The Drawbacks of a Discourse on Privilege that Doesnt Account for Class While a discourse on privilege is essential part of any discussion about race, treating white people as though their privilege is the essence of who they are ignores the growing number of white Americans who, along with Americans of color have lost jobs and homes have seen their incomes plummet are watching their childrens educational experience be undermined by testing and scripted learning are living in poverty or are fearful of being pushed out of the middle class Any attempt to draw people experiencing this kind of pain and displacement into a discussion about race and racism must begin with empathy for what they are going through in a society where the entire working class and middle class is under attack. White privilege is real- but so is union busting, privatization, and the concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands. Talking down to people in pain is counterproductive, as is asking them to give up something when they have already give up so much.. Asking them to challenge racism, including the racism inside them, as part of a strategy to create a better future for all Americans, makes more sense.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 11:02:13 +0000
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