Privilege 4

Next in the ‘white privilege series‘… number 4:

4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.


A great example of this privilege can be found in an ABC expose with Diane Sawyer, True Colors.  In this video two friends, one black and one white, try to maneuver through life in St. Louis.  It highlights blatant discrimination that goes on — black people being charged more for cars, systematically denied apartments, etc.   While this was made in 1993, it remains relevant today.

There are also some decent academic articles on this topic here and here.  This article talks about similar discrimination that black people face on vacation.

What is more, people often don’t interfere when they see retail staff discriminate against customers.  This video (below), from the TV production ‘What Would You Do?‘ highlights this pattern.

Standing Up Against Racism

New Car!

I’ve been driving for 14 years.  During that time, the only car I’ve ever had is my truck, Lorlene.  Lorlene was a ‘hand-me-up’ from my brother.  (In theory we shared it, but really it was his until he got a new car).
Here is the beautiful green beast:
Lorlene has taken me everywhere.  We’ve driven to D.C., Maine, Vermont, all throughout the Midwest and everywhere in between.  She has lasted longer than all of my romantic relationships.
Posting an ad for her on craigslist was one of the hardest things she and I have been through.  Luckily, just before I had to give her to a stranger, my father decided he wanted to keep her to use for hauling at the cabin! She has many years of hauling left, but at 130,000 miles and 12 years of age, she isn’t quite as reliable as she once was. What is more, our furry family has gotten a bit big to fit in her for long car trips.
I’ll miss you Lorlene but I’m glad you are just a short drive away!
To replace Lorlene I’ll be buying my father’s car, a 2008 Honda Fit.  The Fit gets great gas mileage, has a ton of space, and has already been with me on two trips to D.C.  While it’ll be my first time having to make car payments, I’m so excited to have it here.

Now, it just needs a name.  Any suggestions?

Privileges 2 and 3

If you recall, I promised to share contemporary examples of Peggy McIntosh’s 1980s article on White Privilege over the next year.  It is time now for the second installment: privileges two and three.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area, which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
As mentioned, people of color have been systematically denied residence in certain neighborhoods throughout the history of the United States.  Current patterns of segregation were really founded in the 1950s with the creation of suburbs following WWII.  Returning white soldiers were given money to finance homes outside of cities in the form of the GI Bill, something denied to black soldiers.  This has led to an amassing of white wealth inthe form of home ownership.

Currently many cities still discriminate against people of color moving into certain neighborhoods.  Towns such as Jesop, IA have a history of raising property taxes in order to keep people of color (who, due to historical systematic discrimination tend to have less money) out.
This MPR story highlights a bit of the housing inequity in Minnesota. Minnesota has the 7^th largest racial gap in homeownership in the nation.  As mentioned, such gaps are due largely to institutional discrimination – sky rocking property taxes, subprime mortgages for people of color, etc.
Other resources of import include the PBS special Race: The Power of an Illusion.  The third video outlines housing inequity in detail.  And The Color Of Wealth, by Meizhu Lui et al.
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Now, it is important to note that once people of color enter a historically white neighborhood the fight is far from over.  Such intrepid souls often are the victims of overt discrimination, discouraging them from such residence.  One of my faculty members in undergraduate school was frequently the victim of property-destructive hate crimes.   (The SPLC documents many of these on their hate map.)
Or, consider this story by Resist Racism or this by RaceWire.

Privilege 1: The Company You Keep

I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

The history of residential segregation in the United States is extensive.  Never, in US history, has  there been a time in which people of color were not forceably denied access to white residential areas.  The film Race, the Power of An Illusion (video three) explains the practices of redlining int he 1950s and how that led to the current gap in wealth between whites and blacks.  The book The Color of Wealth, by Rose Brewer, also highlights this gap, as well as the wealth gap between other races.  


I don't want to get to into that, or I'd write the entire post about the 1950's practices.  I urge you to check out those sources.


