Can we cut class short?
October 9th, 2008 by 
Tom Robinson | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Hi all,
Last night’s class was an interesting one and I am happy that each of you chose to engage with the reading and think seriously about the topic of privilege. I wish we had more time to talk about privilege in relation to Greek culture (who is privileged here in Greece and how is that similar or different from the U.S.).
Additionally, I heard a number of people ask for proof of white privilege and I’m going to find articles that detail results regarding discrimination and privilege in modern day America (as opposed to way back in 1985…which seems like a long time ago for you guys I guess). In some ways though, it takes simply watching the world around you in a different light. I’ll share those articles tomorrow…
I wanted to make two points…
The first is that prior to last night’s class, several students came to ask me if we could “shorten class by about 35 minutes so that they could make the 6pm bus?” Beyond letting me know how much they value the class, it struck me as an ironic question from several white students. The article we read discusses white privilege and the many ways that it manifests itself in U.S. society. One point that McIntosh makes is that white people have the luxury of simply avoiding issues of racism, privilege and discrimination. The lack of interest, not among all students in the GE course, on this topic demonstrates McIntosh’s point very aptly. I recognize that we are all going through stages of development, but I am saddened that the irony of asking to cut short a class on privilege was most likely lost on those white students who asked.
My second point:
I was one of those white students who would have asked to cut class short!
I grew up in a very homogenous community in central Massachusetts. While my family and community were and continue to be good people, I did not have a lot (okay, none that I can recall) of role models growing up when it came to thinking about racism, discrimination and privilege. I was taught that if you work hard, you get ahead. I was also taught that if you are not ahead, then you are not working hard enough. This concept was, more often than not, applied to people of color (many of whom were recent immigrants with little money) who lived in neighboring towns. I share all of this because I think it is important for each white person to sit with their privilege, recognize it, own it and spend at least a little time each day thinking about it. I know that people of color do not have the luxury of only thinking about these issues “a little bit” each day.
Beyond that, white people should think about how they can find their voice on this topic… silence is acceptance of the status-quo. Even if you personally do not accept things as they are… I spoke with and read the freewrites of many white students regarding Wednesday’s class. A common thread (not just from the white students) is what do we do about this? My answer would be to continually challenge yourself by reading books, articles and attending events or programs that will help you develop your own informed perspective on race, privilege and discrimination. Beyond that, find ways to talk with your peers and even your family respectfully about their opinions…
Prepare yourself with facts… and I’m going to stop here, because that is my next task… to locate studies that I have found persuasive that will nudge you away from thinking that McIntosh is “crazy, insane” “dated” and “out of touch” and challenge you to wade into the data and make your own informed judgments.