Sunday, February 13, 2011

To be or not to be is the question...

Argument, please no beef, i didn't bring the A1 sauce:

This author Peggy McIntosh argues that whites are taught by society not to recognize the white privilege they receive, in contrast to us males denying that males have privileges over women in today's cold world. I find it funny that we substituted one word out of white privileged, instead of privileged why isn't it white power? Isn't power and privileged the same thing? OH i know why, how stupid of me, then it would be racism. Peggy calls white privilege an "invisible weightless knapsack of social provisions, maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks." I couldn't agree with that more. Why because through out our lives, me being African American living in a town predominantly white, and I've learned the culture of power, because i was brought up in it. Now that doesn't mean i have the upper advantage, i was taught that i was. Being males is one but to a cetain cost. Being African American makes my invisible nap sack with all those goodies stated at top exchanged with rocks, and with one strap to carry. She call skin tone and unearned privilege. This allows you to freely criticize, or be oblivious to anything outside of dominant culture. Unearned privilege often gets confused with strength, because it gives the false sense of control, same goes for power. This brings me to my point that opened my eyes from looking at murky water, to crystal clear water when it comes to society. My brains almost hit climax reading the 25 conditions she does not have to worry about, not even being a female, but for being white. Some of these i never ever realized because i felt i didn't have to worry about because of my up bringing. I never had thoughts of in high school, reading about black history month, i was the first one picked on to give my thoughts. That shit really did happen. Or when walking down the street most people will stare at me with eyes WIDE open to make sure i am not going to do anything. As i am writing this i am geeking out, because all these 25 condition should be running through my mind all the time when only a couple do. Ive been so conditioned by a white society to myself thinking i have white privileged, but i was just foolish to see that i really don't have that much at all. I am glad i was condition in such a way, because it gives me less to think about, and it helps me not think that everyone is a racist.  The funny thing about this is that while whites do not have to worry about any of those 25 conditions, and the reason is why because society taught people to only recognize racism as acts of cruel or meanness by members of the culture of power, or the main dominate race. Students across the country do not see that being white in this beautiful cold country as a racial identity, and do not think that racism doesn't affect them because they are not people of color. Peggy Mcintosh is a female if you already couldn't tell, and she recognizes that there is an unequal justice for being a female, also not being white. I truly believe she does realize she has more privileges  being a white female.

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