Tim Wise opened
his lecture on anti-racism and white privilege by stating that everything he
learned on these topics was taught to him by people of colour. This seemed like
a wise way to begin (sorry – that’s the last pun I’ll make in this blog, I
promise!) Some people may be wondering what authority a middle class white man
has when discussing race. Wise argued that he would rather use his position to
educate other white people about racism and privilege, even if this meant
making mistakes that he would have to learn from, rather than silently standing
by. Unfortunately, Wise acknowledged that he would be taken more seriously in
society than a person of colour who may be trying to say exactly the same
things as him.
Wise commented
that we should not be nostalgic about the things we have achieved so far in
terms of race as it is vital to look forward and we still have a very long way
to go for equality. Twenty-five years ago, Wise went to Tulane University. One
of the fraternities at Tulane accepted their first black student. A burning cross
was soon found outside the frat house. Today, there is still discrimination
against people of colour, in terms of employment and of course the criminal
justice system.
Last semester I
took a class entitled Race, Media and Culture. We watched a video in class
about putting cameras on cops. At the time I thought that this was a great
idea, which should be implemented immediately. However, Tim Wise mentioned
several incidents where black men were shot and killed by police officers,
recorded on camera, and still not indicted. There was video evidence in the cases
of Eric Garner, John Crawford, and many more. It seems impossible to deny video
evidence, however the police are still getting away with brutality, and murder
of people of colour.
I feel fortunate
enough to attend a school like Loyola, where we have classes on race and anti-racism
lectures and rallies. However, it seems unfortunate that more white people do
not take these classes and do not attend these lectures. White people need to be
educated on white privilege. We are the ones who are least educated about it and
least willing to accept it. We
need to learn how to do what we can against institutionalised racism.
Mr. Wise made a lot of compelling points in his speech "Dont Call Me A Rascist". A Tulane alum, Mr. Wise is aware of the current political and social climate and New Orleans and he understands the legitimacy of underlying social issues in America. I found him to be an educated and informative source on a subject that, as a white male, does not affect me on on a daily life. Mr. Wise said that many white people, specifically males do not understand the way that african americans and other minorities live in this country.
ReplyDeleteHe compared it to calculus. Sure I understand that 2x=4 where x is 2 but thats about it. It is the equivalent of knowing that black men and women are at a disadvantage in some way in life. The student who doesnt need to know calculus and isn't forced to learn it is going to remain ignorant to the laws and concepts. The white male who isn't forced to see the lives of the poor and struggling around them are not going to do anything about it because they are living their own lives. Mr. Wise says this is a philosophy and a way of thinking in America that needs to change. He claims that if the unequal gaps between whites and blacks are not detrimental to just people of color, as the amount of the country that is white shrinks each year these unequal stats will tear our country apart.
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