Fahad Albrahim Response 1: Review/Summary: “Whiteness as property” is an article written by Cheryl Harris, in which she addresses the subject of racial identity and property in the United States. Throughout the article, professor Harris attempts to explain how the concept of whiteness was initiated to become a form of racial identity, which evolved into a property widely protected in American law (page 1713). Harris tackles a number of facts that describe the roots of whiteness as property in American history at the expense of minorities such as Black and American natives (page 1709). Additionally, Harris describes how whiteness as property evolved to become seen as a racial privilege in which the whites gained more benefits, whether …show more content…
(Page 1785) Also, Harris does not believe that the white privilege will be ever removed because there is no historical or actual context where the whites will be ever exploited as the Blacks ever were (page 1785). Critical Analysis: I believe that Harris’s essay could be perceived through three aspects, which are (a) the historical context of the issue of racial classification and property, (b) The consequences of whiteness as property throughout the American history, and (c) the current situation of whiteness as property. In terms of the historical context of the racial classification and property, the US witnessed a White dominance in territory, economy, politics and property privileges. Since the time of colonialism, Blacks and Indigenous peoples fell under the totalitarian ruling of colonists who have obviously favored their own race over others in order to expand their political, territorial and economic powers. As a result, the non-whites (notably the Blacks and Indians) were unjustly segregated and classified as inferior to the …show more content…
For example, in case of a legal dispute, the White is more likely to emerge victorious no matter how unjust and oppressing he could be. I agree with Harris, as the laws affirm self-determination and self-liberty for people, however, those rights were not granted equally. The Whites benefited from them in every way, leaving the Blacks unprotected. Even after the emergence of the US constitution, rights were not granted equally. I believe that it is quite hypocritical from the US to possess a constitution, which is addressed to everyone, but not applied to everyone. For example, the fourteenth amendment, which clearly tackles the equal protection of the laws, only truly applies to the whites rather than all peoples in the United States. Therefore, I believe that the latter aspect confirms Harris’s claims of the privilege of being white. Currently, the US has made gigantic improvements in terms of race classification and property. However, according to Harris, the white privilege is almost impossible to remove because the Whites have never gone through the humiliation in history as the
Reading Response 4: “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race” by Matthew Frye Jacobson Manvir Kaur July 10, 2017 History 17A: U.S History The term “race” is one of the major aspects of one’s identity which tends to completely change over time. The primary source, “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race,” is part of a book called “Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race” which was written by Matthew Frye Jacobson in the twentieth century. In this source, he expands on the topic of “whiteness” with its relation to European immigrants in the United States and also, on the different perspectives of how other races are seen.
In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, written by Peggy McIntosh, suggest a list of invisible privileges, which she is immune towards due to her ethical background. McIntosh names the numerous ways and examples of privileges she obtained from her white heritage. Which most other ethical race would have to think twice before attempting. People of the white heritage in the United States, are not stereotyped or live in fear of being a victim of racism like many other race. McIntosh provides a solid point; in addition she supports her arguments through observations and examples of her personal life.
Considering this, he is stating America is a white man's country and every other race has no voice in this country. However, even with the ratification of the 13th,14th, and 15th Amendments, discrimination and prejudice still remain strong.
Zora Neale Hurston’s essay “How If Feels to be Colored Me” is a piece that is directed towards the stereotypes about race. An example of this is in the opening statement: “... I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother’s side was not an Indian chief.” This analysis of this statement is that colored Americans fallaciously believe that they have Native American ancestry. This statement also reveals how the racial identity is a factor that is discovered through our interactions with each other. Another statement that reveals this is Hurston’s observations about her “white neighbor” and how different people and maniacal racism against the colored is detrimental to other races as
White supremacy is the belief that people with whiter skin are superior in this nation, which has the effect of disdaining other races/ethnics. The political policies also play a role in this problematic structural inequality. They allow privatization and deregulate the balance between the lower end of the class and the upper end. Although federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, race, and national origin, the public policies and urban developers favor the mass of the affluent class. Those who born in a poor family are less likely to overcome their low social status.
