Reflection Three

The Conditional Privilege of Whiteness

In Peggy McIntosh’s article she addresses the issue of White Privilege that precedes all people who live in a predominantly white area. Throughout my own life and my own experiences I have never felt as though I have been negatively racialized or singled out because of my culture or the colour of my skin; I have benefitted, unconsciously, from the privilege of white people. She says that this is the advantage of it; we do not have to think about the colour of our skin and the way it could affect our day-to-day experiences. She demonstrates this through the many examples that she gives including “I can go shopping alone most of the time, fairly well assured that I will not be followed or harassed by store detectives” and “I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race” (p.2). The

Reflection Two

Reflection two: Racial Liberalism and the “Diversity Bake Sale”

In relation to the article “A ‘Diversity Bake Sale’ Backfires on Campus” published in the New York Times about a student body of Berkeley University one can see how race touches all people. From the working world to the student body, there are many people who would like to take a stand on issues of racism. This in turn goes to show that the concept of “Racial Liberalism” discussed in Charles Mills’ article is really a fictitious concept. He himself does not seem to lend much credit to the idea, as he points out that the only way to disconnect oneself from race is to ignore it entirely. Certainly this may seem good in theory but how does someone go about ignoring things like bake sales where students are charged differently based on their racial background. Does this not reflect a larger, prominent issue of different races being not only paid differently for the services but also paying differently for their services?

Reflection One

Reflection One: Miles’ Use of “Race”

In his article, “Racism”, Robert Miles constantly refers to the term “race” within quotation marks. Generally, quotation marks are used to indicate speech or to put emphasis on a particular word or phrase. In this case it is used to draw particular attention to use of the term. Miles feels that “race” is not something that can be used arbitrarily but something that should be seriously considered before being put to use. In fact, he almost uses the term “race” ironically as he does not really believe there is such a thing, though, he does believe in the theory of racism, or racialization. He puts the term “race” into quotations because so many people feel that the idea of race is the real threat to the equality of people when he believes that really it is the process of racialization that is more harmful. According to Miles, “race” does not exist. Most people can agree that race is not a natural process by which we divide the worlds population, but a socially constructed process. Thus stating that “race” is not a real or tangible thing, so therefore it as itself should be