Privilege

"The word 'privilege' now seems to me misleading" (McIntosh)  After reading this article, especially the check list, it became less of an abstract idea and more of a reality of what being white means from my perspective.  I feel like we have read really informative and great books and articles explaining what it is like for a person of color, which I think is equally important, to realize what in my life have I been given because of the color of my skin.

McIntosh makes another good point in the article saying that oppression is interlocking.  I can see how they can converge with the have and have nots, the powerful and the powerless.  I think what she is advocating first is awareness then using that awareness to create social change, which can take, as she said, decades.  However, I am not sure what social change will look like?  The only way I can see myself making a difference is being aware myself and allow my future students this eye opening experience, I'm not sure if it would be effective or not, but at least I put the effort in.

In the movie, I think the Barak School is doing an amazing thing and making a huge effort to help the youth succeed in graduating high school since there is a 76% of African Americans who don't graduate.  There was three options the teacher stated for the student either jail, death, or graduation.  That is a big difference since I can't think of any friends who haven't graduated high school.  I now attribute that to being white and the different options available.

I am really looking forward to seeing the rest of the movie and see how the boys do.  It was sad to realize that opportunity for these boys was very slim in the US so they had to go to Kenya to get that opportunity.  I am glad this program is available and even though the boys seem to be struggling, the rates of high school completion are very promising, so it seems to be worth the struggle.