Talking Point #1

    
Author: Jonathan Kozol, Peggy McIntosh, Salim Muwakkil, Pat Parker
Text: "Amazing Grace", "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack", "Data Show Racial Bias Persists in America", "For the White Person Who Wants to know How to be My Friend"
Reflection:     The first reading by Kozol resonated with me. It was incredibly sad and bleak. The saddest part is that I can remember hearing many stories that parallel to the events portrayed in this particular text. Many people go though poverty and disease. They need assistance and have to do more than most just to get a checkup. The part Kozol wrote about walking through the ghetto with the small boy Cliffie was one of the more memorable parts of the reading. I just kept thinking to myself that I don’t even walk around my neighborhood and that little boy walked around in that horrible neighborhood fearless.
     I thought the writing by Pat Parker was hilarious. I completely agree with the idea that some white people act oversensitive around some people of color because they want to come off as pleasant and inoffensive. I love it when writers are honest and straight to the point because I was raised to speak that way. To me, tip toeing around a touchy subject is not necessary. If you want to say something just say it.
     The reading about white privilege was enlightening. I never thought about how what’s so obvious to be is oblivious to others. I just assumed white males knew they could do certain things that I couldn’t. I remember when speaking to one of my white male friends about working out. He said jogging around my neighborhood would be a good exercise and I told him that would be impossible for me. I couldn’t just run around the west end of providence and he looked at me as if I was crazy. So what made so much sense to me was outrageous to him.
      In class I want to discuss the idea of educating people about cultural differences. I would like to reflect on the text about privilege. The thought that I didn’t think that others cant relate to me makes me feel uneasy but if there is a dialogue between different cultures, then we could all try to find a way to understand each other. Understanding the differences ties in with everything. If you know everyone’s rules you can share your rules and either go along or change things.