Blog entry #9

Before the Equal Rights movement and the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started, racism could be seen all throughout America. And even to this day traces of racism can still be seen. Racism never ended, it only became less severe. Today there is a new form of racism called privilege. Time Wise, an antiracist writer and activist, believes that racism is still a defining problem in America today through the use of privilege and how it grants others some sort of advantage. He tries to help define the meaning of what it means to be racist and what privilege is in what he calls “white privilege”.

We have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and have pushed his dream on to this day. Progress has truly been made but we as a race are nowhere near a perfectly accepting society of people. Racism still exists and it now comes in many forms and degrees. Anti-racism activist, Time Wise defines racism “Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are either inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined by skin color” (Cook, p. 5) His definition of racism can be even further taken apart by labeling racism and privilege as two separate categories. Racism is usually the focus on another’s “inferiority” to anyone else, while privilege is the idea that one is “superior” to another. These ideas have unfortunately been developed into unique ways to different cultures of the world.

Questions of color and race have been at the center of some of the most important events in American experience, and Americans. Many have come to believe that racism stopped with the enactment of the Civil Rights Act however, as Wise puts it, “just because you’ve made something illegal doesn’t mean it no longer happens” (Cook, p. 6). It’s just like the prohibition of alcohol in America in the 1920’s. It was illegal to drink alcohol but did that stop everyone? Certainly not. It is the same with racism, even though it may be illegal to discriminate people still do it just because they simply want to, whether it is because that is the way they have always lived their life or if they truly believe that it is right. Historically, an individual’s race was base upon where they came from and their ancestors. Now days, race has become more about how an individual looks, such as the color of their skin. Individuals of a particular race may be instantly judged because of the color of their skin and disguisable traits. For example, no one would ever suspect me to be a plane terrorist because I have fair skin and look American, but if I were darker skinned and had similar facial traits to a middle-eastern I would have a great chance of being looked down upon for my appearance. Racism incorporates both privileges and disadvantages. For instance, Wise reports that, “job applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names are 50 percent more likely to get called back than those with ‘black-sounding’ names, even if both have the same qualifications. That is privilege” (Cook p. 6). This directly shows how white privilege and racism is still carried out in today’s society. Race is still a powerful social idea and the American government along with the society has created advantages to being white. This frankly affects the entire nation.

As a white person I have been given many privileges when I come to my daily life. According to Tim Wise I will have a better chance of getting a job, not being pulled over by the police and I will start out with a monetary advantage (Wise 6). One may notice that Mr. Wise does not say that whites have a privilege during college admissions, which may have to do with the controversial issue of affirmative action. Affirmative action, though constitutional, is viewed by many as racism as many people; this is because it is a program that is meant to level the playing field for minorities (Brunner 1). This is racist because it is saying that minorities need help, implying they are inferior, and discriminating against whites. Reverse discrimination is not only prevalent in the universities but also in the work place. One evident case of this is when, in Connecticut, firefighters exams where thrown out because whites where the highest scoring and no African Americans passed the exam (Mears 1). Justice Anthony Kennedy found that this was unconstitutional because the department was doing this out of fear of litigation alone (Mears 1). I would have to say that privileges and racism go both ways. I am not denying that some whites are racist and receive privileges, just to look at the other side as well of the privileges given to minorities and the discrimination against whites.

In conclusion, racism is still seen today whether we want to believe it or not. Racism can be any form whether it’s having certain privileges than someone else or maybe even the simple fact that if one looked like they were or are from the Middle East, they would be looked down upon because they could be a “terrorist”. Like Wise said, “The flip side of disadvantage is advantage. You can’t have a down without an up,” (Cook). Having “white privilege” is still considered racist. It is little things like these that can make a person racist and can therefore still make it seeable in America to this day.


References:

Brunner, Borgna. "Affirmative Action History." Infoplease. Pearson Education Inc. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

Cook, David. “By the Color of Their Skin: I’m Wise on the Myth of a Postracial America.” The Sun 2009. Copy of print.

Mears, Bill. "High Court Backs Firefighters in Reverse Discrimination Suit." Cnnpolitics.com. 29 June 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .