4-A-3+Group+B

=Home > Activity 4-A-3: White Privilege > Group B=

Instructions:

 * 1) Click the **Edit** tab in the upper-right corner.
 * 2) Use the Summary area below to collaborate with your group to create your summary of the connections between white privilege, the colorblind perspective, and social dominance theory.
 * 3) Press **Save** on the Editor bar.

You don't need to sign your work or indicate which sections you contributed; your facilitator can see your contributions in the history of the page. Your group summary should demonstrate your collaboration rather than being a collection of unconnected individual ideas. When your group decides that the summary is finished, have one group member remove "(Draft)" below so your facilitator will know that it is ready for review.
 * Note:**

Summary
Final Summary from Group B

The "colorblind perspective", the social dominance theory, and white privilege are intricately connected in such a way that it is difficult to discuss one without discussing the others. Many of us have been told since childhood, whether directly or indirectly, not to mention or discuss the color of a person's skin or obvious physical differences. We have been taught that to discuss issues of race or to mention the color of someone’s skin is a form of racism. Furthermore, many of us know, perhaps through personal experience or observation, that white people are generally treated in a more positive manner than people of color. We are never supposed to mention this, however, or even acknowledge it to be true.

Howard (2006) says in his book entitled //We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know: White teachers, Multiracial schools//, “Most forms of social oppression, such as racism, sexism, and classism, can be viewed as manifestations of group-based social hierarchy” (35). McIntosh makes a similar point saying that those born into the dominant race are given positive advantages without really earning them. The color of our skin gives us rights and advantages that we did nothing to earn. Those who were not so lucky to be born into the majority will never have the same rights and advantages that we are born with. McIntosh calls this “unearned entitlement” and says that this advantage is unmerited. This supports Howard’s ideas because he says that “…social dominance theorists suggest that human beings are inherently predisposed to create group-based systems of categorization and discrimination” (37). In essence, we want to categorize groups based on similarities and differences. We want to put ourselves at the top of the ladder of social hierarchy while putting everyone else who may not look exactly like us or have the same views or backgrounds as we do, beneath us at the bottom of the ladder.

Howard also writes, “Individuals develop belief structures that support and rationalize their social position and their collective reality” (36). This is connected to McIntosh's ideas in the sense that the dominant group is usually unaware of the fact that they have these privileges because they created them, or were born into them, as part of their “collective reality." Many people who are white don't even realize they have privileges that others do not because they assume that everyone is treated as they are. They assume that everyone thinks like them and acts like them because they are the dominant force within society that sits at the very top of the ladder of social hierarchy. McIntosh states, "Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow ‘them’ to be more like ‘us’”(McIntosh, 1988). McIntosh’s statement shows the dominance that, as white people, we believe we have, thus leading us to believe that we are above all other races. Other races should be more like us because as white people we believe our way of life is the right way of life, and what is good for us is good for all. We never consulted others about what types of blemish colors to produce or what color person to put on a greeting card because we didn’t have to and didn't even think to do so. Those in power are making the decisions, both small and large, based on their beliefs, skin color, and worldview.

While white people certainly benefit from their position on the ladder of social hierarchy, many of us would never consider ourselves racist because we do not actively seek to discriminate against people not like us. McIntosh mentions, “In my class and place, I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in the invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth.” As part of the “dominant” group, we are taught that only overt acts of racism attacking individuals are racist acts. We do not see our places of power and privilege as oppressive and ultimately forms of racism. Those NOT in the “dominant” group face more seriously damaging possibilities through the loss of power and rights as a consequence of racism; for those not in the “lead group”, racism cuts much deeper than just a few insults or dirty looks.

Just as we have been taught that we are not racist unless we overtly attack a person of color, we have also been taught not to see color, thus making people of color invisible to us. Howard (2006) says that, “The proponents of colorblindness assume that the mere perception of difference is a problem” (57). He says that “colorblindness grows from a dominance-oriented perspective” and that “difference threatens dominance, because it upsets the belief in one’s own rightness” (57). Howard even talks about a time when a teacher asked a student of color what would happen if the teacher didn’t see his color, and the student said to the teacher, “You don’t see me” (58). It is important for us to acknowledge color and to let our students feel proud of their heritage, instead of just saying, “I am colorblind,” which basically means that we are ignoring their heritage and background. Howard also says that people are colorblind when they say things like, "I was raised not to see color. I have always treated everyone the same. I see people as individuals, not as member of a racial group (57). This again ignores the person as an individual. Their race is part of who they are and ignoring that is ignoring them as a person.

As white people most of us have all been "colorblind" at some point. Our challenge now is to not look beyond the color of a person's skin but to look at the color of a person's skin as an important part of that person's identity. As white people we are all inherently racist because we were born into power, however, we do not need to support a system that promotes institutional racism. Instead, we can speak out for our students of color and never allow them to be treated differently because of who they are. And lastly, as white people, we have benefitted from innumerable privileges, most of them unearned because of the color of our skin. Instead of blindly accepting these privileges without recognizing why we are receiving them, we need to open our eyes and be aware of what we have and be conscious of sharing our privileges with others and never ever taking those privileges for granted.

Howard, G. R. (2006). We can’t teach what we don’t know: White teachers, multiracial schools (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

McIntosh, P. (1988). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies.”

Enter summary here...

**“I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.”**
====-This really caught my attention, because I look at most news anchors and most television hosts, and I see that the majority are white. Even if they are not white, then they are African-American, but what about Asian or Indian or Hispanic television anchors? I see hardly any anchors or reporters who are from those cultures. Most TV shows feature white families in suburban households. I just talked to my best girl friend, who is from South Korea and was adopted when she was 2, and she said she just got used to not seeing Asian people on TV, because she just got accustomed to seeing mostly only white people on TV. **(Kristen)**====

**"I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race."**
====-This made me think of the children’s books I read when I was young and how few minorities were represented in those books. I thought of what it would be like if all the children in those books were African-American or another race and how that would have made me feel like I was an outcast or that my culture did not matter. I would probably have wanted to be from the group that dominated those books. I wonder if that is how young children who are not white feel, and it makes me feel really bad. **(Kristen)**====

**"I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world’s majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion."**
==== -I have heard so many times, “You are in America, now speak English.” People have sent me those forwarded emails that include signs that say this and jokes about how people who now live in America need to speak English. It makes me wonder if people who are American and move to another country work hard to learn the native language. Also, just yesterday I was at the gas station and I had a question about a sign that was put on the pump where I was, so I tried to ask the gas station clerk a question, and he did not speak English very well. I got frustrated and ending up just going to a different pump because I could not understand him! I even thought in my mind, “You don’t even speak English!” Now I look back and think I shouldn’t just expect him to completely lose his culture, but then I also think that if he deals with clients who mostly speak English, shouldn’t he really concentrate on his English? I am torn on this issue, because I don’t know how hard I would work to learn another language if I moved to another country. **(Kristen)** ====

**"I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race."**
====-This made me think of how I collect Precious Moments figurines and how there are hardly any Precious Moments figurines who are not white! How many varieties of Barbie Dolls are there who are not white? There may be a few Barbie dolls who are not white, but I’m sure there are so many different varieties of Barbie dolls out there who are white, with only a few being of a different race. I feel that if you gave a white child a Barbie doll or Cabbage Patch Kid (Do kids still play with them?!) who was not white, that that child might not want it or would think something was weird about having a doll of another race. I wonder if the child would care or if his/her parents would be the one to say that he/she should exchange it for a white doll? **(Kristen)**====

**"I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin."**
====-Band-Aids! What color are they? You guessed it: peach! The peach colored crayon actually used to be called “flesh!” I remember calling it that color, too, and now looking back, I realize how rude that was! I have not seen Band-Aids that are brown, tan, black, or any other “flesh” colors. I think that if I had a child who was of a different color than “peach,” then I would probably buy the cartoon band-aids (Sponge Bob, Sesame Street, etc.) so that he/she would not feel embarrassed, but then I wonder about adults. How does a person of color feel wearing a peach Band-Aid against very dark skin? How does that help to make the wound less noticeable?! This statement intrigued me! **(Kristen)**====

