After Tuesday's class discussion about the ways females participation in systems that continually perpetuate male's superiority and social norms, this Thursday's readings provides another example of females contribution. Audre Lorde's "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House" and Combahee River Collective's "A Black Feminist Statement" express the disunity among white women and women of color and such disunity is similar to males in patriarchy--white women wants, desires, and needs are prioritized over women of color. Combabee River Collective expresses frustration that it seems women of color are fighting for their own liberation without any support. Lorde expresses that same frustration by bringing to light the idea of "racist feminism." She is frustrated by the lack of representation of poor, lesbian, older black women and urge that not only do men needs to be educated, but white women needs to be educated as well.
Peggy McIntosh's "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" reinforces the other two articles' point. McIntosh's speaks of white privilege in terms of representation, treatments, access, and advantages. As I read McIntosh's article, the privilege that struck me most was 21: "I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group." This one is most interesting because it seems as if society treats white peoples' actions as individual non-related acts, whereas for people color, their actions seem to be a representation of their entire race. It's like white people have no relationship (besides sharing the same color) or responsibility for each other and people of color are the opposite.
This point reminds me of conversations I have in my American School class. We read Education for a Caring Society: Classroom Relationships and Moral Action by Kay Johnston (a professor at Colgate); Professor Johnston argues that it is a privilege for the rich and superior to put distance between people whereas the poor and inferior realize the way they are affected by others. In relation to this week's reading, another privilege for white people is to put distances between others and feel if they don't have a obligation for one another. White people lack the level of empathy that people of color have (a sociology research).
I think that Jia makes some really interesting points about the readings.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by McIntosh's list of the ways that she is privileged too. Growing up as a the majority race in my small town, I did not think of my race very much. As a I read McIntosh's article, however; I realized that she was right. The rights she listed, I do have, but I have never thought about it before.
When I am in a group I never wonder if my actions will reflect on my race, unless we are discussing racial issues. This semester I am taking a class at Colgate called "Psychology of Oppression" and we discussed how white people do not think that race is important (sometimes) because they have never been made aware of their race. It reminds me of what Jia writes about her American School class.
It is really sad that the feminist movement was racist, because it is very hypocritical of them. Here they are fighting for equal rights, when they deny them to other women just because of their race. I think it is also important to mention that race and gender is not the only way that people discriminate. McIntosh mentions how religion and social class are often factors of how people are treated.