Tim Wise, a white anti-racism activist, wrote an article that was printed in the July, 2009 issue of The Sun. It addresses the myths that racism has been dismantled because of President Barack Obama being elected into office. He speaks to the hegemony and systematic racism that is going strong regardless of a few people of color in leadership positions. He even states an interesting argument, that it is easier to become the president of the United States as an African-American man than to become a CEO of a company, due to the fact that a few white leaders will make that CEO decision and therefore perpetuate systematic racism by choosing fellow white leaders.
One quote I found useful in the article is: "One reason white Americans deny their white privilege is that most people want to believe they are living in a just society. Another is that to acknowledge the truth would call upon us to make some tough changes, and people are afraid to give up their advantage. It can also be psychologically harmful to confront the fact that one is benefitting unfairly from the system."
Tim Wise has a new book out, called Between Barack and a Hard Place: Race and Whiteness in the Age of Obama.
Submitted by Anne Phillips
No comments:
Post a Comment