Blog #2 White Privilege & All Lives Matter
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh reminds me a lot about the previous article we read, Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson. For starters, both articles are about privilege and power especially in the white male. What I found most surprising about these articles was that both were written over a decade ago. McIntosh published her article in 1990 while Johnson published his article in 2001. However, both of these articles are relevant to modern day America.
Johnson and McIntosh explain the importance of unearned entitlements, these are things that all people should have. In reality, they are not spread out to everyone. This becomes an unearned advantage, usually given out to whites, males and/or heterosexuals. In White Privilege, McIntosh states, “I began to count the ways in which I enjoyed unearned skin privilege and have been conditioned into oblivion about its existence.” She then goes on to list 50 privileges she has over a person of color solely for being born white. In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Johnson states, “Privilege shows up in the daily details of people’s lives in almost every social setting. Consider the following examples of race privilege.” He then goes on to list 19 factors of white privilege. Together, these two writers are recognizing white privilege, pointing out scenarios to their audience and doing their best to inform people about the power of privilege. Many times the biggest privilege of them all, is not having to recognize your privileges. The end of privilege will be in the willingness of the privileged to give up their assigned privilege. This is where the trouble is coming from and the reason we were struggling with it in 1990, 2001 and now in 2018. People with privilege do not want to give it away because then it’ll make their lives harder. 
Additionally, The next time someone says ‘all lives matter,’ show them these 5 paragraphs by Kevin Roose, examines the issue of responding “All Lives Matter,” to the statement “Black Lives Matter.” Obviously, all lives do matter yet, black lives have not been valued as much as white lives. Responding “All Lives Matter” to the Black Lives Matter Movement merly ignores the injustice happening to black lives. The respondents are silencing the movement by ignoring the issue and telling people “Yes, all lives do matter,” but they are not showing people how all lives do matter. This article reminds me of The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children by Lisa Delpit. Deplit discusses the fact that white people in authority tend to shut down the opinions of their subordinates and/or shut down an African American person’s opinion. As shown through the responsiveness of the Black Lives Matter Movement, some people are ignoring the opinions of the black community. They are silencing how they feel and the differences around them. This silenced dialogue is a major issue that stops equality from forming. People need to hear not listen. People need to understand what the Black Lives Matter Movement is about and realize that there needs to be a change so that when we say “All Lives Matter” it is represented in each and every culture. We must find an equal baseline of equality, privilege and opportunity because all lives do matter. 
Wow, Emily. Your post really moved me. I love the point you made about the greatest privilege being not able to see your privilege. I believe it all boils down to this veil that people pull over their head to keep them from seeing all the injustice in the world so that they might not feel guilty. No one wants to take the blame.
ReplyDeleteEmily, you brought up a very important point in the fact that these articles are from over a decade ago, however they are still relevant to our society. I agree with "people do not want to give their privilege away because then it will make their lives harder."
ReplyDeleteJust reading your first paragraph, I really liked how you brought up the fact that both articles are over fifteen years old, and all of these problems that both authors write about are still relevant today. I also really liked how you connected both McIntosh and Johnson’s articles through their lists of white privilege. I completely agree with you about the people who have privilege will not give it up because life will be harder for them once it is gone. Lastly, I loved your connection with the All Lives Matter article and Delpit’s article especially saying “All Lives Matter” is equivalent to how white people listen but do not hear.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I love how you said, "People need to hear, not listen." This is very true and common throughout our society. People need to truly try and understand these problems in society. in addition, i liked how you compared this article to one we have previously looked at.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I really felt moved by your position that responding all lives matter, to the black lives matter movement is an injustice because like the writer said, it ignores the whole meaning of black lives matter.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree with you that the two articles were very similar in regards to white privilege and power. After over a decade, America is still seeing oppression in our daily lives. The worst part about this oppression is that people ignore its existence and I feel that is the root of the problem.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I totally agree with your immediate recognition that works written nearly a decade ago both share a common theme. Which is that privilege and power are still an issue that divides and discomforts the nation in the year 2018. Your comment concerning people giving away privilege identified the key issue with privilege. It will be very interesting to see how the nation will come to this realization, as well as, what will be done once, as a nation, we discover this to be a long awaited truth.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that these articles were written so long ago but the problems are still relevant in today's world. This just shows how we are so oblivious to the power and privileges that one race has over another.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I enjoyed reading your response! The part that stuck out the most to me was at the very end when you said "We must find an equal baseline of equality, privilege and opportunity because all lives do matter."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura I like the phrase "people need to hear not listen." Most people listen to what you say but never listen deep enough that you hear and understand why they are saying it.
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