Week 8

I cannot pretend to know what it is like to be a minority living in our society. The prejudice they receive, the racism that they know is hidden in some people, etc. I can't imagine the kinds of things they hear while simply trying to go about their day. Being a white female, I am unadjusted to what they experience. What I can relate to, however, is the assumptions I had about being a minority, and the privilege I never knew whites have. These things extend beyond Stevenson and the small town I live in, they go beyond Illinois even, these significant occurrences stretch throughout the United States.

I had many assumptions about race when I started this class. The most significant one was that it was biological. I always thought that if my mother was black and my dad was black, then I would be too. Through this class, I have learned that race depends on who's perspective it is from. I may think I am black, but if I am in another country they may see me as being light. This translates into the world of college applications. Affirmative action makes it so minorities have a better chance of receiving admission simply because of their race. Because I may think I am black, I can check that off while applying. I can be as white as snow, but as long as I view myself as black, that's all that matters. We learned about this through "Racial Formation" by Omi and Winant.

The privileges whites receive are something I never thought of. As soon as I started thinking about colleges I thought it was a disservice to be in the majority because affirmative action would not apply to me. As it turns out, whites have so many privileges, we can take a disservice this one time. Examples of privileges include: not being followed around in stores in fear of shoplifting, not being seen as low class or homeless based on what one is wearing, and being seen as superior in basically any setting. To be a minority and experience this must not only be humiliating, but also anger inducing. To know that people are judging you on the basis of your skin must be the worst feeling in the world. Although it may not be explicit racism that people are intending on acting upon, many people still act on implicit racism today.

Overall, to be a minority in our society would be frustrating and would induce a feeling of hopelessness. While some say that racism is at its lowest point, I believe that it is at its high because it is not on people's radar anymore.