===__**Summary of the connections between white privilege, the colorblind perspective, and social dominance theory: **__=== ==== Howard says that, “Most forms of social oppression, such as racism, sexism, and classism, can be viewed as manifestations of group-based social hierarchy” (2006, p35), and what Peggy McIntosh says goes right along with this point. McIntosh says that those born into the dominant race are given positive advantages without really earning them; the color of your skin gives you rights and gives you more advantages, that you did nothing to earn, over others who were not so lucky to be born in the majority. McIntosh calls this “unearned entitlement,” and she says that this advantage is unmerited; this goes along with Howard’s ideas, because he says that, “…social dominance theorists suggest that human beings are inherently predisposed to create group-based systems of categorization and discrimination” (2006, p37). In essence, people want to categorize themselves and put themselves at the top while putting others, who may not look exactly like they do or have the same views or backgrounds, beneath them. ==== ==== (Kayla's suggestion- add to paragraph 1) McIntosh said "whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow "them" to be more like "us"" (McIntosh, 1988). This shows the dominance that Whites believe they have that they are above the other races and should be more like us. The Whites beleive they are right so everyone should be like them. ====

==== In the area of racism, McIntosh mentions that, “ In my class and place, I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in the invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth.” This shows that if we are in the “dominant” group, then we are taught that only overt acts of racism that attack individuals are racist acts, while those who are NOT in the “dominant” group face much more seriously damaging possibilities through the loss of power and rights as a consequence of racism; to those not in the “lead group,” racism cuts much deeper than just a few insults or dirty looks.====

====Also, people may say that we should all be “colorblind,” but Howard (2006) says that, “The proponents of colorblindness assume that the mere perception of difference is a problem” (57). He says that, “Colorblindness grows from a dominance-oriented perspective” and that, “Difference threatens dominance, because it upsets the belief in one’s own rightness” (Howard, 2006, p57). Howard even talks about a time when a teacher asked a student of color what would happen in the teacher didn’t see his color, and the student said that to the teacher, “You don’t see me” (2006, p58). It is important for us to acknowledge color and to let our students feel proud of their heritage, instead of just saying, “I am colorblind,” which basically means that you are ignoring their heritage and background. **(Kristen)**==== ====Howard also says that people are colorblind because they say "I was raised not to see color. I have always treated everyone the same. I see people as individuals, not as member of a racial group (Howard, 2006, p57). This again ignores the person as an individual. Their race is part of who they are and ignoring that is ignoring them as a person. (Kayla's suggestion- Add this to paragraph 3)====
 * (Hilary's proposed addition--perhaps in between paragraphs 1 and 2):** Howard also writes that “individuals develop belief structures that support and rationalize their social position and their collective reality” (36). This is connected to McIntosh's ideas in terms of the dominant group is usually unaware of the fact that they have these privileges because they created them, or were born into them, as part of their “collective reality." The dominant group didn’t consult others about what types of blemish colors to produce or what color person to put on a greeting card because they didn’t have to and didn't even think to; those in power were making the decisions, small an large, and made the decisions based on their beliefs, skin color, and worldview.

====McIntosh, P. (1988). **White Privilege:** Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. //“White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies.”//====

1**. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.**

I live in an area that has a large White population, and there are almost always people who look like me wherever I go. When I travel to other places, I can usually find other people who look like me. I can count in one hand the times I have, as a White woman, been a minority in the room. (Genevieve)


 * 2. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.**

This privilege hit close to home to me, as I do all of the shopping for my family. I have never has to think twice about heading to grocery store or CVS. The only time I have worried about shopping alone is if I have been in a store parking lot late at night, but I think that comes from being woman, not being White. (Genevieve)


 * 3. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.**

I have never had any trouble finding dolls or books with children who look like me. I am White, blond-haired and blue-eyed (Barbie is a favorite Halloween costume). I am sure that if I walked into Toys R Us tomorrow, I would find plenty of dolls that looked like me. (Genevieve)


 * 4. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help my race will not work against me.**

