bad people” rather than realizing it as a systemic issue being reinforced everyday. DiAngelo stresses that in order to break down internalized racial dominance, we need to understand the patterns that keep it alive. One quote that stuck out to me while reading this article was “I do not have to understand racism for it to be real” (57). We cannot separate ourselves as individuals from racism or privilege- it is a societal problem where everyone is responsible.
DiAngelo’s article sparked my interest in this topic and inspired me to research her other work. I found an interview she did with NPR where she made a point that reminded me of last week’s discussions about when we’re “done” dealing with issues of racial inequality. She explains that when Obama was elected president there was the post-racial feeling of solving the problem of racism- the same feeling that arose after the Brown vs Board of Education decision. She explains how white progressives are the most dangerous group to perpetuating racism- people who believe they are not part of the problem cannot be a part of the solution.
In “Smartness as Property: A Critical Exploration of Intersections Between Whiteness and Disability Studies”, the theme of racial privilege as a key to combating other oppressions is continued. Leonardo and Broderick unpack ideologies that they believe are socially constructed and pedagogical. These ideologies include whiteness and smartness. They make the argument that racial and intellectual supremacy are taught- they are part of the hidden curriculum found in schools. They stress that the “normative center of schools” needs to be rehabilitated and rearticulated, and in order to end the continuation of oppression towards certain groups of individuals, the concept of smartness needs to be analyzed concurrently with studies of whiteness and disability studies.
This article focuses on the concept of reification. The authors argue that whiteness and smartness are made real only by society and can evolve over time depending on how those in power can remain in power. A certain groups “membership” in the white community could be revoked at any time. The example of Arabs being excluded from being white post-9/11 is used to support this idea. The same philosophy is applied to the concept of smartness. Smartness and whiteness are defined as “forms of property that its owners exercise to their enjoyment and privilege...This property only has value as a commodity if there are others who continue to be denied access to its possession” (2221).
This final video that I am including acts as a visual for the “race of life”- how certain characteristics of our lives, even though they have nothing to do with anything we have done or decisions we have made, have given us advantages that ultimately give us a better opportunity to win the race of life.
I love the race of life! I actually did it with my advisory last year (not all the same questions) to help my students understand each other and how so many circumstances that are out of our control contribute to how far we get in life. We also used it as an opportunity to discuss identifying and being aware of what you are up against so that you can be proactive (whether it is social constructs, family dynamics, labeled ability level, etc.). I think this is an important piece of the puzzle as we struggle to right the wrongs of society in our classrooms that hasn't necessarily been addressed in either article this week. When we see the injustices our students are faced with, we can't change them, we can erase what they have been called or classified, but we can help them gain tools to overcome or fight against it. Going back to the community we keep finding so important in our discussions, how can we come together to combat the injustices we face.
ReplyDeleteWOW that race of life video really hit me emotionally. It reminded me of a program I have participated in and facilitated called Challenge Day where we do the "cross the line" activity similarly to the way they do in the movie the Freedom Writers. Circumstances have so much to do with the amount of or lack of opportunities in life. I also listened to the interview you posted from DiAngelo. The question "Why is it so hard for white people to talk about racism?" is really intriguing to me. In her interview she says, "So the evidence - probably the classic one is I was taught to treat everyone the same. I don't see color. It's focusing on race that divides us. Oh, I'm not racist. I marched in the '60s. I was in the Peace Corps. I was in Teach for America. I took a trip to Costa Rica. I have multiracial grandchildren." She goes on to show how whites come to defend themselves and prove how they are not racist and how they do not need a diversity workshop. To be honest, it reminds me of some things I have actually said in the past, it makes me wonder how my actions or words have impacted people in my past and would in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe race of life video was incredibly powerful. Just the look on those kids faces as their peers stepped so far ahead of them for things they really hadn't earned brought tears to my eyes. They looked so defeated. This may have just been an activity for this group, but for the kids left behind it's life. I think this is something that everyone needs to see, not just students but adults as well. I know so many people who think that they have been successful simply because of hard work, but they do not see how many advantages they've had due to White privilege. All Whites need to reflect as DiAngelo did, to see the ways they have been at an advantage due to the color of their skin. Hopefully the race for life made an impact on those students involved and anyone who has seen the video, because I know it did for me.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the race of life numerous times around social media and considered posting it last week in my blog. I think it's a great visual that shows the smallest and biggest factors given at the start of life can have a huge impact on the "Race of life". Hearing each statement being call and seeing the movement and/or stillness of the students, makes the watcher and the players so aware of what's happening in our society and as Lisa said in her comment "what your up against."
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