Essay on Exploring Race and Challenging Privilege

Exploring Race and Challenging Privilege I thought I understood racism well enough. Since early childhood I’ve learned from parents and teachers that racism is a sense of racial superiority, a way of making judgments about people based on their skin color before you get to know them, and a cause of hate crimes and foul language. I think I’m not racist, and as a white woman I’m not likely to be the victim of racism, so I usually think racism has nothing to do with my life. But I’m uncomfortable with the idea of race because what I’ve learned about race is contradictory. I’m taught that people of different races are equal, but I see that they live separately. I’m told that they should get along, but the past and the present reveal†¦show more content†¦Tatum’s description of the formation of racial identity among children and young adults helps me understand why races self-segregate. She categorizes the steps of the psychological process by which individuals r ecognize their â€Å"place† in society as part of a racial group and seek identity within that racial group, often to the point of conforming to negative stereotypes. This reaffirms racial minorities’ sense of identity and community and the value of their culture even though it differs from â€Å"mainstream† (white, middle-class) American culture, or what Delpit would call the culture of power. On the other hand, self-segregation reinforces the notion that races are different and that race is a valid characteristic to use to distinguish between people. Recalling my own experiences in light of Tatum’s analysis helped me make sense of both her arguments and my observations. Self-segregation is beneficial to the extent that it creates a community with shared values where people feel safe; it is only harmful when it becomes exclusive, which I’m afraid happens to a larger extent in America as a whole than on our insulated college campus. At Amherst College I feel free to join several communities with which I â€Å"identify† to greater or lesser extents; I can live in La Casa, lead the Pride Alliance, and attend Shabbat services without feeling like I have to be loyalShow MoreRelatedRacism: a World Problem1425 Words   |  6 Pagesthe remarks are not always pure racial hatred, like the Nazis or KKK however, they are ignorant, stupid and incentive and still defined as discrimination (Wilhoit, 310). Making discriminate comments does not help fight the racism problem. 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