racial bias and while privilege

Before this class i never really thought of myself as being priveleged or 'overpowering' because the statistics and facts werent put infront of me like they are throught these two articles. "fifty five percent of whites polled sais yes," to the question asking if minorities in this country have equal job opportunities.
The articles kind of controdict each other in their stance on priveleged people vs. overpowering, but have the same type of purpose, to show that racial bias still exists is many ways. Salim Muwakkil says, "...applicantswith white sounding names were 50 percent more likely to get called for an initial interview than applicants with black sounding names."
also, "white aplicants with prison records were still more likely to be hired than black men without them. Though these statistics are incredibly eye opening and scary, i am not as surprised as i feel i should be. the names Lakisha and Jamal, though they are perfectly normal and good names, at first, to me sounded unproffessional and silly because they are such steriotypical names like a white person being Bob or Betsy. i suppose that it is because i was raised around people named kevin and rabecca. i dont like that that was my initial reaction but it was.
Peggy McIntosh also brings up many good points, though she doesnt state much statistical data, the images and conditions that she talks about are just as eye opening. There are four points in particular that she mentions that got to me.
7. "i can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existance of their race."
Looking back at the history classes i took in my younger years, there were few if any black people mentioned up until we learned about Martin Luthar King.
15. " i am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group."
now, this one really hit home and is funny for me because i have seen this happen before, where a minority is asked a question like, "what do black people think about..." and its like... how would they know how black people think..they know how they think but they cant speak for all black people."
17. "i can critisize our government and talk about how much i fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider."
this reminded me of the movie we watched in class and how joe's mother didnt want to say anything bad about the school or America on camera.
26. "i can choose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color that more or less matches my skin."
This one speaks for itself but i know that i would feel uncomfortable if everything labeled flesh color were completely different than my skin.
Some of Peggy's words reminded me of Kozols work. For example, "ones life is not what one makes of it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own." This quote reminded me of the cycle we talked about in class from Kozols piece. If you are born in a bad area and have to take care of your sick grandmother, is that your fault? no, but you probably wont have the same opportunities as someone born on the upper east side whos parents are wealthy.

Amazing Grace

Jonathan Kozols, Amazing Grace, was a very easy read for me. it was both inspiring and informative. It opened my eyes to a lot of things that i rarely think about because they are so hidden away in the back of everyones mind. We are constantly worrying about classes and work and boyfriends that we rarely get a reminder like this of the outside world and the people struggling in the world. Kozol wrighta about famillies that are well below the poverty level, struggling for basic neccessities and fighting off drugs and deseases. The way that the piece is written really makes you feel for the people living in the area and want to do something to help them. Kozol wrotethis piece not only to open our minds about the bad that it out there but also to try and get us to do something and reolize that we can. The people living in this community are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty and those with the power to do something, should.
"somebody has power. Pretending that they dont so they dont need to use it to help people- that is my idea of evil."
That quote really got to me becuae i realize that, compared to them and a lot of people, i do have power and dont do much to help those that i could ewasily help in even the smallest of ways.
The quote, also, that Kozol is trying to fight, "if poor people behaved rationally... they would seldome be poor for long in the first place," makes me very angry, especialy after reading the story about the people in New York who i feel for. i could never blame Cliffie or David for the situations that they are in, especially when you clearly see infront of you how difficult it is for an elderly, dissabled woman to get food stamps.
It is sad to see that some of the people living in these situations have lost hope, though i understand why. It must be so hard to feel as though the law is working against you instead of for you. that ot is a hastle to call the police or go to a hospital because nothing good will come of it anyway. Though it may sound strange, the fact that the grandmother took matters into her own hands really inspired me. not that i am going to go out and kill someone but the face that she did what she fealt needed to be done, on her own. she said, 'i aint waitin for the law."

Culture of Power

so, before taking this class i had never really thought about the culture of power despite the fact that i have 'power' and, though subconsciously, know how to use it. i grew up in a middle class family. My father owns his own construction business, Pratt Home Improvement, and when i was younger business was doing well so he helped my mother pay her way through law school. Now i am still from a middle class family but we are a middle class family with more money than before. i went to a catholic school up until highschool where i was pulled away from my nearly all white, wealthy, environment and put into a much larger school with a wide range of different cultures, backgrounds, races etc. i didnt go to the best highschool, it was acctually pretty crappy, but i was still always taken care of by my familly, taking voice lessons and going on cruises, living in a nice neighborhood accross the street from the owner of Cargill Chevorolet. I know what to wear to a job interview and how to behave at a classy restaurant, i have been taught the culture of power and hope to, someday, teach it to my children and students. I have had many opportunities in my past that have opened doors for me. i have a full theatre scholoriship to RIC because i was able to take voice lessons and had time to act in plays, i didnt have to work and had parents who could drive me around where i needed to be.

