Tim Wise and Privilege

After watching Tim Wise's speech about white privilege, I felt like my eyes had been opened slightly wider to the continuing problem of discrimination and "over privilege." I knew that discrimination in some areas was still a problem but after watching the video, discrimination is still a major problem in our society. And the worst thing about it is that most white people don't think it's a bad problem anymore. I confess that even I was one of those people who thought that racial discrimination was coming to an end because the issue has become so taboo to talk about. I guess when a subject becomes taboo it doesn't always mean that the matter of the subject is solved; I'm beginning to realize that when a subject is taboo it means that there are feelings of guilt attached to it. When there is guilt there is an unwillingness to talk about the problem and get it fully resolved. Like Mr. Wise said in his speech when he talked about taking responsibility for the mistakes of the past. Feeling guilty isn't going to solve anything or make any forward progress.

I think privilege, most of the time, isn't fair. In all aspects of privlege whether pertaining to race, education, money, maybe just knowing the right people to get a desired job; all these things are dependent on whether you have the privilege. And it's not fair. But that is a belief in our capitalistic society that only the strong survive as Tim Wise noted. It is a difficult thing to ask a race of people to give up the advantages they receive just for being born in the dominant race beause most of them are not taught that there is an inequality in the distribution of privilege. Everyone wants to succeed and in this generation (like many others) many ask, "what's in it for me?" or "how can I benefit by devoting my precious time to something else?" and with this outlook, why would anyone not take advantage of societal privileges?

Tim Wise brought up many interesting points during his speech and his talent as a public speaker is very impressive. His points on the ignorance of white privilege among whites were very thought provoking and entertaining. He brought attention to the fact that our media has a difficulty in reporting backward societal movements within bureaucratic and political systems. The media frowns on individual discrimination but yet they seem apprehensive to report on subjects that deal with mass discrimination within our own political systems. I think this has somewhat to do with the ties the political officials have with media and the denial our country has about how privilege is distributed unequally by race still to this day. Which brings me back to the idea of white privilege being a taboo topic to speak about because of guilt and denial. The first step for everyone, even the media, is to get out of this system of denial and open up public discussion. When dialogue can be freely thrown around that's when the real movement can start.

After only a few classes I have already begun to think about my place in the world and what classification I fall under. I've started to notice what things I can do in society and things I don't have to worry about that many others do. I've noticed that in the office I work, I am surrounded by people of my own race. Most of the time outside of school, I spend my social time with members of all races and don't think much of it - I've been able to get over the age-old cliche of "judging a book by it's cover." But I will, for this blog try and identify my privileges.

1. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely and positively represented.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
4. I can be reasonably sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, fairly well assured that I will not be followed or harassed by store detectives.
6. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me.