My doctor and dentist are both white. During my last visit to the emergency room, I was served by mostly white doctors and nurses. (Genevieve)
 * 5. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.**

I am a very klutzy person, and always have bandages somewhere on my body (two right now!). I have never even thought to worry that I couldn’t find bandages in my skin tone. (Genevieve)

====When White culture says that it is “colorblind”, it is ignoring very important feelings that come from people of color. When White culture ignores these feelings, it devalues the people who have these thoughts.====

When White culture says that it is “colorblind”, it is refusing to acknowledge its own social dominance. This social dominance comes in many forms, and one of those forms is the White Privilege that gives White culture power. By ignoring their social dominance, the White Culture is ignoring that this dominance is the cause the racism that it is so desperately trying to end with “colorblindness.”

Kristina's Summary

The five privileges that resonated most with me from Peggy McIntosh's article "Unpacking the Invisible White Knapsack" are as follows:

--I think oftentimes a minority person is expected to be a spokesperson for their racial group or religion or whatever group they consider themselves to be a part of. If there are no other minorities present with a group of white people, it is often the case that someone will ask that person what their opinion is of a certain issue/topic related to how it affects his/her minority group as if he/she is an expert in how her/his entire race or minority group feels. This is a huge assumption on the part of the white person, and I would imagine a feeling of pressure from the person of color to try and respond as a representative for his/her entire race. It is rather absurd, actually, because no one would ever ask a white person to speak for the entire white race.
 * I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group. **

--I am free to say whatever I want about my government because people will perceive my ideas/opinions, however countercultural or unpopular, as my right to freely express myself. They may think my ideas are crazy, thus leading them to think I am crazy or a flaming liberal or a conservative tea partier, but they will not accuse me of being a terrorist or tell me to go back to my country of origin if I don’t like how things are in the U.S.
 * I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider. **

**When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is**. --In history class I learned about how white people “discovered” and “settled” the United States. I learned about how white people have made sacrifices and worked hard to make this country successful and prosperous. If I did learn about a person of color, it was generally a side note, or a tiny little box inset in the history textbook with a title like “Contributions of Minorities in the U.S.” I didn’t have to do my own research to discover what my race has done for “civilization” (I have had to do my own research to discover what women have done for the world).

--It would be very easy for me to never have to associate with a person of color if I did not want to. There are many neighborhoods in Chicago where there is little ethnic or racial diversity. There are coffee shops, restaurants, stores, etc. where almost everyone is white. On the other hand, there are also many neighborhoods in Chicago that are very ethnically diverse where very few white people live or visit. It is certainly an eye-opening experience as a white person to go to those neighborhoods and literally be the only white person around. I guess it is a very small taste of what people of color experience on a daily basis.
 * I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. **

--No one has ever questioned my financial responsibility or denied me a loan because of the color of my skin. Because I am white (and I also believe because of my level of education. I think people are also discriminated against if they don’t receive a certain level of education), there certainly seems to be an assumption that I will pay my bills on time, not default on a loan, or commit any sort of fraud.
 * Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of my financial reliability. **

The "colorblind perspective", the social dominance theory, and white privilege are intricately connected in such a way that it is difficult to have one without the other. Many of us have been told since childhood, whether directly or indirectly, not to mention or discuss the color of a person's skin or obvious physical differences. It is like the giant elephant in the room--we see the elephant and are even cautious to step around it so as not to disturb it, but we never engage the elephant in dialogue to understand how the elephant got there and what it is doing sitting quietly in the room. Perhaps if we ignore the elephant, it will disappear. We do not want to disturb the elephant because then we might have to actually address it and deal with it. McIntosh (1988) writes in her article "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible White Backpack" that "whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege." We are taught not to see color, and we are taught not to acknowledge all the power and privilege that comes from being white. Many people who are white don't even realize they have privileges that others don't because they assume that everyone is treated as they are. They assume that everyone thinks like them and acts them because they are the dominant force within society that sits at the very top of the ladder of social hierarchy. It's a pretty view from the top of the ladder so why would they want to look down to see what is happening below them?