Thinking About Power, Privilege and Difference
To facilitate our discussion of Johnson and S.C.W.A.M.P. I am starting our discussion and thinking on line since the snowstorms have made our meeting together complicated. Listed below are some ideas from your think pieces about Johnson. As you read these, discuss your response with one another or comment below.
- One part of the reading I really found enjoyable was the part pertaining to the paradox of privilege. For instance, when it stated that "race privilege is more about white people than it is about white people." I it found rather intriguing because it had to do with the idea that in today's world people are more concerned over the fact that you are a certain color rather than being concerned over the type of person you actually are.
- Another thing I really liked about these readings is the part where James Baldwin's idea that no one is black or white before coming to America is mentioned.
- A good point Johnson brought up that I have realized before is that people are afraid of the unknown only because of things they do not know.
- Racism and judgment is not something people are born with.
- I completely agree with another statement Johnson said that we can't overcome these negative attitudes until we answer the question as to why we feel the way we do toward others. Personally, I believe that this is a matter of what our parents, grandparents, or other older relatives have exposed to us...
- A powerful point Johnson makes which really grabbed my attention and wholeheartedly agree with is "we are not prisoners to some natural order that pits us hopelessly and endlessly against one another. We are prisoners to something, but it's closer to our own making than we realize, and we, therefore, are far from helpless to change it and ourselves.
- I have worked as a cashier and I find that there are much better ways to judge a person on first meeting than color of skin they happened to be born with. Clothing, posture, hygiene all come to mind as factors I use to assess people the first time I meet them.
- We have been taught in schools ever since elementary levels that the term "racism" is a term only of the past. It does not exist anymore because of the FEW that chose to stand up for what is right. But in reality, racism is still alive in the hearts and souls of many people that can't come to terms with diversity. Not everyone has the same point of view, but is important to society that we can look at things in a different way that everyone can agree on.
After doing S.C.W.A.M.P. and reading Johnson, your awareness of power privilege and difference in our everyday lives and society is heightened. Do you have an example of power privilege and difference to share from your own experience or current events or just from our environment?
I definitely agree with statement two and four. I am from another country and in that country all I've known is that we are all human and friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers. It's true that before America no one has a clue of racism. America has racism because there are people of diverse background who lives here with judgement and hatred upon each other.
ReplyDeleteNumber four states that "Racism and judgment is not something people are born with" and I agree. While I was growing up I did not know what race is and all I know is that there are kids, teenagers, and adults. But as I grew up I learned that all kind of people are judgmental and it's not just black and white racism but all kind of race out there, can be racist. The reason a child would be racist, is if they were taught by their guardians to be racist. If a child was never taught to be racist, all they'll ever know is love and kindness toward others.
As a born citizen of the United States, I never thought of statement 2 as a thought. Growing up in a society of races, I always thought of people as black and white because that is what society has taught us in America. To think that in other countries those terms do no exist, makes me wonder about the society I grew up in. The fact that other countries just see their people as just people and we created the terms "black" and "white" people makes me reconsider so many things I have been taught. -Amanda
ReplyDeleteI think that racism and "white privilege" has become a much more common problem in recent years. When people look at others I feel that some take a quick look as someone who is of a different race, gender, sexuality, or religion and make snap judgements. I think that we have become a nation who deems people as "weak" or "incapable" of certain things (more commonly jobs) because others do not look like or act like them. It's extremely disheartening to hear someone make these snap judgements on people when, in reality, those very people are off doing amazing things in the world and working hard like everyone else. Just as Johnson said in his piece, we need to ask ourselves why we act this way for us to be able to fix the problem.
ReplyDelete4 & 7 really stand out to me. 4 stands out because we aren't born to act certain ways towards those that are different, we act that way because we were raised to do so. My parents view others as equals and taught me to do so as well, but that doesn't mean the guy down the street was raised the same way. Its a matter of nature vs. nurture. A person isn't born racist, they are simply exposed to situations and people that affect the way they view and think of others. Number 7 I can relate to. When meeting someone new or watching a stranger walk down the street, I'm not going to judge them so much on their skin tone as I will based on how their present themselves. Do they appear confidant, happy, sad, clean etc. I personally judge someone based on what they bring to the table, as cliche as that may sound. But not everyone is like that so I guess the best thing to do, is teach future generations that racism does still exist and teach them how they can change that.
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