cool song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuK2A1ZqoWs

Privilege, Power, and Difference

Allan G. Johnson wrote Privilege, Power, and Difference to make the point that we all need to "...change how (we) think about issues of difference and privilege" in order to stop both unintentional and intentional injustice. His first paragraph says, "...trouble relating...causes enormous amounts of injustice and unnecessary suffering." ( i know i skipped a lot of that paragraph but i was just trying to pull out his main point.) He also explains what we should get out of his book. He says, "...it (the book) allows us to see not only where the trouble comes from but how we as individuals are connected to it."
i really enjoy his main purpose o the essay, changing the world for the better, it gives me that warm tingly feeling of, 'wow, there are people who really care about making a difference and actually DO something about it.' Johnson's many examples, especially his answer to Kings quote, "the answer is still no," had a big impact on me because the question, "cant we all just get along?" is so simple and seams so easy yet, its true, unless everyone changes there way of thinking as a whole, we cant 'all just get along.' On page 2 Johnson mentions that we need to use our words because if we dont have a way to talk about the issues, sex, racism, homosexuality, then they are hiding, being ignored and, so, "we cant see what the problems are or how we might make ourselves part of the solution."
ok, so i know that its going to sound like i am singing Johnsons praises throughout most of this but...thats because i am. i think that he has wonderful ideas and displays them for us in multiple ways in order for us to understand his views and ideas to the fullest extent. For example, he uses many examples from his own life but he also steps outside the box and mentions the behaviors of animals in relation to that of humans as a species. often times we dont look at ourselves from a scientific perspective but Johnson shows us that we are all one species, despite our differences. Rarely have a seen a poodle attack or snub another poodle for being a different color or even a completely different breed.
In class when we discussed Johnsons work i commented that i did not agree with him on the bottom of page six, where he talks about people working together and sharing space. Reading it again, however, i find that i completely agree with him and think that his idealistic goals are just what the world needs. The sentence where he says, "...youd think we could treat one another with decency and respect and appreciate if not support the best we have in us," i find very inspiring.
i think that i find his work so motivating and exciting because i can relate to much of what he says. For example, on page 8 he mentions how uncomfortable he begins feeling discussing the matter of sex and race with his black, female friend because he realizes that he could never fully understand how it is that she feels. Not only could i relate to that because i am white and could never understand how it feels to be otherwise, but i also loved that fact that he mentioned all of the things that women have to go through that men usually dont even notice. I, myself, always have the key that opens my car door in my hand and ready to either open the door or jab someone in the neck with it when im walking to my car at night. i also check my back seat out of nervous habit and double check at night to make sure that my windows and doors are locked at night even though i know that i locked them. My boyfriend has noticed some of these things and thinks that im too worried but he's a 6'2", 245 pound man, im a 5'7", 120 pound girl. i should be a little worried and go the extra mile to protect myself.
Pretty much all of what Johnson talks about in his work is part of SCWAAMP. He talks about S- Straightness, W- Whiteness, M-Maleness, and P- Property Ownership. The scwaamp activity that we did in class opened my eyes to a few things that i didnt really realize before, like the fact that men make more money than females. how can that be legal? why is that ok? what do 'they' have to back up that decision? its frustrating and it makes me understand a little bit more about how homosexuals must feel about gay marriage. why do they have to travel to cali. or mass. to get married? there are so many things wrong with this; first we have to declare that marriage is a strictly religious thing, then that being gay is against all religions, then we can say, 'we are sorry but you cant get married.' however, marriage isnt strictly religious, not any more. you dont have to be married in a church. Marriage has become more; you save money on your taxes is one perk. (ok, im rambling, but some of this stuff ticks me off)
anyways, i think Johnson did a great job of getting his point across clearly and accurately and i enjoyed reading his work.

American Idol Finale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLa5qYP_HCw
*** David Archuletta!!! = Rocks my sox!

the silenced dialogue

***is anyone Else's, pages all mixed up and missing in the packet??... its confusing, I'm jumping around all over the place!***
ok...so, this is what i got out of every other page:
Delpit is saying that there is no right way to teach and trying to force one, specific, code of teaching onto our teachers is going to, "ignore the natural rhythms of teaching and learning."
Each student learns a different way and reacts a different way to methods of teaching. Because of this, our teachers must learn there children's needs and adapt to them. A child looking back at there favorite teacher may be admiring the same teacher as another student despised or felt was to easy/ hard on the students. The silenced dialogue, itself, is what i believe to be the miscommunication between students and teachers as well as the elephant in the room/ "fire!" that no one is willing to mention; the things that are important, morally, in students lives, the things that we are afraid to mention: race, class, sex (in the male vs. female sense), sexual orientation, religion etc...and even on a less extreme level, the more personal things in life like ' does mommy or daddy cook?' whatever...These things will help prevent a school system with, what Delpit calls, "meaningless, mechanistic goals."
Delpit also touches on the issues of power, majority vs. minority and the lack of encouragement in school systems to teach or even touch upon the subject of race and other "moral issues." These issues tie in with, what i believe to be, the overall purpose of the essay, more diverse, adaptable teaching freedoms, because they are some of the main reasons WHY teachers need to adapt to there children's learning needs.
The issue of power is huge. we, the teachers have the power over what these children believe has or will happen, what they believe they can/ cant do or what they believe they are worth in some instances. Like Dr. Bogad said in class about thinking that she was bad at math; if people hadn't told her that she was bad, placed her in a lower level class, but, instead, told her she was great and gave her confidence, then shed believe she was great, shed believe that she had all the potential in the world. Teachers not only have a power over there students minds, but may have power over what type of power they may, some day, have. She says, "...if schooling prepares people for jobs, and the kind of job a person has determines hid or her economic status and, therefore, power, then schooling is intimately related to that power."
When she talked about majority vs. minority, it reminded me of something i read in 11th grade honors english. i wish i could remember something about it but if anyone has a clue what im talking about, please, fill me in. haha. A guy (thats my only description of him) wrote about the fact that the minority of just as important if not more important than the majority because they... i dunno, he went to jail for like a day... anyways, back on topic:
Delpit says, "the key is to understand the variety of meanings available for any human interaction, and not to assume that the voices of the majority speak for all." The quote kind of speaks for itself so i wont touch upon it furthar.
i guess im done now...oh yeah, her writing wasnt too hard to read, other than the fact that every other two pages were missing (that was a pain).