A color-blind ideology appears to permeate throughout our society drawn from a lack of color consciousness. This is for the reason that it neglects to challenge white privilege by subsisting in a position of race privilege. Reflection of one’s conscious and unconscious belief about race can help to break down existing societal and inevitable racism as opposed to culture or personal ineptitude. Self-reflexivity will also provide assistance with an honest discussion about race and ethnicity being social constructions from attitudes, actions, beliefs, and so on. Ultimately, racial ideologies are consistently subject to change for engaging with the transformation of a particular era’s social conditions at the complexly interconnected levels of
The enslavement of African American’s has many negative impacts on the United States’ legal system in many ways. One of the ways slavery have impacted the United States’ legal is Caucasian people had developed theories to claim that the Caucasians were inferior to African Americans. Some of the Caucasian people that contributed to coming up with theories or ideas that Caucasians was superior to African Americans are Thomas Jefferson, Charles White, Oliver Goldsmith and Benjamin Rush. During slavery one of the theories Caucasians in the United States believed was that African American people were inferior to Caucasian people. One of the Caucasian people that believed this theory was Thomas Jefferson.
Specifically, when the quote mentions, “…white privilege is not limited to perks like band aids and hair care products. The second function of white skin privilege is that it creates significant advantages for white people. There are sorts of things that…. a white person, generally do not encounter, have to deal with or even recognize.” Being important because it is showing many whites don’t notice the privileges they are given but many minorities do in which white privilege is a cause preventing social equality and one part of white privilege is not having the same rights to by the same products causing unfair advantages to those of a white skin
This experience is similar to Michelle Lopez-Mullins's, which is described in the textbook. Moreover, experiences like these further reinforce the concept of white Americans having a greater place in the United States
And I can see from the outside in, driven by the old voices of childhood and lost in anger and fear.” This quote explains how a child could be effected with racist comments. Although it happened when she was a child, the racist comments came back to her because that’s what she believes she was. This ties in with Americans having equal opportunities because it shows how one could be affected by racism. If the American government was to restrict every race
W.E.B DuBois, a well known civil liberties advocate, in his speech, Niagara Movement, illuminates the need for racial equality in America. In his speech, his purpose is to call white Americans to action, as well as highlight the effects of the African American’s white superiors excluding them from simple, constitutionally given, liberties. He adopts an authoritative tone in order to establish a feeling of guilt for white people who determine the rights given to African-Americans. DuBois convinces his audience that African-Americans should become equal on a social, economical, and political level, through the use of emotional diction, reasonable ideas and a dominant tone.
Racial Hierarchy The existence of an American racial hierarchy has been an undeniable constant throughout the country’s existence. Whites have always been at the top, and maintenance of the status quo is contingent on the marginalization and othering of minorities. Rickey Hill asserts that in the United States, “whiteness occupies the superior position in the racial hierarchy, because white people—as the dominant group and class—reproduce the power, social arrangements, and ideology that frame social reality” (Hill, 62).
Stanford case employs language of entitlement, so does Plessy v. Ferguson. According to the author, a “mulatto” man, Plessy, was determined to sit in the “white” coach. He appealed to the Supreme Court only after being convicted; the Court did not rule in his favor (Mayhew, Rothenburg, 2013). The plaintiff states, “Upon the other hand, if he be a colored man and be assigned so [a colored coach], he has been deprived of no property, since he is not lawfully entitled to the reputation of a colored man,” (Mayhew, Rothenburg, 2013, p. 549). This encompasses language of entitlement through the mindset of the Caucasian male.
For example, open Black support of harsh punishment and law enforcement may seem hypocritical because in reality these policies and practices contribute to mass incarceration of Blacks. Alexander clarifies that Black support is more complex than it appears and can be attributed to a combination of complicity and wanting better safety for their communities and families (Alexander, 2012, p.210). Alexander also offers a unique perspective throughout the entire book by explaining how the systems of slavery and oppression have affected White individuals and not merely in the form of privilege or the dismissal of White people as simply as racist individuals. I resonated with one particular section discussing the "White victims of racial caste" (Alexander, 2012, p.204); the author 's anecdote of a white woman falling in love with a Black man and due to miscegenation laws could not have children. I could relate to this story on a deeply personal level in that my own parents experienced extreme and countless hurdles due to their interracial relationship and having biracial
(Bois, 2005 [1920]) Whites had a sense of privilege because of the injustices they created such as colonialism and the exploitation of other races for their own power (Bois, 2005