Another way in which segregation was - and is - maintained is through violence.  The phenomena of Sundown Towns has been thoroughly documented in the book Sundown Towns by James Loewen. Sundown Towns are cities in which segregation was maintained through physical violence against people of color in addition to economic and political boycotts of any people of color who entered the city limits.  


A couple of towns that still posted signs warning people of color to keep out include: 

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§  Arab, Alabama

§  Marlow, Oklahoma

§  Sullivan, Missouri

Now we know that white people have historically organized society such that they can live separate from people of color.  We also know that this segregation continues.  However, we have not discussed the ways in which residential segregation also leads to geographical division in employment.  Thus, people of color have been physically forced into segregated communities against their will.  And, even when living in separate communities people of color have had to travel into white neighborhoods for employment.

I used to live in Washington DC.  As some of you know, DC is one of the most segregated cities in the United States with most of the people of color living in Southeast DC and most of the white people living in NW DC. 

As you can guess, most of the places of employment are also in NW DC. Thus, despite residential segregation, people of color remain forced to travel into white spaces to work.  Often times they are forced into the jobs that are more physically demanding and with longer hours.  


This is just one example of how white people are able to choose who they are surrounded by at all times - and people of color are not.  

26 Days of Privilege

Last week I had the opportunity to teach about white privilege in the course I TA.  We took the Peggy McIntosh article, written in the 1980s, and updated it as a class.  I had them work in small groups to pick out the examples highlighted by McIntosh that may be outdated and in need of modification - as well as come up with new ones.  

For the next 26 days I'm going to post McIntosh's 26 examples of white privilege, show how my students updated them, and subsequently provide evidence of its continued relevance.  Its kind of like advent for anti-racist activists.  

Things You Can Do Now, to Curb the Negative Effects of Capitalism

I support what Moore is trying to do with his new film Capitalism: A Love Story . I think everyone needs to see it. He also has a new list of things that all Americans can do to help make a little change now. I just wanted to reiterate a few: FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS: 1. Take your money out of your bank if it took bailout money and place it in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union. I LOVE my credit union and I would NEVER use a bank. Credit Unions are the non-profit equivalent. You get all the same services and offers - but without the fees! They are locally owned and wonderful. 2. Get rid of all your credit cards but one -- the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or you lose your card. So many people have problems with credit. One card, with a low balance, can make such a difference. 3. Do not invest in the stock market. If you have any extra cash, put it away in a savings account or, if you can, pay down on your mortgage so you can own your home as soon as possible. You can also buy very safe government savings bonds or T-bills. Or just buy your mother some flowers. I had thought that my fear of the stock market was naive... but after the crash and ensuing disaster I feel vindicated. Why invest in people who don't have your interests (or the interests of anyone other than themselves) in mind? Keep your money in safe places and invest in yourself and your family. Read more of Michael's ideas here.

Today's Efforts to Save the Earth

So, I've been very inspired of late to try harder to reduce my carbon footprint. Even though, my carbon usage is far less than most Americans, if everyone was like me we would need almost two earths! (Visit http://www.myfootprint.org/ to find out your impact). My biggest successes are being vegan (meat consumption and production are major producers of carbon and waste), shopping at the co-op (buying local food makes an immense difference), composting and collecting rain water to use on plans, etc. Two of my major inspirations are Sumner (her blog is great for people trying to eat more locally) and Jacky - both of whom work hard to consume minimally and locally. Anyway, today I was trying to store my rain barrel for winter. However, because it has rained so much lately it was very full. Not wanting to waste all of the water in it, I filled up some rubbermaid containers to store the water so I can continue to water the plans in it. After filling up and moving three such bins, I decided that it was enough. (Stagnant water in our basement is probably not a good idea). So, I tried to carry the half-full rainbarrel over to our compost bin and dump the water there (I'm not good at keeping it moist). So, soaking wet pants and shoes later our compost is saturated, the rain barrel is stored, and we have three rubbermaid containers with water for our indoor plants. What a mess. We also tried to eat a squash I found on the sidewalk last week... but it was very sour so that didn't really happen. Adventure!!