Blog #2 - Sorting Race Assignment / My Privileges

Sorting Race

What immediately caught my attention was the fact that until 1960, the census enumerators classified people into races by looking at them. I know plenty of people who look a certain race but are actually a combination or are a completely different one than what people predict. I only guessed 4 people right.. haha. It's crazy that the census didn't attempt to allow people to choose more than one race until the 2000's too. I guess it is good that we can use things like the census to determine things like which groups are being treated unequally and what groups show different health problems. I honestly cannot see our society without race.

The three facts that stood out to me were:
4. Race and freedom were born together.
- It is interesting that although the U.S. was founded upon freedom, but then turned around to enslave people in numerous ways mentally and physically.

5. Race justified social inequalities as natural.
- This one stood out to me because it is hard to believe the extent that race was used within laws.

10. Colorblindness will not end racism.
- I think this is especially true because people will always want some way to make the different from others, and race is an easy way to do it.

I think if more people knew more about our history of all races, there would be more equality. In my opinion, the majority of the people in our history that all Americans know for making major accomplishments are white, so that idea can develop in young peoples minds of minorities and keep them from becoming those successful people. If there was a more equal distribution of all careers and jobs by race, it would be more reflective of the diversity of our country.

The most interesting things I took from the articles were how even Europeans were considered "nonwhite" and assimilated in order to become "white", how white priveledge is defined as "historical systemic structural race-based superiority", and how in the knapsack article she said she never was asked to speak for all the people of her racial group.

My Privileges :

1. Masculinity/Heterosexism
2. Male
3. Class (Middle Class)
4. Education
5. Being American
6. Connections (To people who are of higher class)
7. Experiences/Exposure (Throughout life)

#TheFamily

Blog #1: Bob Herbert Editorial & Newt Gingrich Video

In response to the Bob Herbert Editorial, I agree with his perspective on a needed civil rights movement in some aspects. I think there are many problems that we face as Americans that are largely rooted upon race. Specifically with blacks I think that ideas of white privilege and  discrimination are still very prevalent even though they may not be expressed in the same ways as in the past. Now that it is 2012 there is still a very large disparity between African Americans and Whites. Until something revolutionary happens where everyone pushes towards equality, problems will continue.




Gingrich says "Blacks should want paychecks, not food stamps". I am not the most knowledgeable person about politics and the government, but statements like this are the reason that I have a low interest in following the republican race. Gingrich obviously is attacking blacks of the lower socioeconomic class and attempting to claim that that are too lazy for work and would rather get free food stamps. He does neglecting the fact that not only are blacks receiving food stamps, but so are people of other races. The poor have problems because they continue to struggle to make ends meet and never get to take a break. I believe he should go to the NAACP just to see how the whole situation turns out.